“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Pride is another chain that seeks to bind Christians and render us ineffective and powerless. The blessing of John 8:36 is conditional upon John 8:31, 32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
By continuing in the truth of Christ we learn how important it is to repent of all pride. Jesus speaks about this subtle sin that binds Christian in His opening remarks in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-15): “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” These are the followers of Christ who do not have an inflated ego concerning themselves. They are not proud about their intelligence, their financial strength, their good looks, their opinions as opposed to others, their education, their self-made accomplishments, the high regard others have for them, and especially religious pride which is insidious because it gets in the way of being able to flow and fellowship with other Christians outside their own circle.
Paul said in Philippians 3:7: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” It is only embracing of the cross of Christ that enables us to break this weakening chain. To repent of our pride allows the anointing of the Spirit to set us free.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell