Spiritual Theology

Many of those who profess Christ are full of spiritual pride. Such people do not even realise that they are full of spiritual pride and cause much damage both to others in the Body of Christ, as well as unbelievers. Spiritual pride in believers is a grave sin and needs to be rooted out. Yet, many fail to realise how serious a sin spiritual pride is, owing to the nature of pride itself which blinds a person to the seriousness of their own sins, especially that of pride, and the deception within the Church that has blinded so many.

According to scriptures, ‘a little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (Galatians 5:9). This refers to not only sins in a person that make an otherwise holy person, unholy; it also refers to sins within the Church that corrupt the whole Church, and ultimately hinder unsaved souls from coming to know Christ, by posing a stumbling block, that which gives them a fair justification to reject the Gospel. Such sins are religious hypocrisy and lack of charity, both of which are rooted in spiritual pride. These sins an abominable stench in the nostrils of God and He will not hear the prayers or intercessions of such people.

Religious people see the sins in others, and mostly the ones that they have designated to be more serious in their sins. These sins are that of drunkenness, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and abortion which they love to target for criticism in others. However, they live as if envy, jealousy, gluttony, pride, and sins against charity, are not sins at all, when the truth is that these sins are just as serious as those that they see in others.

Since the God’s grace to the world flows through the Church, it is imperative that the Church is holy and righteous before God so that His grace will flow to the world which is part of His Will for it, that they receive Salvation in Christ. Saint John made it clear that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)

It is the will of God that the world be saved, not condemned. Likewise, the Christian must desire the the world be saved, and not condemn it, in being puffed up with spiritual pride, thinking oneself to be more worthy that others in receiving Salvation.

There is No Reason for Spiritual Pride

Jesus came to save sinners, not condemn sinners. Likewise, we must emulate Christ and seek to save the sinners, and not condemn them. For we ourselves were once ungodly sinners and enemies of Christ, and Christ had mercy and compassion for us:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

(Romans 5:6-11)

If it were not for God’s grace towards us first, we ourselves would be as the sinner who we condemn, in committing all kinds of sins that we see and condemn in others, and perhaps committing even worse sins, whether openly or privately, thereby incurring the wrath of God. As the scriptures testify, ^‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast’ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Since receiving Salvation from God is not of our own work, it is not of our own merit and there is nothing we may boast about.

To think oneself better, more worthy, more spiritual, more moral, or more holy because one has received Salvation is a form of spiritual pride – and an exceptionally insidious one. One may say that the sinner who one condemns has committed an utterly despicable sin, be it murder, adultery, blasphemy, or idolatry. It may be true that the sin one accuses in another is extremely grave, but it is not in any way an excuse or reason to think of oneself as better than the sinner or more worthy of Salvation than the sinner who one condemns, as many professing Christians think of themselves without realising it.

These Christians are the type who are always condemning the sins of unbelievers that they see all around them, despite in many having committed those sins themselves before their conversion, whether it be drunkenness, fornication, homosexuality, or gluttony. Even if one has never committed such sins oneself, one has still, like everyone else, ‘sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). It is the natural inclination to deny or downplay plain, unadulterated truth about one’s sinfulness, on the basis that one’s own sins are less serious than others, fewer in number than others, or that one has come to repentance earlier than others. However, in the eyes of God, all sins are sins that incur His just wrath. Since we ourselves have sinned, it is not for us to condemn, judge, or even think about whether others are good or bad people.

Since Salvation can only come by grace, and by our own works, there is no reason for spiritual pride. While the good works that one does after having received Salvation are meritorious and will earn one rewards both in Heaven and Earth (Romans 2:6), it is still not a reason for any spiritual pride, whatsoever. For pride itself is a vice, and not only a vice, but the cardinal vice.

The Wickedness of Spiritual Pride

Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov once said, “Whatever you do, on no account condemn anyone; do not even try to judge whether a person is good or bad, but keep your eyes on that one evil person for whom you must give an account before God – yourself.”

Such are strong but trenchant words. While the words of Bishop Ignatius may seem exaggerated or hyperbolic for the sake of being strongly worded, his remark is absolutely true. We should never condemn anyone or even think about judging whether a person good or bad, righteous or unrighteous, or virtuous or unvirtuous.

This is not because the sins of others are not to be treated as sins, or that sin is not a grave matter. While sin is always a grave matter, the sins are others are not only solely between the sinner guilty of the sin and God Himself, but that condemning others for their sins is pride. Instead of focusing and obsessing over the sins of others as so many professing Christians do, we should focus on ourselves and solely on ourselves.

Likewise, we must also not be concerned about whether others judge us such positively or negatively because each of us are accountable only before God. The judgment of others about us, whether positive or negative, is totally immaterial. Only God is to be feared not only because only He alone is worthy of reverence, but that only He can cast both the body and soul in Hell. As Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear [H]im who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

Contrary to what many Christians believe, condemning the sins that we see in others, and even judging whether someone is a good or bad person is ungodly. It is exactly what the world does, which loves to condemn and expose the sins of others. The media, which is the mouthpiece of the world, exemplifies this aspect of human nature. It loves to gossip about celebrities’ secret sins, and create a scandal out of it, and in doing so often exaggerates, as well as defame or slander politicians or leaders it dislikes, and similarly create a scandal out of any allegation made. That is precisely why people find entertainment and political news entertaining, which shows how wicked the human heart is.

There is an aptly coined label ‘trial by media’ by which a person, usually a public figure or a person made infamous by the media, is subject to slanderous, defamatory comments by the media that will cloud jury’s judgment to the point that it will be unable to make a fair judgment based on evidence adduced at trial. Such prejudice in the hearts of people is owing to the wickedness of the human heart itself, which naturally loves to condemn and judge the sins of others, to justify itself. As a result, it easily concludes that a person one dislikes, owing to no reason other than hearing a scandalous news about the person, to feel a sense of satisfaction that the person one dislikes is evil, to justify one’s dislike.

Where one dislikes someone, whether allegations made against the person are true, is one the concern of one’s heart. Instead, what matters is whether one’s dislike can be justified. One rejoices about the truth of a person’s sins, to justify one’s dislike. The more sins are exposed, the more satisfied one is. Truth becomes weaponised against the person, rather than a matter of justice and righteousness. This use of truth to expose, accuse, scandal, defame, or slander someone is completely opposite of charity, for charity ‘covers a multitude of sins’ (1 Peter 4:8).

Likewise, religious people are constantly focusing on the sins of others, from the holiest of all people, such as the monk who gives up all to humbly serve God and his neighbours, or the missionary who gives up all to spread the Gospel, to the vilest sinners of all, such as the prostitutes and murderers. That they focus on even the sins of the holiest of people, those who are far more holy than themselves shows how focused they are on others’ sins. They love to use the law of God as a weapon against others, and the sins of others to accuse them, to make themselves feel superior.

Such religious people are no different from the Pharisees who prepared to stone the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 8:1-11). Their motive for wanting to stone her was not because of a concern for righteousness, but because of their self-righteousness attitude, which loved to condemn others for their sins, while justifying their own. While adultery is sin, their spiritual pride is also a sin, and were in no such position to condemn her. Such pride led them to make accusations in an ungodly manner, keen only to expose people for their sins, and accuse them, without even thinking of lifting a finger to help them overcome the sin and show them a better, holy way to live.

As Saint Paisios of Mount Athos said, “Let’s not stone our fellow-man in a so-called “Christian manner.” The person who – in the presence of others – checks someone for having sinned (or speaks in an impassioned manner about a certain person), is not moved by the Spirit of God; he is moved by another spirit.”

This spirit is the spirit of accusation, the spirit of slander, and the spirit of gossip. It is not even about whether the accuser is giving false witness. It is immaterial that accusations of sin against a person is true because such an accusatory spirit moves the person, rather than the Spirit of God. A heart that loves to accuse is one that loves wicked schemes, rushes into evil, give false witness, and stir discord, all abominations to God (Proverbs 6:18-19). It is one that uses truth as a weapon to harm or destroy others, rather than virtuously and righteously.

The Humble Servant of God

By contrast, a person who is moved by the Spirit of God is moved to pray zealously and wholeheartedly for the sinner for his repentance and healing, that God would lead him to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and move his heart to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus, instead of condemning and accusing him. The more serious the sin and the greater the culpability, the more zealously he prays for God’s grace and mercy to be upon him. In doing so, He emulates Christ, and has the tender heart of Christ who desires the sinner to be saved not condemned.

In his humility of heart, he fully acknowledges that he is no better than the sinner, for it is only by the grace and mercy of Christ that he is redeemed from sin in the first place. Any meritorious good works he does on his part he recognises to be only by the grace of God that empowers him to do such. He does not self-righteously and proudly declare before God as the Pharisee in the Temple, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get” (Luke 18:11-12). Instead, his heart sincerely and earnestly cries out to Christ, “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”, just as the publican cried out to God in the Temple for his mercy, knowing his need for God’s mercy (Luke 18:13).

It is not that the humble servant of God does not know that God distinguishes between the righteous and the unrighteous. God does distinguish between the righteous and unrighteous, the good and the wicked, and the just and the unjust. Rather, it is that in his humility, he is not puffed up in his pride in thinking himself to be innately better than others spiritually, for he knows that not only that he needed God’s grace and mercy to receive Salvation in the first place, but that he always needs God’s grace and mercy to become holy unto perfection.

He knows and fully accepts with all his heart that he cannot become holy in his own strength. He knows that he is susceptible to the sin of pride as human nature is so inclined towards and cannot, but help be inclined towards and be puffed up with – all without realising it.

He hates all sin within him, including and especially the sin of pride that is in him, and actively works to mortify his flesh each day. He focuses on mortifying his sin rather than exposing and condemning the sins of others. He is conscious of the sins that he has to deal with within himself and does not focus on or obsess over the sins of others, be it the sins of the Pope, priests, pastors, or unbelievers, whether it be the politicians one dislikes, the celebrity caught up in the latest scandal, or unsaved family, friends, acquaintances or colleagues who one finds to be unpleasant.

He has a truly compassionate heart that loves the sinner and genuinely wants the sinner to be saved for his own good, not to vindicate his own beliefs. He wants the sinner to be healed from the suffering caused by his own sin because of his mercy and grace towards the sinner that he does not desire his death and destruction, but truly desires him to be saved from the just wrath of God. Such mercy and grace can only come from a heart that is truly humble before Christ.

The Consequences of Spiritual Pride

Pride blinds one to one’s own sins and causes one to see it to be less serious that it truly is. It causes one to be focused on the sins of others and to exaggerate others’ wickedness, despising them others roundly, and never being able to see any virtue in them where there is virtue. People who are filled with spiritual pride cannot see the virtue in those they condemn, but only their vice; they only see their own virtue, and often exaggerate their own virtue in their own eyes but are totally unable to see their own vices, including the most serious vices within themselves.

Pride is a sin that will always hinder a person’s spiritual development. As long as a person is in bondage to this sin, there can be no advancement in the spiritual life, but only a degeneration. It taints and tarnishes all manner of virtue a person possesses.

As Saint Augustine wrote, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” Similarly, pride corrupts all virtue in a person otherwise virtuous, while humility makes a sinner more virtuous than a prideful person who commits no sin other than pride.

Of all the sins that God hates, which are all sins, pride is the sin God abominates the most. It is a sin that God hates far more than the four sins that cry out to God for justice, being murder, homosexuality, oppressing the needy, and denying the worker his just wages – all of which are abominations to the Lord that will incur God’s judgment on the person not only in Hell, if the person does not repent, but also here in this life too. God hates pride even more than blasphemy and idolatry which are direct attacks on God Himself, that He ‘resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6).

No distinction is made between whether a person is saved or unsaved, righteous or unrighteous, in relation to God resisting the proud and giving grace to the humble. For as long as a person is proud, whether he is a righteous believer or unrighteous unbeliever, God will resist the person. This often manifests in the lack of success in whatever the person does, while others around him succeed. The desires of the person’s heart are often unfulfilled, even if a believer, owing to his pride. His prayers are not heard and often left unanswered by God, even if he cries out to God and pleads with God to hear him, because of his pride.

As long as a person is humble, whether a virtuous, holy person whose sins are few, or a prodigal who has committed countless sins, including the vilest of sins, and is far from God, God will be gracious. This often manifests in the abundance God gives to the person in this life, even if the person is an unbeliever, who does not yet believe in Christ.

The person may enjoy much success in their endeavours, as well as protection from harm owing to God’s grace, despite being an unbeliever, even one of whom has committed countless sins, among some of which are grave sins. The desires of his heart are often fulfilled because of God’s grace towards him, owing to his humility. God sustains him in his times of darkness even without his realising that it is the work of God through his angels, protecting and preserving him. God hears his laments and comforts him in his pain, even if he does not realise it.

God is gracious to all who are humble, even if the person is a vile sinner, especially when his lack of virtue is owing to ignorance on his part, because of not yet having had the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to have been taught the ways of Jesus Christ.

God is Angry at the Spiritually Proud Church

Many believers are full of spiritual pride, all without realising it, thinking they are so holy and righteous because of professing Christ, and going through the motions of church attendance, serving actively in church, and taking the sacraments. Yet, they have no desire to see more souls receive Salvation and Eternal Life, and are full of contempt for the unbeliever, always condemning him and targeting him for criticism of his sins.

They have no compassion for the poor, the widow, and the orphan, the migrant and refugee, the sick and those who are in pain, the broken, the lonely and those who are hurting. This is all owing to spiritual pride which leads to a lack of charity, which is itself sin, that is, sin against charity.

As vile as the vilest sinner may be, one should not focus on his sins, but instead one should focus on one’s own sins. It is not that vile sinner whose sins one sees so clearly who one will be accountable to God for on the Day of Judgment; one will solely be accountable for the sins of that one evil, vile sinner who one sees when looking in the mirror – oneself.

God will not even hear the prayers of the spiritually proud Church, no matter how much they plead before Him to hear their prayers and grant their requests. As long as they do not humble themselves, their prayers will be in vain. God will not and cannot use a spiritually proud Church to impact the world. It cannot be the salt and light of the earth because of its spiritual pride, which God despises.

A spiritually proud church has lost its ability to preserve the state of the world from further degeneration as symbolised by salt, and speak the truth to the world, as symbolised by light, because God’s grace is not upon it. Such a church itself has degenerated into much sin, and contributes further to the degeneration of the world, and has fails to hear the truth and accept it because of its hardened heart.

Spiritual pride is a disease that leavens the whole lump. It like a cancer that has spread to the whole body of the Church, making it ineffective and useless before God in leading people unto Salvation and being healed. The only cure is humility before God, beginning with the Church, as the Church and only the Church, has responsibility for the state of the world, for the grace of God flows to the world through the Church.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)