The pride of man is much like a computer virus. Have you ever had a computer virus? I once had one on my computer that was called a Trojan virus. If you are ever thinking about downloading a free song online from one of those sites that offer such service and a warning pops up that says “This file may be corrupted. Do you still want to download?” please click on the button which says “No.”            

You see, in my case, my song was already at ninety-nine percent download. And I just had to click “Yes.” Within seconds of doing so, the image of an ugly beastly-looking creature took over my computer screen, flashing in bold letters the words “TROJAN VIRUS! TROJAN VIRUS!” No matter what I did, I could not get the beast off of my screen. Whenever I clicked the “x” to close the window, another would just pop up to replace it. This happened again and again and again. Finally, I had to unplug the computer and take it in to a specialist to have the virus removed.

Similarly, the popping-up of pride in a man’s heart is something we all must deal with as Christians. Nobody is exempt. Sometimes it feels like we keep clicking the “x,” but it keeps on coming up again. So, we humble ourselves before the Lord, calling on the name of Jesus. Through and by the graceful working of the Holy Spirit, God then begins to set things straight in our hearts. Praise God for his sin-virus specialist!

In Titus 3:2-6 we read a reminder that the Apostle Paul writes to his son Titus concerning the attitude a believer should have toward an unbeliever in light of all the “viruses” which Jesus has healed us of by the stripes he bore for us on the cross. I encourage you to examine it carefully. It reads:

“Remind the people…to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy”

We can see from this Scripture that the Apostle Paul is wanting Titus to remind the people who have come out of a very deep place of darkness, to remember who they were before the love of God was revealed to them. He felt it vital to recall that they were only brought from slavery and into freedom when God unveiled the curtain to them to show them the “new and living way” spoken of in Hebrews 10:20. It is in this light that the people are reminded to, again, “slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and to show true humility toward all men.”

What Paul is referring to here is an attitude of heart that only comes from the crushing of human pride at the cross of Christ. This “true humility” can only be in us because we truly believe the truth of God’s grace and it has affected us in the inner man. This broken spirit, created by the Spirit of Grace, must remain in us if we are to be used to draw those to the Father who are “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” This humility cannot be reproduced and it cannot be imitated in order to reach the lost. God will not be mocked and, most of the time, neither will unbelievers. This is why God, speaking through Paul, calls the humility which we are to show forth “true humility.” I say to you, if the humility in us has been re-manufactured, then it has been replaced by something sinister.  Therefore, I ask rhetorically, is it time to take the computer in? Is it possible, as II Peter 5-9 discusses, that we are not gathering harvest because we have forgotten that we were cleansed of our past sins?

Now, if we possess an authentically grateful heart to God, there will be no limiting of the praise that flows from the fountains of our hearts. The Holy Spirit will dwell in our hearts by faith and through Him we will sing that freedom song in us which declares “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord (Psalm 117).” This is the Spirit-formed declaration we need in order to obey our dear Lord Jesus’ command found in Matthew 28:18-20 which states:

 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,

to the very end of the age.”

In this humble faith, which produces praise, we are then lifted up by the hand of the Almighty himself. For He has promised us in James 4:6 that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” This is the grace in which enables us to operate in the entirely unlimited authority of our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and, by it, we have the full capability to go and make disciples of all nations!

However, I want to remind you that we do have an enemy, named the devil. And even though, according to Colossians 2:13-15, Jesus has disarmed the devil by taking the Law of Moses and “nailing it to the cross,” this devil is still a very good deceiver and is constantly wanting us to turn away the grace offered us at Calvary. It is the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ that has forever defeated him, and he knows this. Therefore, Satan must get our eyes as far away from that reality as possible to have success in stopping us– not only for our sake, but for the sake of the people we might bring to God by our authentic faith in Jesus. He does not want you, the nations, or anybody to glorify God through Him!

So, what is Satan’s weapon or what fiery dart does he use to accomplish such a thing? He plays on human pride– that evil desire that produces judgment, as seen by the fruit of the Pharisees. As the Apostle Paul said in Romans 10:3 about them “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” The Gospels declare in Luke 18:9 that these Pharisees were “confident in their own righteousness, and looked down on everybody else.” It is pride that causes men to turn from grace, to desire self-glory and to look down on others. This is the same desire the devil had in the beginning when he said “I will ascend…” The Pharisees ascended in their hearts above the rest of the people. This is one the reasons why Jesus called the devil the father of the Pharisees.

What I am saying to you is that the most vile people we come across as believers can and must be reached. We must see people through the eyes of the Holy Spirit and always remember that “it is by grace we have been saved, through faith– and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8).” We ourselves must remain at the cross to preach the cross rightly.

Therefore, in light of this we ought to easily show forth true humility towards even the most perverse of men and keep our mouths shut concerning slander toward them. This will be a huge surprise to such a person because, even in the world, sinners constantly slander other sinners for the sins they have committed. If you doubt me, you should go get a job in an office building sometime!

In getting to the heart of the matter, the words of Jesus recorded in Mark 12:31 need to get burnt into our souls, especially concerning those in danger of suffering in hell for eternity. Jesus said “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is in this kindness that we must go, living the holy life offered to us in Jesus Christ. We also must open our mouths to testify, without fear, of the reason why this is possible.  Simply put, since we do not want to go to hell, we should not allow a neighbor to go there either– not without a fight. We must love their souls as we love our own.

Let me close with some practical advice in terms of personal evangelism, in light of God’s mercy toward us. Remember, this is not a formula, but merely advice for someone getting started:

1. Be Patient To use a fishing analogy, sometimes we must give someone a chance to take a hold of the “hook” and not be so quick to reel the line in. We must fish, with patience, like the person’s soul depends on it, remembering that it actually does. A fish will sometimes nibble, much like a person who is becoming interested in the truth. The Holy Spirit will tug with urgency on your heart when it is time to bring them in. It is Jesus who makes you a fisher of men.
2. Pray in the Spirit, asking the Lord for the wisdom in reaching these souls (James 1:5). We need wisdom to win souls as Proverbs 11:30 states: “He who wins souls is wise.” Let us pray without ceasing for fields placed before us, remembering we were in that field once. Also pray for other Christians working in fields around the world. God is listening and will respond to us.
3. Use the Word of God You do not have to have it all “figured out,” so relax and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you. We do not use Him, but he does use us. So, if you are in conversation with a person and it feels as though God may be “in it,” pray to God (in your mind) for guidance. Often, a Scripture will come into your heart that you know. This is the Holy Spirit handing you the tailor-fit Word you need for that situation. Just open your mouth and say “You know, the Bible says…..”  You may be surprised at everything coming out of your mouth and at the ensuing results. While the goal is to have such a person turn to Christ right at that moment, we must learn to take only what the Holy Spirit gives us. Take it boldly and in the anointing He provides. If nothing else you will have planted a seed and that seed, God’s Word, will not fail, but will accomplish that which it was sent to do (Isaiah 55:10). Praise the Lord!

Submitted By Jeremiah Cullett

January 20, 2010