“The Danger of Pride in Heart.”

Chapter1
The Bible teaches in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 28, about an angel called Lucifer. He was an angel of light, created as model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect beauty. He was in Eden, the garden of God; adorned with every precious stone. He was anointed as guardian cherub.  He was on the holy mount of God and walked among the fiery stones.  He was blameless in his ways until wickedness was found in his heart.  His heart became proud on account of his beauty and his wisdom was corrupted because of his splendour.  So, he was defeated and thrown to earth. By his many sins and dishonest trade, he desecrated his sanctuaries. 

For this reason God caused a fire to come out of him which consumed him and reduced him to ashes on the earth.
The pride that arose in Lucifer’s heart was therefore, the first sin and father to all subsequent sins.  It caused the ruin of the angel of light who, because of his beauty, exalted himself in his heart.  And blind, completely blind, fought against God for the dominion over all creation. The Bible highlights: “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘in the pride of your heart you say ‘I am god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas.’
But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.’ ” (Eze.28:2)

Notice, dear reader that pride is the genesis of all evil. It started with the devil when he was still an angel of light. His perfection and wisdom created in him such a terrible pride that blinded him completely, transforming him into Satan.  The first sin found in God’s creation was therefore, self-pride. All other sins derive from it.
When self- pride dominated the heart of the angel Lucifer, it made him imagine he was like God. It made him imagine he could go against God, deprive and sit on God’s throne and dominate over all creation.

If we observe satan’s snares carefully, in which our forefathers fell in the Garden of Eden, we will conclude that satan engendered a temptation such as the one he himself had fallen into - Pride of being like God. “‘You will not surely die’, the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be LIKE GOD, knowing good and evil.’ ” (Gen. 3:4,5)

We find, then, the sin of pride as the origin of all that multitude of iniquities, which God speaks about through the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 28 verse 18.

The devil wanted to be like God. In his heart he thought himself to be God. When tempting our forefathers with the forbidden fruit, he promised them, implicitly, that they would be like God. The woman ate of the fruit and gave it also to her husband. Thus, they lost the presence of God, becoming subject to death.

Our forefathers were also perfect and wise, with ability to exercise free will - free will to decide whatever they wished.  At that very moment they were blinded by pride of wanting to be like God, and committed sin.
A proud heart blinds even the most wise and intelligent men. It is conceived within the depths of the heart as a self-admiration. 

As a desire to be exalted by all, craving, by all means, for the glory of this world.  It is something that comes from within the person.  No one is to blame of someone being proud, since it is the person herself who has a high self-image and judges to be more and better than anyone else.

Who tempted the devil or persuaded him to sin?  Who taught him pride or from where did his inspiration come, turning him obstinate against God?  Before him there was no devil; there was no sin or temptation.  He is the father of lies and the origin of all sins.

Pride, therefore, is something conceived within the human heart, which surfaces and appears on the outside. Pride inside the heart is like an unquenchable fire, burning day and night. It makes one to desperately search for human glory, praise, admiration and exaltation.
It seems that because of this, when the angel Lucifer was punished, God made a fire come out of him, as the Bible says:   “...So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching.” (Ez. 28:18)

The fire burning inside the devil was the punishment for his pride.  It represents the pride that burns within those who wish to exalt themselves, seeking for the glory of this world.
Pride is like an inextinguishable fire in the heart of the proud one, crying out for its glory. To obtain this glory, the person respects no limits. She lies, steals, deceives, prostitutes herself, corrupts, and will do anything to comply with all desires of her pride.

To be continued next week...