Proverbs 6:16-17
These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…
Right from the fall of man, the Bible shows us the link between pride, anger, lies and murder. Cain killed his brother because of prideful anger. Then he followed it up with lies to cover up his sin. Remember his retort, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). These are words of incredible arrogance and blatant lies to God! They are uttered in order to deny the sin of murder.
Dear saints, how do we judge murderers versus liars and proud people? I bet we rightly rank killers at the very top. But God’s word does not treat the latter as lesser sins either. In reality, they are just as deadly. They are all part of the same chain of deadly sins. They have a domino effect in our lives, as Cain’s tragic story illustrates.
Sadly, many believers today consider themselves holier than murderers and other “serious” sinners when they lie all the time and walk in pride. They don’t realise that God’s word teaches that lying is one of the key evidences of satanic influence (John 8:44). The same goes for pride. The Bible says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (1 Pet 5:5).
Beloved, it is remarkable that the chain of deadly sins we see in the fourth chapter of Genesis takes place in the context of worship. So if we desire to worship the Father in Spirit and truth, we must repent and nip the sin of pride in the bud. Have zero tolerance for even so-called harmless sins, because they will escalate if left unchecked. Resist the devil and all his sins!
Pastor Josh