RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

Holiness of life should be the goal of every Christian. Holiness is simply conformity unto the image of Christ. It’s one of the great attributes of victorious Christians throughout the centuries. Bishop J. C. Ryle wrote in his book, Christian Leaders of the 18th Century, that leaders during the great revivals of past were always holy men and women. They had their faults and blind spots like anyone else, but they had a heart desire to be like Christ. They wanted to know Him intimately.
Anyone who wishes to be like Christ will have a heart of humility. Humility and holiness walk down the same path. However, there’s no room for pride in the heart that’s in hot pursuit of holiness. Holiness looks Godward while pride gazes selfward. The perfect picture of holiness is Christ. The best portrait of pride is Lucifer. Holiness is the desire to be like Christ. Pride is the aspiration to be better than others. Holiness manifests meekness of character. Pride brags of brashness and has no character.
It’s impossible to walk in holiness and maintain a heart of pride. Arrogance and pride are simply hindrances to a holy heart. When we understand what a holy heart is, then it’s easy to see how impossible it is for pride and holiness to dwell in the same heart. Holiness is simply the inward work of God in the believer to be conformed to Christ. He existed in eternity as God. Yet, the very nature of Jesus was humility. He humbled Himself to the point of taking upon Himself the clothes of humanity. Jesus, the Son of God and Son of man, can only be described in terms of absolute humility. Therefore, it’s impossible to be proud and at the same time to be like Christ.
The Bible says that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” If God is opposed to the proud, then it is impossible to be holy and to be proud. Many times we dress our pride up in different styles. We mistakenly believe that some kind of pride is okay. However, the book of Proverbs says that God hates pride. It doesn’t matter whether it’s religious pride, spiritual pride, ethnic pride, or racial pride. Every form of pride has its roots in comparison to other people. But holiness only looks to Jesus. Therefore, we can’t be proud and be holy. Pride actually becomes a hindrance to the process of holiness.
Pride often is at the root of other sins. On several occasions, when I have found myself confessing my sins and asking God to search my heart, I discovered at the root of some sin that was plaguing my life was pride. God allowed me to fall in order to show me what was in my heart. Pride is at the heart of evil in this world. Lucifer was cast out of heaven because he became proud. Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden because of pride. You and I are knocked off the highway of holiness when we allow ourselves to become proud.
Let me encourage you to take a few minutes and pray the prayer that the Psalmist prayed – “Search my heart, Oh God, and see if there be any wickedness in me.” Ask God to expose any seed of pride that might be lying dormant. Ask Him to break you of the self life. A broken heart and contrite spirit will not be despised by God. He longs to see a humble heart. He places that heart on the highway of holiness.