The above statement above is true concerning the fruits of the flesh, but not of the Spirit, and it is important that we make distinction.  How many times I have been accused of being prideful, arrogant, and divisive is more than I can count.

I was being accused of being such things by those who should have known better, namely, the do-nothing hypocrites found within the four walls of the American church (Matthew 23:3).  I had also noticed that simultaneously these hypocrites were going in the same direction that the prideful, arrogant, divisive, defamatory, lying, and malicious mainstream media were going in when doing the attacking (Revelation 12:10).

As you will see, the responses to my friend’s post above were coming from those who did not know what they were scripturally and spiritually responding to.  Why?  Because they have never been the ones who were under attack, or for standing up in this good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).

Such responses to his post were:

  • “Not that it would stop him.”
  • “It is the counterfeit of the unifying contagion of brave men.”
  • “So true!”
  • “Brings out the worst in many.”
  • Holiness without humility is pride. Lord help us.”
  • “Yup!”
  • “I’ve seen it for years.”

…And on and on they went.

For the most part, this is coming from those who do not understand the workings of the Holy Ghost.  They accuse and persecute the brethren, in this case with their words, while thinking that they are doing God a service (John 16:2-3).  This up above is a clear spiritual misunderstanding of what Christian humility actually is all about.

Let me ask you, is it not better to be divided by truth than to be united in error?

Is it not better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills?

It was Jesus who said:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” -Matthew 10:34

What of Luke 12:51, where Jesus said;

“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.” -Luke 12:51

Was this prideful, arrogant or divisive?  I speak as a man . No, scripturally speaking, this was not at all prideful nor arrogant though it may look like that to those who are not in the fight for the souls of men.  However, it is very divisive because this is what the truth does in order to unite.

When Moses, the meekest man alive, went and confronted Pharaoh and told him to let the children of Israel go (Exodus 6:11).  Was this prideful?  Was this arrogance?  No, it was bold obedience unto the Lord that he loved in the fight for his people to separate them from the bondage of the Pharaoh and his people.

What about King David’s brother Eliab saying unto him, “I know thy pride” (1 Samuel 17:28)?  This, of course, took place before little David went to the battlefield to face off with the giant named Goliath, who was defying the armies of the Living God.

During this particular time, Saul and his army were standing down when David stood up.  Was this prideful?  Was this arrogance?  Or was little David being divisive, or was he fighting to set his people free from their oppressors?

Now, just imagine if Eliab‘s pride, arrogance and divisiveness would have had its way in attacking David?  Goliath and the Philistines would have never been conquered.

What about that lone prophet of God, Elijah, the troubler of Israel, said the corrupt King Ahab (1 Kings 18:17-18)?

Picture Elijah on the top of Mount Carmel asking the people how long they were going to continue in faltering between the Lord and Baal (1 Kings 18:21)?

Only then would he call down the fire from Heaven which exposed the false prophets of Baal.

Was this prideful?  Was this arrogance?  Absolutely not!  Just obedience unto the Lord he loved and served in setting his people free (John 8:32).

Was Elijah being divisive?  Absolutely he was because this is what the Word of God does through his humble servants in a righteous command, directive, and application (Hebrews 4:12).

Elijah stood up to be counted.  He rose to the level of his Father’s expectations, and simply went to the top of the mountain in order to set the record straight as to whom the Lord was in liberating his people from the counterfeits.

Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)?  Were they being prideful, arrogant, and divisive when they defied Nebuchadnezzar in refusing to bow to his idol?  You can rest assured they were accused of all of it, but if what they accused them of was true, the fourth Man would have not shown up on their behalf in delivering them from the wrath of the tyrant’s fire!

Furthermore, the Lord of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not have been decreed as the God of gods.

“That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.” -Daniel 3:19

How about Daniel when he refused to stop praying to the Living God (Daniel 6:10-28)?  Was Daniel being prideful, arrogant, and divisive in seeking the face of the Lord?  After all, Daniel was praying for the people that he was responsible to oversee.

Daniel knew the consequences of holding to the Lord, and in consequence, he was thrown into the lion’s den only to be protected by His angels and delivered (Daniel 6:16-23).

In the end, those who accused Daniel of wrong doing were then thrown into the lion’s den where they were devoured.

What Of John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Steven, and the rest of the martyred disciples?  Were they being prideful, arrogant or divisive in preaching repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21)?

Friends, they were not, in any sense of the word, being prideful or arrogant.  They were holding forth the Word of Life and Truth in preaching against “The thief (who) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

Jesus, whose Word divides, said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Men and women of God are to preach, standing on the Word that does divide the obedient from the disobedient (1 John 2:4), the holy from the defiled (Ezekiel 44:23), the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), and the righteous from the unrighteous (Matthew 7:23).

Don’t talk to me about a false humility.  False humility is an affront to the work Jesus Christ, in an attempt to rob God of His Glory!

Yet, those who have no testimony in the Lord seem to talk out of school when making such comments as we read above (Romans 15:18).

They have a different language, which speaks with a double meaning.  There are two different voices, friends.  One is of the Spirit and the other of the flesh, which is without testimony (Romans 7:8-9).  Make distinction.

How much of this carnality is prevalent in the church of the Apostates, today?  Especially, when it comes from those who know not Christ (Matthew 7:29), and have no part in this divine-spiritual life.  Read 2 Peter 1:4.  They set themselves as the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10).  Beware.

They are those who do their best to stop the works and progression of those who are being led of the Spirit of God, the ones that are obedient unto the Lord (Romans 8:14) in pushing Zion forward.

These are the ones who want you to see it from their inexperience, who know nothing of the trials and the tribulations that go with this call (Acts 14:22).

Simply look to their lack of fruit in the light of Scripture and judge for yourselves what source they derive their statements (Matthew 7:16-20)!

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” -Titus 1:16

Great Awakening preacher Charles Finney said of humility:

“Humility is spoken of, as if it consisted in a deep sense of unworthiness, whereas it is consists in no such thing.

If humility consisted in a sense of unworthiness, the devil might be humble, and doubtless are, if this is humility.

Convicted sinners might also be humble, and doubtless are, if this is humility. I scarcely ever in my life, heard a minister speak of humility as if he had any definitely developed idea of what it is.

Humility consists in a willingness to be known and appreciated according to our real character.”

I conclude by saying that bold-hearted men, whom the world calls prideful, arrogant and divisive, are always called so by cowards!

© 2024 Bradlee Dean – All Rights Reserved

E-Mail Bradlee Dean: Bradlee@SonsOfLibertyRadio.com

image_pdfDownload PDFimage_printPrint Article