1. Note that word pride is italicized, and was thus added.

a. Pride comes (a statement of declaration!)

b. Solomon states an obvious fact: pride comes.

c. Hence, the word WHEN (although not needed) does capture the correct meaning here. It is not a matter of IF, but WHEN.

d. Pride will come. Count on it.

2. Pride is so deeply embedded into our fallen human nature, that it is our NATURE to be proud.

a. Pride is our constant enemy.

b. We need to KNOW our nature… and BEWARE of our pride.

c. It does no good to hide and try to proclaim, “I’m not a proud person!” We ARE proud people. God says so. No exceptions apart from the Lord Jesus.

d. The act of denying that we are proud is an expression of pride!

3. I Tim. 3:6 – pride was the original sin in the universe.

a. The sin of pride is here called “the condemnation of the devil.”

b. It was pride that condemned Satan and caused him to be cast out of heaven.

c. His 7 “I wills” were expressions of his pride. (Self-will opposing God’s will—that’s sin—that’s pride!)

d. He became proud of his beauty and intelligence.

4. I Tim. 3:6 – pride is commonly found in new believers.

a. It is only a new or untaught believer who would ever make such a claim as to say, “I’m not a proud person.” It is a display of pride and immaturity… and inexperience in the Christian life.

b. I’ve heard people say, “I don’t have a proud bone in my body.” Poor soul—he doesn’t know what he’s made of! He hasn’t got much of a grasp of human nature.

c. He may genuinely believe it—which can only be attributed to the fact that the heart is deceitful above all things… who can know it?

d. Obadiah 3 – The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee (speaking to Edom)

e. Pride is there. Our hearts are proud. Rather than trying to deny it, we should face up to reality and learn to deal with it God’s way.

f. Denial is of no help. That’s what Peter did.
• Matt. 26:31-33 – Peter in pride said he would NEVER be offended in the Lord. He had to eat his words that night.
• What pride! The Lord said that they would be offended in Him, and Peter said that the others might, but he NEVER would!
• He had a puffed up view of himself… of his strength… of his bravery… (We always think more highly of ourselves than we ought—don’t we?!)
• Matt. 26:75 – why do you suppose he wept so bitterly? He realized that he had denied the Lord AND he got a glimpse at how sinfully proud and deceitful his own heart was. That hurts!

5. Solomon wrote: Pride comes. It will come. It will rear its ugly head… in your life and in mine.

a. Come: to go; to come; or to enter in;
• Entering in seems to fit best here.
• Pride enters into our minds and hearts—when we let it.
• It resides in our fallen heart and it will come in and take over unless we keep it in check.
• If we DON’T keep it in check—it will come…

b. If we know that pride will come… and if we know that it is our nature to be proud… then we should be on constant alert for it in our lives.

c. Beware of it. Watch for it. Learn to nip it at the bud.

d. It is EASY to see pride in others.
• And we hate it when we see it.
• It is disgusting… repulsive… obnoxious… nauseating…

e. But somehow, it is not so easy to recognize it in ourselves.
• We seem to have blinders on when it comes to our own faults. We like to call it by some other name… to justify it… excuse it… tolerate it…

f. We would do well to be looking for pride—not in others, but in ourselves.

g. Turn a blind eye to the pride in others… but be critical about the pride in our own heart. DEAL with it, don’t ignore it.

h. That is the only pride we can DO anything about: our own! There’s enough there to keep us busy till the cows come home.