In light of numerous criticisms I've seen of a certain pastor in Houston, TX, I am posting most of chapter 31 of

my book, "Chances We Take, Choices We Make."

AVOIDING THE ARROGANCE TRAP
Some 2000 years ago, the Almighty came down and walked among men. His name was Jesus Christ. He was
Emmanuel, God with us. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. He who created the world
stepped into the world He created. He came to teach sinners how to live, and most importantly, why to live. He
came to show us the path to eternal life. He touched the lepers, the lame, and the downtrodden. He withstood
the temptation of the devil. None of these challenges proved to be a match for Him. However, there was one
issue that disturbed Him greatly. There was one issue that hindered His plan of reconciliation more than
anything else.
The issue? Arrogance. Religious arrogance to be more specific. Arrogance has synonyms such as conceited,
prideful, and egotistic. It is when you somehow get the notion that youre better, smarter, or more important
than the rest. In church circles, it has been labeled as a holier than thou attitude. Arrogance was the one thing
that drove Jesus absolutely crazy.
He could tolerate unbelievers. He had compassion on the prostitute. He had patience with the adulterer. He had
mercy on the demon-possessed. However, Jesus was greatly disturbed with what the Pharisees had made of
their religion. It was nowhere close to Gods original intention. Gone were the days that leaders were hearing
from God. It had become a letter of the law religion. There was no room for error, mercy, or restoration. Paul
would later teach us that merely following the law could never conquer the sins of the flesh. He then gave us
Gods remedy:
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
As I reflected on all this, God led me to revisit the things that He hates. Lets take a look:
Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A
lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in
running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
I was astonished when I realized that each one of these abominations were present in the actions of most of the
Pharisees, and they all stemmed from the same branch: Arrogance.
What am I trying to say? What does all this mean to us today? We have all heard stories of athletes, celebrities,
and ordinary citizens who have become oblivious to the struggles of others after attaining great wealth or fame.
They no longer lacked anything, so they could no longer relate to those who lacked. Consequently, they lost
their compassion and their empathy for those less fortunate. Such was the case of the arrogant Pharisees.
Because of their knowledge and command of the scriptures, they felt that they were closer to God than the
ordinary people were. Their religiosity gave them a false security and left them numb to the feelings of the
average person.
Here is the heart of the lesson to be learned: If we who have been greatly blessed by God with spiritual
understanding, are not careful in how we handle such a generous gift, we can fall into the same trap. Just as the
Pharisees believed that their knowledge of the law made them superior, we can begin to think that our
knowledge of the gospel does the same for us. Yes, we are a royal priesthood, but not because of our
intelligence. Yes, we are a chosen generation, but that is only because of our faith in Christ, our obedience to
His will, and our love for people. We always need to remember this: Our knowledge of the scriptures does not
make us any better than the sinner, it only makes us more aware of our need for God. It doesnt even make us
more loved by God; it only makes us more accountable to Him. To whom much is given, much is required.
How much does an arrogant attitude irritate Jesus? It caused Him to use words such as vipers, serpents, blind
guides, hypocrites, and fools. That should be your first clue. He even spoke an entire parable about it:
Luke 18:9-14 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and
despised others: 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other menextortioners,
unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And
the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying,
God, be merciful to me a sinner! 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
How do you know if you have fallen into the trap of arrogance? It is the moment you start believing that youre
better, holier, or more important that the next guy. If this is your current condition, allow me to bring you back
down to earth: Youre a sinner saved by grace, but youre still far from perfect. You have sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God more times than you care to admit. Why dont we start praying for God to work in us, and love
through us, like never before?
Let me get it started:
Dear Jesus, search me. Dig up my fallow ground. Create in me a clean heart and a right spirit. See if there be
any wicked thing in me. Help me to remember that I am but dust and that I am no better than the least among
us. If not for the grace of God, where would I be? If not for your mercy, I would be sentenced to an eternity
without you. So help me to love as you loved, and to care as you cared. May I always be proud to be called a
Christian, but never arrogant because of it. In Jesus name, Amen.
Hebrews 7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope,
through which we draw near to God.
Not all celebrities lose their compassion, and not all Pharisees were filled with arrogance. There were Pharisees
like Nicodemus who were sincere and who were able to recognize something unique about this man called
Jesus. In Him, they saw something totally different than any of the Rabbis or religious leaders of His day. It was
something that drew him to Jesus. It was the remedy for arrogance: love, humility, meekness, and servility.
#ChancesWeTakeChoicesWeMake

JEFF ARNOLD, if you dont play in being any better in tomorrow than you are today, why would God be dumbed
enough to give you a tomorrow.