Walking With the Holy Spirit Seven Heavenly Virtues

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Walking With the Holy Spirit – Seven Heavenly Virtues Study Schedule Session Date Deadly

Walking With the Holy Spirit – Seven Heavenly Virtues Study Schedule Session Date Deadly Sin Heavenly Virtue 1: Monday, February 15 Sloth Diligence 2: Monday, February 22 Gluttony Temperance 3: Monday, March 1 Anger Patience 4: Monday, March 8 Lust Purity 5: Monday, March 15 Greed Generosity 6: Monday, March 22 Envy Kindness 7: Monday, March 29 Pride Humility 1

Session Seven – Holiness Through Humility Scripture Focus for the Study: Rom. 12: 2

Session Seven – Holiness Through Humility Scripture Focus for the Study: Rom. 12: 2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world (see 1 John 2: 16. “. . . the pride of life comes not from the father, but from the world. ”), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is (see Micah 6: 8’ “. . . to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God) – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. ” Scripture for Session Seven: 1 Pet. 5: 5 b “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but shows love to the humble. ” Three kinds of pride as exampled in Scripture 1. The kind of pride God despises; Prov. 8: 13 “To fear the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. ” 2. The appropriate pride in a job well done; Gal. 6: 4 “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else. ” 3. The good pride of family, country, etc. ; 2 Cor. 7: 4 b “I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overjoyed. ” Excessive manifestation of #2 and/or #3 can move them into #1 2

Dr. David Long; “Pride is the vice from which all other vices flow. ”

Dr. David Long; “Pride is the vice from which all other vices flow. ” • Sloth: • That job, task, project, whatever God might be wanting me to do, is beneath me • I work 70 hours a week! Church on Sunday? No, I deserve to sleep in, do what I want! • Diligent Humility: Thank you God for the opportunity to ______ for your glory! • Gluttony: • I deserve the very best, and all of it I want • Marie Antionette; “Let them eat cake!” o Temperate Humility: Thank you God for my daily bread. It is more than sufficient. • Anger: • My indignation IS righteous. How dare ______ say or do that to me! • I’m the smartest one they have; how can they fire me just because I broke one of their silly rules? • Patient Humility: Lord, you have forgiven me, therefore I forgive ______ in your love. • Lust: • He/she should desire me; look how handsome/beautiful/smart/rich/successful I am! • I need to be desired to confirm my own self-worth • Pure Humility: Thank you God for the gift of intimate love with my spouse. 3

 • Greed: • “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something; only out

• Greed: • “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something; only out of having more of it than the next man/woman” • I’m not greedy. I’m smart and I work hard. I deserve all I can get • Those who don’t have don’t deserve; they’re stupid or lazy • Generous Humility: All things are yours, Lord. Thank you for what you have put at my disposal. • Envy: • I’m the most qualified. I should have gotten that promotion! • I could have written that book; my high standards of scholarship let her publish hers first • David; “I have every right to have Bathsheba. I’m the king!” • Kind Humility: Lord, I rejoice with my brother’s/sister’s good fortune, and I sincerely regret his/her misfortunes. Dr. David Long: “The deadliness of the Seven is often in their combined, cumulative effect upon the soul rather than in their individual badness. ” If that is true, then the holiness of the Seven (virtues) is in their combined, cumulative effect on the soul rather than in their individual goodness. 4

So, let’s look again at the three kinds of pride 1. The kind God

So, let’s look again at the three kinds of pride 1. The kind God hates 2. The kind that accompanies an accomplishment, job well done 3. That of one’s family, country, etc. I ask again, is Pride always sin? • If not, which of the above is/are sin? • If #2 and/or #3 is/are NOT sin, is that always true? • If either or both is/are NOT sin, what makes them sinful or benign? • Is there ever a “gray area” between sin and innocence? • If so, what defines the difference? From Thomas Merton • “Pride is opposed not only to all virtue. . . , but is also directly opposed to God Himself. ” • “The wise disciple of Jesus recognizes the vice (pride), exercises disciplines that promote the virtue (humility), and grows in intimacy with God. ” • “Pride makes us artificial; humility makes us real. ” 5

C. S. Lewis: from Mere Christianity • Pride is the vice of which no

C. S. Lewis: from Mere Christianity • Pride is the vice of which no one in the world is free; which everyone hates in others, and of which hardly anyone except Christians ever imagine themselves guilty. • The problem is that “each person’s pride is in competition with everyone else’s pride. ” • “It is comparison that makes you proud; the pleasure of being above the rest. ” • “Pride is enmity, and not only enmity between man/woman and man/woman, but enmity to God. ” • “Pride comes direct from hell. It is purely spiritual; consequently if is far more subtle and deadly. ” • “Pleasure in being praised is NOT pride. ” • The worst of pride is when you look down on others so much that you don’t care what they think of you • If you get to a point of REAL relationship with God, you will, in fact, be humble • The first step of humility “is to realize that one is proud. ” Dr David Long: in From Deadly Sin to Divine Virtue • • • “Satan sought to mold man in his own image; and he succeeded “Humility is having wisdom to turn to God as the source of our true self. ” “Our challenge is finding fulfillment in God’s love for us rather than in the false illusions of pride. ” “It is the revelation of God that makes us humble. ” God wants and demands something much more valuable than stuff 6

The whole question of deadly sins vs. divine virtues comes down to God vs.

The whole question of deadly sins vs. divine virtues comes down to God vs. the devil • It is NOT “Dualism” • God vs. Satan is NOT a battle of equals • Virtue vs. sin, therefore, also is NOT a battle of equals • We, in our flesh alone, are NOT powerful enough to prevail against sin • The Holy Spirit in us, and our conscious cooperation assure victory over sin (by the blood of Christ) • The final score has already been determined and is assured (NOT predestined) • We continue to walk with Christ toward the cross and our death. . . And with the Holy Spirit to glory The great and final reversal: • The first will be last, and the last first; “Esther 5 – 6” (Haman’s fall) • Jesus • Two gardens • Phil. 2: 5 -11 • Mark 16: 19 Jesus was taken up to heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father • Rev. 16, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb; Rev. 22: 13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. ” Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. When we gaze upon Jesus we cannot be anything but humble. 7

Scripture references for envy and kindness • Col. 2: 18 “Do not let anyone

Scripture references for envy and kindness • Col. 2: 18 “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility disqualify you. . ” • Matt. 18: 4 “Whoever humbles himself like this child. . . Is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ” • Matt. 23: 12 “. . . those who humbles themselves will be exalted, those who exalt themselves will be humbled. ” • James 4: 6 “God opposes the proud, but shows favor to the humble. ” • James 4: 10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. ” • Matt. 5: 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ” • Ps. 10: 17 “O Lord, you hear the desire of the meek. . ” • Prov. 11: 2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but with the humble is wisdom. ” • Prov. 16: 8 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. ” • Prov. 16: 19 “Better is a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. ” • Luke 1: 51 “He [God] has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. ” • 1 Cor. 13: 4 “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ” • 2 Tim. 3: 2 “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy. ” 8