How to Overcome Temptation, Part 161 (Pride) (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Class #285 with Daniel Whyte III)

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How to Overcome Temptation, Part 161 (Pride) (Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Class #285)

Welcome to the Onward Christian Soldiers Discipleship Class. I am Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society and pastor of Gospel Light House of Prayer International. The purpose of this time together is to teach young believers everything they need to know about their faith in Jesus Christ and provide them with the knowledge they need to live victorious Christian lives.

Our key Bible verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

— PRAYER —

Our lesson today is titled “How to Overcome Temptation, Part 161 (Pride)”

In this section of our Onward Christian Soldiers discipleship class, we are looking at specific temptations that are, as the Bible says, “common to man.” We are looking at what the Bible says about these sins so we can be aware of its dangers and so that we can hide Scripture in our hearts to use when we are tempted.

The sin that we are looking at today is the sin of pride. This is the sixth sin in a list of 12 temptations that comes from two sources — one ancient and one modern. The first source is a list that was developed by monks in the early church called “the seven deadly sins” or the “cardinal sins.” The second source is a Barna survey from 2011 which tracked the top temptations Americans admitted to struggling with.

Today, we are looking at Proverbs 13:10. (Remember, the text of this lesson is made available online after each class, so you can go to our website Gospellighthouseofprayer.com, click the “Onward Christian Soldiers” banner on the home page, and begin to learn these verses by heart throughout the week.)

Proverbs 13:10:

10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

Brent Detwiler said, “When you faithfully put pride to death and put on humility, you will experience greater freedom, and more importantly, greater conformity to the image and likeness of Christ. In so doing, God will be glorified in your life!”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “Pride means an unyielding arrogance. Such an inflated, know-it-all view of oneself leads to quarreling, in contrast with a humble, wise spirit that makes one willing to learn and take advice.”

This verse presents us one of the many problems that pride leads to: contention. When you look at the many disagreements in your life, in your family life and in the wider world, from personal disputes to political and social debates, much of the bitter arguments and harsh words can be traced back to one sin: Pride. Those who are proud are unyielding to any counsel, rebellious against any authority, and refuse to consider any viewpoint other than their own. Even in the church, amongst self-professed Christians, some people will denounce others as heretical over their style of music or other personal opinions that they cannot authoritatively support with Scripture, in a prideful manner that is not pleasing to God. The proud create contention with their attitudes towards the views of others. On the other hand, there is wisdom with the well-advised. Well-advised peopl are humble people. They take counsel from others and consider it carefully, weighing different views against one another, and most importantly, seeing if it aligns the Word of God. When their views on an issue are challenged, they do not reject the challenge out of hand. They instead think it over, and if it is better, they wisely abandon their personal opinions for a more correct standpoint. Unlike the proud, they heed to wise counsel and therefore bring peace rather than contention. John Crosby said, “There is no place for pride or contention among believers. Pride is not of the Father, but of the world. Pride was the sin of the devil. Dear Friend, humble yourself beneath the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you in due time. If there is any conflict, cold war, quarrel, or strife in which you have any role at all, end it immediately, lest it corrupt your worship in God’s sight.”

If you struggle with pride, take this passage to heart and take heed to it the next time you face that temptation.

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If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Until next time, May the Lord Bless You!

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Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.