Have you ever stopped to think about how strange it is that we have taken the word pride and turned it into something worthy of celebration? What other sin has our culture transformed into a virtue? What other spiritual danger has become cause for celebration?
To answer that question, we must set aside modern assumptions and return to Scripture.
Imagine for a moment that you had never been influenced by modern culture. Imagine picking up a Holy Bible and reading it from Genesis to Revelation for the very first time. What would you discover about pride?
You would find that pride is never presented as a noble quality. You would never find God encouraging or applauding it. Instead, Scripture repeatedly exposes pride as one of mankind's most dangerous sins.
One of the clearest examples appears in Proverbs 16:5, where God declares, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD." That is strong language.
Pride is not a harmless character flaw. It is not merely excessive confidence or self-esteem. Pride is the elevation of self above God. It is the belief that our desires, our wisdom, and our will matter more than God's.
The first great rebellion in creation was born from pride. Lucifer desired to exalt himself above God. He was not the last to fall because of it. The first human sin was rooted in pride when Adam and Eve chose their own judgment above God's command. Throughout history, pride has continually led men and women away from God and toward destruction.
Yet today we live in a society that not only embraces pride but dedicates an entire month to celebrating it. How did we get here?
The answer is that spiritual decline rarely happens overnight.
A century ago, pride was understood very differently. Christians openly warned against it. Pastors preached about it. Parents taught their children to avoid it. Pride was recognized for what it was—a sinful elevation of self above God.
Yet somewhere along the way, attitudes toward pride slowly began to change. The term itself gradually became an accepted part of everyday language, even among Christians. Words began to be redefined. Values began to shift. Boundaries slowly moved. What once sounded shocking became acceptable. What once seemed unacceptable became normal. After enough time passed, people forgot there were ever boundaries to begin with.
Perhaps nowhere is this gradual shift more visible than in our everyday vocabulary. How often do we hear the phrase, “I am proud of you”?
Most people mean it as encouragement. They mean no harm by it. Yet it is remarkable how thoroughly the language of pride has woven itself into our culture. We rarely stop to consider that God's Word warns against the very thing our society increasingly celebrates.
Proverbs 16:18 still says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
That warning reveals something important about God's view of pride. He does not merely describe it as sinful; He describes it as destructive.
What concerns me most is not merely the celebration of Pride Month itself. It is what Pride Month reveals about the spiritual condition of our society. When a culture openly celebrates the very thing God repeatedly warns against, something has gone terribly wrong.
The tragedy is that God foretold this long ago. He warned that a day would come when people would lose the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Through the prophet Isaiah, He declared:
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
When Isaiah wrote those words, he was describing more than individual acts of sin. He was describing a culture whose moral compass had become so damaged that truth and error became reversed.
As I look at the world around us, I cannot help but think of that warning. Behaviors God condemns are applauded. Rebellion is celebrated as courage. Immorality is defended as love. Those who dare to speak biblical truth are often labeled hateful, while those who reject God's standards are praised as virtuous.
The Apostle Paul described similar conditions in the last days. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, he wrote:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... proud... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."
Notice that pride appears in Paul's portrayal of a society in spiritual decline. Those words seem less like prophecy and more like a description of the evening news. We live in a generation consumed with self. People are encouraged to follow their hearts, define their own truth, and reject any authority that conflicts with their personal desires.
Yet God's Word warns us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The very thing society tells us to trust is the very thing God tells us not to trust.
At its core, this is what pride does. It tells us that our wisdom is greater than God's wisdom. It tells us that our desires are more trustworthy than His Word. It tells us to determine truth for ourselves rather than submit to the One who created us.
That is why pride is so dangerous. It does not merely lead us to make bad decisions. It leads us away from God Himself.
One of the clearest examples of this confusion is the way many people speak about God. They boldly proclaim that God is love. And they are correct—God is love. But that is not all He is. He is also holy. He is righteous. He is just. He is the truth.
Many people want a God who approves of every choice but reject the God who lovingly calls sinners to repentance.
Yet real love does not remain silent when destruction lies ahead. If a bridge were washed out on a dark road, love would not smile and wave drivers forward. Love would stand in the road, warning them before it is too late.
That is why faithful Christians continue to speak biblical truth. Not because we hate people. Not because we enjoy confrontation. Not because we believe ourselves superior.
We speak because we care.
We understand that pride is not merely wrong; it is destructive.
We understand that every human being is created in God's image. We understand that Jesus died and resurrected for sinners. We understand that forgiveness, cleansing, and transformation are available to all who come to Christ.
That message of grace is central to the gospel. Yet grace does not erase God's standards. He has not changed His truth to accommodate the spirit of the age.
For that reason, I write these words as a plea to consider what God has said and to weigh His truth above the popular opinions of the culture.
We are no longer watching moral decline approach from a distance. We are living in it. We are witnessing a culture that openly celebrates what God warns will lead to destruction.
The world may cheer pride, exalt self, and mock what God calls sin. It may dedicate parades, banners, and an entire month to its celebration. But when the applause fades, and the voices of this generation fall silent, God's Word will still stand.
God still calls men and women to humility, repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The question is not what our culture celebrates.
The question is what God has said.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
To answer that question, we must set aside modern assumptions and return to Scripture.
Imagine for a moment that you had never been influenced by modern culture. Imagine picking up a Holy Bible and reading it from Genesis to Revelation for the very first time. What would you discover about pride?
You would find that pride is never presented as a noble quality. You would never find God encouraging or applauding it. Instead, Scripture repeatedly exposes pride as one of mankind's most dangerous sins.
One of the clearest examples appears in Proverbs 16:5, where God declares, "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD." That is strong language.
Pride is not a harmless character flaw. It is not merely excessive confidence or self-esteem. Pride is the elevation of self above God. It is the belief that our desires, our wisdom, and our will matter more than God's.
The first great rebellion in creation was born from pride. Lucifer desired to exalt himself above God. He was not the last to fall because of it. The first human sin was rooted in pride when Adam and Eve chose their own judgment above God's command. Throughout history, pride has continually led men and women away from God and toward destruction.
Yet today we live in a society that not only embraces pride but dedicates an entire month to celebrating it. How did we get here?
The answer is that spiritual decline rarely happens overnight.
A century ago, pride was understood very differently. Christians openly warned against it. Pastors preached about it. Parents taught their children to avoid it. Pride was recognized for what it was—a sinful elevation of self above God.
Yet somewhere along the way, attitudes toward pride slowly began to change. The term itself gradually became an accepted part of everyday language, even among Christians. Words began to be redefined. Values began to shift. Boundaries slowly moved. What once sounded shocking became acceptable. What once seemed unacceptable became normal. After enough time passed, people forgot there were ever boundaries to begin with.
Perhaps nowhere is this gradual shift more visible than in our everyday vocabulary. How often do we hear the phrase, “I am proud of you”?
Most people mean it as encouragement. They mean no harm by it. Yet it is remarkable how thoroughly the language of pride has woven itself into our culture. We rarely stop to consider that God's Word warns against the very thing our society increasingly celebrates.
Proverbs 16:18 still says, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
That warning reveals something important about God's view of pride. He does not merely describe it as sinful; He describes it as destructive.
What concerns me most is not merely the celebration of Pride Month itself. It is what Pride Month reveals about the spiritual condition of our society. When a culture openly celebrates the very thing God repeatedly warns against, something has gone terribly wrong.
The tragedy is that God foretold this long ago. He warned that a day would come when people would lose the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Through the prophet Isaiah, He declared:
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).
When Isaiah wrote those words, he was describing more than individual acts of sin. He was describing a culture whose moral compass had become so damaged that truth and error became reversed.
As I look at the world around us, I cannot help but think of that warning. Behaviors God condemns are applauded. Rebellion is celebrated as courage. Immorality is defended as love. Those who dare to speak biblical truth are often labeled hateful, while those who reject God's standards are praised as virtuous.
The Apostle Paul described similar conditions in the last days. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, he wrote:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... proud... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof..."
Notice that pride appears in Paul's portrayal of a society in spiritual decline. Those words seem less like prophecy and more like a description of the evening news. We live in a generation consumed with self. People are encouraged to follow their hearts, define their own truth, and reject any authority that conflicts with their personal desires.
Yet God's Word warns us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). The very thing society tells us to trust is the very thing God tells us not to trust.
At its core, this is what pride does. It tells us that our wisdom is greater than God's wisdom. It tells us that our desires are more trustworthy than His Word. It tells us to determine truth for ourselves rather than submit to the One who created us.
That is why pride is so dangerous. It does not merely lead us to make bad decisions. It leads us away from God Himself.
One of the clearest examples of this confusion is the way many people speak about God. They boldly proclaim that God is love. And they are correct—God is love. But that is not all He is. He is also holy. He is righteous. He is just. He is the truth.
Many people want a God who approves of every choice but reject the God who lovingly calls sinners to repentance.
Yet real love does not remain silent when destruction lies ahead. If a bridge were washed out on a dark road, love would not smile and wave drivers forward. Love would stand in the road, warning them before it is too late.
That is why faithful Christians continue to speak biblical truth. Not because we hate people. Not because we enjoy confrontation. Not because we believe ourselves superior.
We speak because we care.
We understand that pride is not merely wrong; it is destructive.
We understand that every human being is created in God's image. We understand that Jesus died and resurrected for sinners. We understand that forgiveness, cleansing, and transformation are available to all who come to Christ.
That message of grace is central to the gospel. Yet grace does not erase God's standards. He has not changed His truth to accommodate the spirit of the age.
For that reason, I write these words as a plea to consider what God has said and to weigh His truth above the popular opinions of the culture.
We are no longer watching moral decline approach from a distance. We are living in it. We are witnessing a culture that openly celebrates what God warns will lead to destruction.
The world may cheer pride, exalt self, and mock what God calls sin. It may dedicate parades, banners, and an entire month to its celebration. But when the applause fades, and the voices of this generation fall silent, God's Word will still stand.
God still calls men and women to humility, repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The question is not what our culture celebrates.
The question is what God has said.
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
