Proverbs 21:4 ¶ An high look, and a proud heart, and the
plowing of the wicked, is sin.
The wicked, the evil person is characterized by
a proud and haughty demeanor. The commentators say that even the common acts of
the wicked person, those acts that we carry out every day, such as working in
the field spoken of here, plowing, is sin because of his or her pride and
arrogance.
No wonder then that back in chapter 15 even the
sacrifice and, of course, the way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.
Proverbs 15:8 ¶ The sacrifice of the wicked
is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
9 ¶ The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him
that followeth after righteousness.
Narcissus, in Greek mythology, or rather
demonology as it should be called, was so vain that he fell in love with his
own reflection in a pool of water and being unable to remove himself from
looking at it, he died there. David’s son, the rebel Absalom, would be a good
example of a Narcissist, as would Samson, perhaps in that they both had the
attitude “it’s all about me”. Psychologists, who are good at categorizing
behavior but have no real clue as to that behavior’s origin because they deny
the existence of spiritual entities around us and in us, have categorized
certain types of people as being Narcissistic or having a Narcissistic
Personality Disorder.
The Mayo Clinic, defines the Narcissist.
“Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental
disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance and a
deep need for admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe
that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's
feelings. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem,
vulnerable to the slightest criticism.”
You dare not question these people. To even ask them to
consider the possibility that they are wrong can drive them into a rage.
Another source about the disorder goes on to explain what happens when this
falsely inflated view of Self is threatened.
“The exposure of the False Self for what it is -
false - is a major narcissistic injury. The narcissist is likely to react with
severe self-deprecation and self-flagellation even to the point of suicidal
ideation. This - on the inside. On the outside, he is likely to appear
assertive and confident. This is his way of channelling his life-threatening
aggression. Rather than endure its
assault and its frightening outcomes - he redirects his aggression, transforms
it and hurls it at others.”
http://www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/malignant-self-love/myths-about-narcissism/menu-id-1469/
Rather than a personality disorder, which gives
the impression that narcissism is a sickness one has no control over and must
be “cured” of, we could easily say that it is the characteristic of a proud and
haughty heart, that it is sin, and needs to be repented of. If that man or
woman would submit to God’s word, read it, believing it is God’s word, and hear
preaching soundly taken from God’s word, Christ will heal him or her of this so
called disorder, if he actually belongs to Christ.
That being said, pulpits across America attract
the narcissist, particularly the pulpits of churches where the Pastor is the
absolute authority. The narcissist is drawn to the place where he can not only
be admired but be unquestioned, the untouchable man of God. If the man is also
an angry sociopath who has no real conscience and hates women then the danger
he poses is multiplied ten times.
The congregation that has no Biblical
discernment, that has swallowed the lie of Nicolaitanism, that of a separate
priesthood that is elevated above the laity rather than the priesthood of all
believers, and that does not faithfully read their Bible and search the
Scriptures daily can easily be fooled. For as Dr. Ruckman says, most Christians
are like your pet dog. They don’t really know what you’re saying but merely
focus on your tone of voice. The wicked person can use the right terminology
and even do good things for some people and, yes, even lead people to the Lord.
If Adolf Hitler could fool a nation then how hard should it be for one false
but charismatic preacher to fool a handful of naive, trusting Christians? A
narcissist sociopath (one without conscience or empathy), proud and disdainful,
can fool many but not all congregations, particularly where authority is
focused in one or two deacons who are looking for the good but naive about the
evil in a candidate for preacher.
Many of these types of men create scandal and
pain within the body of Christ by sexual crimes that are almost always
associated with crimes involving money; either embezzlement or fraud. Folks,
I’ve read of literally dozens of fundamentalist pastors, youth workers, and
teachers over the past few years who’ve committed egregious sexual sins, fooled
congregations, and exploited the helpless not once, but repeatedly. The
situation in fundamentalist churches is no better than the priest scandals of
the Roman Catholic Church.
In the paper, “Understanding the Predatory
Nature of Sexual Violence” by David Lisak, Ph.D. on pages 6 & 7, it says
about the sexual predator that he is;
“more angry at women, more motivated by the need
to dominate and control women, more impulsive and disinhibited in their
behavior, more hyper-masculine in their beliefs and attitudes, less empathic
and more antisocial.”
When a church’s doctrine is excessively harsh
against women, viewing them as mere property or pack animals, who should not
speak* in church or whose pastor does not consider their abilities or their
concerns as being of any importance, then the stage is set for the wicked to
come in like the Proverbial weasel in the hen house. A clear sign is his
disrespect of young women, daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers in his speech
and tone. This is not to say a Pastor shouldn’t call out sin and tear the hide
off people when necessary. I think we all know the difference between that and hatred
of women. (*Note: The command for women not to speak in church in 1 Corinthians
14 is given by Paul in the context of speaking in tongues, one of the signs
that died with the Apostles and the generation they personally taught that came
after, once a complete Greek Vulgate, Old Latin Bible, and Syriac Bible were
available, which is referenced in 1 Corinthians 13:10 and context. Timothy, a
young preacher, is later told that women should not teach their husbands,
usurping his responsibility to be the spiritual head of the family, or ask a
bunch of questions, by understanding the context, when the church meets. I
doubt anyone that disagrees with my understanding belongs to a church where
women sit mute at all times and never participate in testimony or teaching.)
With the proud look and the high heart, even the
good things, the normal things the wicked does, are sin by virtue of their
pride and arrogance.
On our level, out here in the pews, we can ruin
any value that our worship has or any importance that our service has for
Christ with our pride and haughtiness. With pride and haughtiness even our
repentance must be repented of. When we think of ourselves as having done a
great service for God and we are filled with our own righteousness (and others
can see this when we are dismissive of their experience, their efforts, or
their successes in service for the Lord) and self-glorification it would appear
that we make God nauseated if I can use that kind of symbolism.
The proud and haughty must be at the center of
every event or they are not satisfied, must be the originator of every good
effort or they are not pleased, and must be the wizened authority for every
“speaking from experience” who dismisses everyone else with, “oh well, you just
haven’t been there, done that, and gotten the t-shirt like me.” I’m always
afraid of sounding like that to other people when I’m just like everyone else,
trying to get God’s understanding from Him of His words, trying to respond to
Him rather than my own Self.
Watch the high look and proud heart in yourself
and think how you appear to others when you speak, and beware of the proud look
and the high heart in others; it may be more than a mere weakness. Be thankful
for a humble pastor who loves God’s word. Beware of a “man o’ God” who acts as
if he thinks the sun rises and sets on his word and that he is incapable of
sin. Christ humbled Himself. Satan is proud and haughty. Who do you want to
emulate?
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