STUDY GUIDE
Note: The downloadable Study Guide has spaces for you to fill in answers, but the Online Study Guide acts more like a rhetorical study. If you use the Online version, feel free to write your answers down in another location if you want to save them.
LEADER’S GUIDE
Leaders: You can give your group members the option to use either the downloadable Study Guide or the Online Study Guide. Which one will be more beneficial depends on the nature and format of your group.
Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise stated. This study is copyrighted material [© 2018 by Troy Black] and should never be reproduced for profit. Reproduction and sharing for the purpose of group or individual study is allowed and encouraged.
ABOUT THIS BIBLE STUDY
People often comment on my videos, asking questions like, “That’s encouraging, but how do I put these principles into practice?” The point of this Bible study is to give you a free resource you can use to further study the topic of Pride vs Humility, and to be able to practically apply Biblical truths about this issue to your life.
The single-session format of this study serves two purposes. First, it allows you to quickly delve into the Word and learn more about a specific subject. My hope, though, is not that you would simply go through this study and stop there. My goal is to get you to ask the question, “What else does the Bible say about this topic?” In a sense, it’s meant to whet your appetite for God’s Word. Second, a single-session study acts as a breather for small groups that are either in between studies or that want to supplement another study.
Whether you go through this study by yourself or in a group, my prayer is that God will begin to speak His truth into your life and that you will see real transformation take place.
-Troy Black
BIBLE STUDY FEATURES
- Video Lesson
- Personal Study Packet (Online or Download)
- Small Group Leader’s Guide
VIDEO LESSON
DIVE INTO THE WORD
Pride vs Humility
– replacing a law mindset with a grace focus –
IS PRIDE REALLY THAT BAD?
It’s easy to look at pride as being one of the “lesser” sins, but the Word of God says otherwise. The world often encourages a prideful attitude with statements like, “Look what I’ve accomplished,” but let’s see what Proverbs 16:5 says about God’s view of pride:
“Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”
Wow. When we think of abominations, pride probably doesn’t come to mind first, but God clearly takes issue with a prideful heart.
Why does God see pride as such a bad thing? If you have trouble answering this question, see Ezekiel 28:2.
Read Proverbs 16:18 and Isaiah 2:12. Why does the devil desire us to be operating in a spirit of pride?
What does the Bible say about the devil’s ultimate fate? (See Revelation 20:10)
Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven was connected to a prideful heart, and because he made the decision to exalt himself over God, he was quickly kicked out of heaven. Jesus actually tells us in Luke 10:18 that He saw Satan “fall from heaven like lightning.” God didn’t put up with the prideful spirit of the devil for even a moment. Yet, sometimes we get caught up in an attitude that says, “What is God thinking? I know better than that.” When we do this, even if we don’t realize it, we are exalting ourselves above God in our hearts.
When pride rules our hearts, it’s impossible to obey the commandments of God. Why? Pride keeps us from placing God first, and when God is not first, we are breaking the first commandment. Look at what James 2:10 says about keeping the commandments:
“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”
So, if we break the first commandment, we break all of them. Thankfully, Jesus gives us the key to keeping the commandments, and the answer is better than you may think.
A POSITIVE SPIN ON KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS
Read Exodus 20:2-6 and compare it to Matthew 22:34-40. What differences do you see between these two passages? For reference, Jesus’ greatest commandment actually comes from Deuteronomy 6:5.
Briefly look at Leviticus 19:11-18. Jesus repeats the phrase, “love your neighbor as yourself” in Matthew 22. Why did Jesus feel comfortable stating this command apart from all of the “thou-shalt-nots” also listed in Leviticus?
The reason Jesus is able to put a positive spin on the commandments is because He came to offer us saving grace. He didn’t need to list off all of the “thou-shalt-nots” at this point because He gave us a way to be made new through Him. When we are being changed by grace and being led by the Spirit of God, doing what’s right comes naturally to us.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Think about the effects of the new nature of Christ at work in your heart. Are there specific things that have changed since you received Christ?
Remember, we receive the new nature by receiving the grace of God through faith in Jesus. Thank God for His grace, because apart from it, we would all be slaves to sin and law.
PRIDE FIGHTS AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Jesus removes the emphasis from the letter of the law, and He places the emphasis on the Spirit of the law. So, if we want to walk in a manner pleasing to God, we’ve got to be filled with the Spirit, walking in the confident state of righteousness His grace provides.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:16. Why would pride keep us from walking in the Spirit?
God desires our hearts to be completely changed by His love. Unlike some things in life, humility isn’t a box we can just check off. Whether we are walking in pride or humility is purely a decision of the heart. It takes an initial humbling for us to receive grace, but it also takes a willingness for the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts for us to be able to continue walking in a state of humility as we grow in the Lord. That’s why James 4:5-6 says:
“Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us’? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”
Why would we need humility in order to receive God’s gift of grace?
Take a moment to examine your heart. Are there areas of your thought life where you need to ask God for the grace to walk in humility? If you feel comfortable sharing, it may help to let someone know what you’re struggling with.
Admitting that we have pride can be the first step toward humility. The next step is to repent and ask for forgiveness. Romans 8:3-4 is a great reminder of God’s grace for those of us who struggle with pride (that’s all of us, by the way).
THE BENEFITS OF HUMILITY
When we repent and lay our sins down at His feet, God reminds us of the fact that His amazing love has already covered our mistakes. When our mistakes are covered by grace, we get to walk in the freedom of Christ.
Read 1 John 5:3. Have you ever felt that God’s commandments are too burdensome? If so, in what ways?
Have there been times when you’ve noticed Jesus working through you?
When we walk in humility, trusting fully in what Jesus did on the cross, God gives us the power to follow His commandments through the fellowship and leading of His Holy Spirit. James 4:10 says:
“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
Read 2 Chronicles 7:14, Proverbs 11:2, and 1 Peter 5:5. What things does God provide for the person who chooses to walk humbly before Him?
The greatest way that we know we have received the favor of God is that we get to claim His righteousness as our own. Part of having freedom in Christ means that we’re not afraid of making a mistake. This doesn’t mean we view sin flippantly. It simply means we understand the height of God’s love for us and the transforming power of grace.
Finish by reading 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. Let God lift the burdens off of your shoulders today. Give Him access to your heart. Trust Him. No matter where you find yourself in this moment, His grace is enough.
Thank you for this Bible study. Yes I get lonely but putting Bible study in my life will truly help keep my mind on the Lord Jesus Christ Holy Spirit to fill that loneness. Listening to the Holy Spirit guiding you to help people amen
Yes his grace is enough! Amazing grace!
Thank yoy Troy for your work
You are welcome! Grateful to be able to serve the Lord with my time. 🙂
Thank you, may the Lord keep you in His ways and bless you and your family as you have been blessing me with your videos and words. I have also been blessing the lifes of my English as a Second Language students who I have been sending your videos and bible studies too.
Thank you troy for this Bible study
I have a question
Do I need to put in my own efforts to stop sin and live the life of christ. I’ve surrendered myself to Jesus but I don’t feel as if I’d done anything.
We hope for your reply thank you
Yes, and no. God wants you to put forth effort, but it’s easy for us to focus our efforts in the wrong direction. I’ve heard some people say, “you have to try really hard not to sin,” but the truth is that doesn’t really work. God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” God has promised that when we make the effort to seek Him, we will find Him. Jesus then says in John 15:17, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” When we are seeking God with our whole hearts, He abides in us, and He is the one who gives us the power through His grace to break the chains of sin the have held us down. Think of it like a relationship. If a wife was always scared of “doing the wrong thing” in front of her husband because she wanted to please him, that wouldn’t be a very healthy relationship. But if her time and effort were spent trying to get to better know her husband, she would find it a lot easier to please him. I understand that God isn’t like an imperfect husband. He is perfect. Even when we make mistakes, He still offers us grace and mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. But as we get to know Him on a deeper level, we also find ourselves naturally operating on the same page as Him. I hope that makes sense. If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch this recent video, it may help: The Secret to Keeping the Commandments