Knowing that God’s standard is the standard of true life, Josiah rose up and tore down everything that was in opposition to God. And what about you? Now that you’ve heard about God’s standard of sexual purity, are you willing, in the spirit of Josiah, to make a covenant to hold to that standard with all your heart and soul? Will you tear down every sexual thing that stands in opposition to God?
Can you see that you’ve been living the mixed standards of mere excellence? Stopping short but still looking Christian enough?
Or have you aimed for obedience and perfection, where you’re truly called to go?
—Every Man’s Battle
Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
PROVERBS 21:4, RSV
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
PHILIPPIANS 3:18–19, NKJV
Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.
PROVERBS 18:12, NLT
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
PROVERBS 16:18,19 RSV
Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.
MATTHEW 7:13, AMP
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 PETER 2:1, NIV
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
JUDE 5, NIV
But when [Uzziah] became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God.… And while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead … because the LORD had smitten him. King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death.
2 CHRONICLES 26:16,19,20–21, NASB
The LORD despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished.
PROVERBS 16:5, NLT
The Lord hates the stubborn but delights in those who are good.
You can be very sure that the evil man will not go unpunished forever. And you can also be very sure that God will rescue the children of the godly.
PROVERBS 11:20–21, TLB
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
PROVERBS 16:19, KJV
The LORD mocks at mockers, but he shows favor to the humble.
PROVERBS 3:34, NLT
By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
PROVERBS 22:4, KJV
When pride comes, then comes dishonor,
But with the humble is wisdom.
PROVERBS 11:2, NASB
My hand has made both earth and skies, and they are mine. Yet I will look with pity on the man who has a humble and a contrite heart, who trembles at my word.
ISAIAH 66:2, TLB
A man’s pride will bring him low,
But a humble spirit will obtain honor.
PROVERBS 29:23, NASB
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
LUKE 14:11, NKJV
But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
PSALM 37:11, NASB
Fear of the LORD teaches a person to be wise; humility precedes honor.
PROVERBS 15:33, NLT
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
JAMES 4:10, KJV