My most popular blog post of all time is entitled “What is the pride of life?”

It’s a popular search term.

The pride of life can be centered on almost anything.

Our superior career.

Our superior kids. With their better than yours friends and their better than yours college. Better than yours house up the street.

Our superior parenting.

Our superior home.

Our superior ways of thinking.

How politically perfect we think.

Our go getter, ambitious, I can do anything attitude about life .

Or even the false humility victim-status Christian that is the most “humble” of them all.

Our exemplary status that we are accumulating at church, through loyalty, volunteering and giving of money.

Nothing necessarily wrong with those things but if we use them to feed the pride of our lives, they are very bad for us and the brothers and sisters we think we are better than.

Worse than all these, there is a “pride of life” gospel that we sometimes crave to hear every week. Pay good money to hear it. Makes us feel good about ourselves.

Tricks us into thinking we’ve accomplished something spiritually by listening to other Christians eloquently say the same things over and over in different ways. Deceives us weekly into thinking we are actually being discipled by hearing it. It’s just feeding our pride as we look down at those who are not as regular and loyal and giving of their time. It deceives us into striving for a pastors approval and commendation.

It’s a gospel rooted in inner filth (the pride of our lives). Not the advancing kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Its a gospel that uses Jesus for ITS purpose.

As opposed to the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, centered on HIS eternal purpose.

Our hearts are very deceitful, it’s the gospel we chose and preach without following Jesus Christ. Without seeking him first this gospel I’ve outlined above is the default Sunday gospel. Mine and countless others.

I’ve had enough of it. I let it go, I gave it up and have disdain for that message. Push that mess aside.

I want him, above all other messages. His absolute dominance, his utter control and rulership in me and in my community of Christians.

I chose the gospel of the kingdom and kingship of Jesus Christ.

I got a glimpse of it and I’m wrecked for anything else. I must devote myself to sharing it with whomever will listen.

Sharing it with both the pride of life church-saint and the cruel sinners.

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