Self-Exaltation and Humility

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. – Luke 18:14

(Some quotes and thoughts from the sermon outline are listed below.)

• If you want to please the devil, admire yourself.
• Love of praise, respect, honor, preeminence is self-exaltation.
• Everyone flatters himself and carries a kingdom in his own breast. – Calvin
• Pride is the over-estimation of oneself by reason of self-love. – Baruch Spinoza
• Pride is the inmost coat that we put on first and that we put off last.
• Pride is the last thing to go before conversion and the 1st to return.
• A fallen heart is idolatrous and there is no limit we will not go to save face and our idol.
• When a proud man hears another person praised, he thinks himself wronged.
• If the love of fame is a governing principle in us, our entire life, our ministry will be tainted by it. – Andrew Fuller
• The humble man looks for authority and wants to get under it, but the proud man has trouble with authority; insubordination is a mark of pride.
• A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. – Henry Ward Beecher
• Arrogance is a weed that ever grows in dunghills. – Swinnock
• The Lord would give us great things if only He could trust us not to steal the glory for ourselves. – David Morgan
• High places are slippery places.  – Matthew Henry
• Is it not hurt pride that distresses us so badly? Why do I want to be so appreciated by my fellow Christians? Is it because I secretly feel I deserve praise or at least quiet approval by my peers and I crave that ego-building attitude?  But we know that God knows our heart so that if the criticism is unjustified we need not feel bad over what he thinks about it. But let’s face it, we crave acceptance, we want appreciation, we want praise. That why the criticism hurts! Standing on your dignity is awfully poor footing!