Pride of Gifts and Grace

“Now the life of a Christian, as a Christian, is superior to the life of a man as a man; and therefore {he}doth not value himself by these which are beneath him, but in higher and more raised perfections, which suit a Christian calling. As a natural man is proud of perfections suitable to his natural state, as honour, beauty; so the Christian is prone chiefly to be puffed up with perfections suitable to his life. I shall name three: FIRST. Pride of gifts. SECOND. Pride of grace. THIRD. Pride of privileges. These are the things which Satan chiefly labors to entangle him in.”   “The Christian in Complete Armour”, William Gurnall

Oh death to self means so much more

Than what we know and why Christ bore

Our sins with joy while suffering

The wrath due us, and offering

Himself to shield us from the Face

Of God Almighty in our place.

Oh how pride of gifts and grace

May hinder us to run the race

When to them we do look for strength

Instead of Christ who knows the length

Of ground to cover in each day,

So look to Him alone: The Way!

Humility can teach us best

If He alone we trust and rest

With confidence for every need

Of strength and by His Spirit feed

Upon what He shall choose to bless

As He Is All our Righteousness!

But count not on humility

If boast you do in it, and flee

Into that which may only seem

To be, when truly but a beam

Which blinds the sight to really see,

To Christ alone all glory be!

Do we think confessing guilt

Is that upon which grace is built,

When lurks therein a secret pride

When flaunted and behind it hide,

And Christ alone knows every thought,

So look to Him, by who we’re bought!

So strip us Lord and more expose

Our pride which brings us no repose,

That You be seen as All in All

To those of whom You clearly call

To follow in the sweet refrain

You give to praise Your Holy Name!

So, broken, poor, by faith now go

To Christ alone, who doth bestow

More grace, as by Him we draw nigh

To God our Father as we fly

By strength the Holy Spirit gives

Each day by which we know; He Lives!

 

Poem by Michael E. Wood

September 8, 2012