You Have a Place at Grace - 10/9/2025

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; For it is better that he say to you, “Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

The Bible speaks much about pride. Proverbs contains the popular passage, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Pride also tops the medieval list of the “seven deadly sins” and has been called the first sin, where in pride Adam and Eve arrogated themselves above the Word, ignored God, listened to the serpent, and perfection thus disappeared under the divine curse.

Pride is evil and sinful, wicked and deceiving, for it creates a false view of ourselves. It’s the Old Adam at work pulling us inward to self-interest and desire, pleasure, power, and money. Like Adam and Eve, we see the Word second to fleshy desires and unsatiable appetites.

Jesus admonishes the Pharisees who love self-exaltation. We know from Scripture their love for attention displayed in elaborate garments, showy works, and the “best places at feasts” (Matt.23:5-6). Jesus says “all their works they do to be seen by men” (23:4). Yet before God flattery and works are the righteousness of men, rotten fruits and deeds of iniquity. They merit nothing but condemnation apart from divine righteousness, for the law isn’t kept apart from Christ. We can’t exalt ourselves before the King and expect heaven’s gates to swing wide. Pride is only the precursor to destruction. Live unto yourself and you reap what you sow. Sow to the flesh, and you reap corruption (Gal.6:8).

But what’s the source of humility? How do we have self-awareness of the sinful condition, and thus an honest view of ourselves before God? The answer must be the Holy Spirit. Only God breaks the prideful spirit, as in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, who was crushed by God to eat “grass like an ox” (Daniel 5:33) and realize his place before the Almighty God Whose Kingdom endures from generation to generation. God grants repentance and faith to seek divine favor in Christ. The scales fall from our eyes and we see the Word clearly declaring us sinful beyond our ability to save. Exaltation isn’t man’s achievement before God. Only God raises us from the pit. Only God grants life from the dead. Only God bestows faith to trust Christ when we can’t trust ourselves, which the Spirit teaches against the flesh that tries to place itself above the Almighty.

It’s a glorious, comforting thing to know exaltation comes and it’s far better than anything we can imagine or do for ourselves. Pride comes before destruction, humility before exaltation. We should remember this, and live by it, so on the Last Day the God Who exalts sinners says to His baptized child, “Come up here.”

-by Rev. Ryan J. Ogrodowicz, “You Have a Place at Grace” October 12th, 2025 

Grace Lutheran Church - Brenham, Texas

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod