The Worst Sin

Imagine in your mind that you are one of Jesus’ 12 followers. You travel with Jesus. You eat with Him. You sleep near Him. You learn from Him. You watch Him change many lives, including yours. People want to be with Jesus. You feel special because He chose you to be one of the 12 followers who are closest to Him. Then you start to wonder: Who really is the most important of all Jesus’ followers?

In Luke 22:24–27 📖 , read Jesus’ answer to His followers who fight about what being important means. What is Jesus saying in this message?

The followers have spent so much time with Jesus. You’d think after their being so close to Him, they wouldn’t fight about this topic. But they do.

The 12 followers weren’t satisfied with being Jesus’ followers. Pride filled their hearts. Each man felt he was better than the other followers. We can let pride fill our thoughts all too easily. But we are told, “God hates pride more than anything else. He also is upset with people who think they don’t need God and can live without Him. These ideas and feelings put people in terrible danger. Pride is the worst sin because it is the hardest sin to destroy.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 154, adapted.

Wow! Our pride upsets God more than “anything else.” We have a hard time letting go of pride because we often don’t see it in our hearts. When we depend on self and not on the Lord, we choose not to look into our hearts too closely. So, we don’t see ourselves for who we really are. We make pride the same as king. It controls our heart, the same as a king controls his country. We need to stop and really look at ourselves. We must ask God to open our eyes and show us our sins. Pride may be the number one reason that keeps us from having a close relationship with God today.

Do you believe that only God can remove the pride and selfishness from your heart? Stop and pray this prayer right now: “Lord, take my heart. I cannot give it. My heart is your property. Keep my heart clean, because I can’t. I am weak. So, please save me. I want to be the same as Jesus. Make me clean and fill me with your love.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 159, adapted.