Romans 12:3 tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, and in this age of pride and a false sense of entitlement this is a stark and relevant warning.
The context of this warning is that we should retain humility as we begin to grow in revelation and understanding of God. The Apostle Paul is admonishing us that what we have was attained by grace, through faith, and that every person who has been saved by the knowledge of Christ has the ability to grow in their faith and experience a deeper, more fruitful relationship with God.
There should be no one, who being lifted up by pride, begins to look down on others in the Kingdom. If faith in Christ was the source of salvation, and the ability to have faith was instilled in us by our Creator then all glory and praise goes to Him alone.
I believe Paul was ministering to himself as much as to others at this point, as preachers often do, knowing that though he had attained apostleship and great influence in the early church, it was not his idea to be knocked off his horse on the road to Damascus and to surrender to Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 12, he tells us that the abundance of revelation he was receiving could easily have led him into pride, but that some sort of demonic assault had reminded him of his fallibility and desperate need of God.
Let us not seek to grow in faith only to be taken away in religious pride, but let us keep close to God in humility and gratitude, so that as we grow we continue to keep our heart right, knowing that without our Creator and our Saviour we would be nothing.
