Conceit Rom.12:16 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Conceit is found in seven verses. By checking the contexts of each verse we can learn what it does to men.  Conceit is an exaggerated opinion of oneself, one’s merits, one’s wealth, one’s education, etc.  Therefore, Paul commanded us to “be not wise in your own conceits,” [Rom 2:16].  Here’s what conceit will do to you.

Conceited rich men reject the Lord – Prov 18:11 – a rich man will generally trust his riches rather than the Lord [Prov 18:10].  Look at a perfect example of a rich man who refused to follow the Lord because he trusted in his riches [Mk 10:17-25].  Jesus searched him out [2 Cor 8:9; Prov 28:11].  It is rare that a man can have money and not be conceited.  A conceited rich man will love his money a lot more than he will love God [1 Tim 6:9-10].  His love of money will cause him sorrow and will obscure his faith.  So, if you have been blessed with money, don’t become conceited.  And if you are, start getting rid of it until you aren’t [1 Tim 6:17-19].

Conceited fools reject wisdom – Prov 26:5 – a conceited man believes that his wisdom is right.  Thus, he goes on believing his wisdom even though he is dead wrong.  A perfect example is found in Rom 1:20-22.  A conceited fool will never understand the revelation of God to man.  And the more he professes to be wise [usually by the degrees he holds] the more foolish he becomes.  Evolutionists may make a lot of money teaching and working with their foolishness, but they have a rude awakening coming [1 Cor 1:19-21].  According to Prov 26:12 they are even more hopeless than a fool.  If you find that your knowledge is causing you to reject God and his revelation of himself to you, then abase yourself until you glory in the Lord [1 Cor 1:26-31].

Conceited lazy men reject reason – Prov 26:16 – you can line seven experts up to prove to a conceited lazy man that his laziness is killing him [Prov 26:15] and he will hold to his own conceit rather than accept one reason to change.  We are becoming a society of conceited sluggards.  The culprits, to a large degree, are drug trafficking and government hand-outs – when this government can no longer afford the handouts, the people on the dole are going to starve to death in air-conditioned houses watching color television.  If you are lazy, turn from your conceit and start supporting your family.  Until you do, you are worse than an infidel [1 Tim 5:8].

Conceited preachers and scholars reject Israel – Rom 11:25 – preachers and scholars who profess that God is through with Israel and that the church replaces Israel in the promises of God are blinded by their own conceit.  They don’t know what they are talking about.  God knows better than they do.  As a matter of fact, we don’t replace Israel, we get in on what God promised them in the new covenant of Jer 31:31-34, which covenant God will fulfill in its entirety when Jesus returns [Rom 11:26-27].  Start believing what God wrote rather than what these fools teach.

Conclusion: if you are conceited because you are rich, or you are educated, or you have learned to beat the system, or you are a Biblical scholar get down off your horse and learn to trust the Lord, believe what he wrote, pay your own bills and study to show yourself approved unto God.