Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
To be wise in one's own conceit is to be convinced of one's own wisdom and to trust one's own judgment, and for such a person there is less hope and a worse condition than for a fool. Such a person refuses to admit fault and rejects reproof, making excuses to justify wrong habits and being too unwilling to work at changing, so that as those habits continue reform becomes less and less likely. He refuses wise counsel, and pride with willing ignorance turns him away from God's Word and the principles of His law toward selfish desires, so that in following his own unsanctified judgment he places himself under satanic influence, whereas receiving counsel can help the weak and erring avoid spiritual deception.
Pride in one's own enlightenment and understanding keeps such a person from humbly seeking God's guidance and truth and from receiving it, leaving him ignorant of Scripture and of God's power. Intellectual enlightenment offers no protection when human theories are exalted above God's Word, and knowledge so used can lead into greater error than ignorance itself. To be wise in one's own conceit is to fail to recognize one's lost and helpless condition and need of salvation, as the parable of the lost sheep reveals that all are lost unless their characters are transformed and that Christ came as the true Shepherd to seek and save them.
Confidence in one's own wisdom is self-confidence without consecrated ability and without the value that comes from experience in living connection with God. The verse applies to men chosen to make decisions in various lines, exposing them as unfaithful and unconverted even though placed in holy places. Such a person needs divine enlightenment to know himself, and when he stops being wise in his own conceit, empties himself of self, and seeks the Lord wholeheartedly for deeper knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, God can shape his character, and he will humble himself and exalt Jesus. In one instance this danger of self-conceit was seen in a man named Dr. Maxson, whose shallow views and poor decisions showed why he needed to become distrustful of his own judgment.
To be wise in one's own conceit is to be convinced of one's own wisdom and to trust one's own judgment, and for such a person there is less hope and a worse condition than for a fool. Such a person refuses to admit fault and rejects reproof, making excuses to justify wrong habits and being too unwilling to work at changing, so that as those habits continue reform becomes less and less likely. He refuses wise counsel, and pride with willing ignorance turns him away from God's Word and the principles of His law toward selfish desires, so that in following his own unsanctified judgment he places himself under satanic influence, whereas receiving counsel can help the weak and erring avoid spiritual deception.
Pride in one's own enlightenment and understanding keeps such a person from humbly seeking God's guidance and truth and from receiving it, leaving him ignorant of Scripture and of God's power. Intellectual enlightenment offers no protection when human theories are exalted above God's Word, and knowledge so used can lead into greater error than ignorance itself. To be wise in one's own conceit is to fail to recognize one's lost and helpless condition and need of salvation, as the parable of the lost sheep reveals that all are lost unless their characters are transformed and that Christ came as the true Shepherd to seek and save them.
Confidence in one's own wisdom is self-confidence without consecrated ability and without the value that comes from experience in living connection with God. The verse applies to men chosen to make decisions in various lines, exposing them as unfaithful and unconverted even though placed in holy places. Such a person needs divine enlightenment to know himself, and when he stops being wise in his own conceit, empties himself of self, and seeks the Lord wholeheartedly for deeper knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ, God can shape his character, and he will humble himself and exalt Jesus. In one instance this danger of self-conceit was seen in a man named Dr. Maxson, whose shallow views and poor decisions showed why he needed to become distrustful of his own judgment.