Pride is the mother of all sins. The taproot of all these sins is the sin of pride.  But perhaps a better metaphor would be a centrifuge; an instrument used in laboratories.  The centrifuge is a machine that spins at a very high rate of speed.  Denser particles are pushed to the outside and less dense particles gravitate the center.  Thus the centrifuge creates the ability to understand which particles are denser by spinning them off to the sides.

Unlike a vortex that draws things to its center, a centrifuge repels them.  And so this grocery list of sins that are given are actually created with the singular centrifugal force of pride.  That’s all.  When pride is actively rotating in our hearts multiple sins spin off from it.  A life of sin is the symptom of a pride spinning in the heart.  It is the force that pushes the heavy seeds of sin to fully mature action.

In other words, the centrifuge can be turned off.  If we want to stop spinning out sin into our marriages, parenting, our work and school, then we need to be purified by the Word which crushes all pride.  And this is the good news, since all sin is rooted in pride, if we attack pride we turn off the source that is spinning sin out into our lives.  Pride leads to exile, but the exile from God is not what you’re predetermined for.  We can crush it under the weight of the Word, repent, and be made clean.

Illustration by Steven W. Smith.