Humility

The practice of godliness – chapter 6 – a continuation of notes

I hope you had a rather good weekend – mine was busy (story of my life) but productive!

So this chapter probably (for want of a much better word but what seems to be used in Christendom a lot nowadays) lashed me more than any other, it really helped me to think about humility before our great God.

‘Jesus exemplified humility in its utmost through his death for us’ (74)

‘I live in a high and holy place but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit’ (Is 57.)

‘Humility toward God is akin to the fear of God; it begins with a high view of God’s person’ (75)

When we comprehend the majesty of God and humble ourselves to this, it is then that we are able to work out our lateral relationships in humility. We see others as equal and not subordinate and indeed with the love of God ‘shed abroad’ in our hearts we are able to ‘prefer others’ above ourselves.

In addition when he is the reference point all else falls into place.

What do I mean?

When we see our low estate before God we are able to ‘take the log out of our own eye’ before attempting to ‘take the speck out’ of our brothers’ – we can truly see ourselves as equals and not look on others with condescension.

‘We must treat the scriptures not only as a source of knowledge about God but also as the expression of His will for our daily lives’ (76)

Truly when we fear God we will ‘tremble’ at His Word for we realise that His Word’s express His will. 

When all we want to do is to please God we will yearn for His Word to know His will on order to obey it.

‘When a believer is truly humble before God and His Word, he will also be humble about his own gifts, abilities, and attainments. He will realise and gratefully acknowledge that all that he is and all that he has comes from the hand of God. This aspect of humility begins with our understanding of personal salvation. All evangelicals agree that we are saved solely by the grace of God, apart from any works of our own, but do we believe even in some undefined way, that we did contribute something to our salvation, something that implies that we were a little bit wiser, or a little smarter, or a little more responsive to God than others?’ (78)

‘For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?’ (1 Corinthians 4:7)

All of our work, all of our labour all that we are and all that we do stems from the throne of God. It is ALL by grace, from the brushing of one’s teeth in the evening, to the preaching in the pulpit, to the ability to walk! It is ALL superintended and governed and given by the providential hand of God.

‘We should ascribe any attainments, whether secular or spiritual, to the grace of God’ (80)

‘Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:17-18) 

‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.’

(1 Corinthians. 3:6-9)

Humility exercises itself in biblical submission. Submission is not to be a ‘walkover’, ‘a carpet under people’s’ feet’; rather it is to be able to receive instruction and correction.

We are admonished in scripture to submit ‘one to another’ and we see perfect examples such as Apollos, an apparently gifted preacher who got a few things wrong. He was taken in by Aquila and Priscilla, who were not preachers but knew ‘the Way’ more perfectly.

Similarly we do not see the Apostle Peter harbouring resentment for his younger brother in the faith, the Apostle Paul, who rebuked him for his hypocrisy with the Gentile Believers at Antioch, when he shunned them because they were not Jewish. No he commended Paul in his later letter and commended his teaching as that of scripture.

We must learn to submit, and serve others preferring them above ourselves, an important Kingdom principle as taught by Jesus is the that the ‘first shall be last’ and the ‘last first’ (Matt. 20:16). Servant-heartedness is at the core of the gospel, ‘the Son of man came not to be served but to serve’ (Mark 10:45). 

Practical steps to humility

1.) Renew your mind – Memorise and meditate upon scripture and watch as the Spirit will lead us to conviction and action.
2.) Confess pride and pray for sensitivity to see with God’s eyes and for His Spirit to CHANGE us
3.) Do something! Do something out of your way – serve!