A. It has been said, "They that know God will be humble,
and they that know themselves cannot be proud.
Such genuine humility is an essential trait for the character of a
Christian.
B. In this lesson, let us consider how we can employ this
saying and cultivate genuine humility in ourselves.
II. THINK REALISTICALLY ABOUT YOURSELF
A. Some people have the false idea that humility is a
matter of self-loathing and self-abasement.
1.
Humility is not
expressed when a person says, "I am worthless, "I can't do anything right,
"I'm stupid, etc. This is only foolish
talk that accomplishes no good.
2.
Such attitudes do
not glorify God, and they often lead to depression, disobedience, apathy,
idleness, shirking of duty, and sometimes even abuse of the body.
3.
A total devaluing
of self is actually an insult to God, for each one of us has value and is
"fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Ps. 139:14). God did not make any worthless people.
B. In truth, humility is an attitude that results from an
accurate opinion of self.
1.
A humble person
knows what he is worth. He does not
think too highly or too little of himself, but he sees himself for what he
really is in the sight of God.
2.
An accurate
opinion of self is obtained from the word of God and honest self-evaluation.
a. The word of God reveals to us every strong point,
every weakness, every perfect point, and every flaw in ourselves. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is
living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as
the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
In many ways, God's word is a mirror that reflects who we are (Jas.
1:23-25).
b. Christians are commanded to evaluate themselves
according to the faith, for 2Corinthians 13:5 says, "Test yourselves to see if
you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you fail the test?
c.
The Bible shows
us the truth about our sin, which is that all have sinned and are worthy of
death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Therefore, our
opinion of self must be like that of the prodigal son, who said, "Father, I
have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be
called your son (Luke 15:21).
d. Even though we are unworthy sinners, we must also
accept the Bible's message that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten
Son for us (John 3:16). Therefore, we
are highly valuable in the sight of God, and we must be radically respectful of
the tremendous price that was paid for us (1Pet. 1:17-19).
3.
Christians are
told to have an accurate opinion of their own abilities and responsibilities
within the body of Christ.
a. In Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, "For through the grace
given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself
than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has
allotted to each a measure of faith. In
verses 4-8, he explained how each member has a unique role in the body that
must be exercised accordingly (see also 1Cor. 12).
b. Notice that this self-assessment is to include an
acknowledgement of the source of all abilities and talents, which is God. "God has allotted to each a measure of
faith, so if we can do anything good and useful, it is only because of Him.
c.
Christians must
understand that whatever good they do is only their rightful service to the
Lord. The correct attitude about good
works was given by Jesus in Luke 17:10 "So you too, when you do all the
things which are commanded you, say, We are unworthy slaves; we have done only
that which we ought to have done.'
d. For these reason, when we do good works, the glory for
them is to go to our Father in heaven and not to ourselves (Matt. 5:16).
4.
So then, a
Christian's accurate opinion of self includes an understanding of the
following:
a. What he can do and what he cannot do;
b. What he does well and what he does not do well;
c.
What he does wrong
and what he can do better;
d. Who he is an unworthy sinner redeemed by the blood
of Jesus Christ;
e.
Who is the source
of his abilities (God) and who is not the source (self).
C. An accurate opinion of self destroys pride and
arrogance, which are the opposites of humility.
1.
A proud man
thinks his talents are his own doing, but a humble man knows they come from
God.
2.
A proud man does
good works for his own glory, but a humble man works for the glory of God.
3.
A proud man
boasts of his possessions, but a humble man knows they belong to God.
4.
A proud man is
aware of only good about himself, but a humble man also sees his own flaws.
5.
A proud man
thinks he can do things that he cannot, but a humble knows his limitations.
III. THINK HIGHLY OF OTHERS
A. Another component of humility is an attitude of
deference and preference for others above self.
1.
This is the
attitude of selflessness that causes us to think of others before we think of
self. Each Christian is to defer to his
brother when there are conflicts of opinion, and he is to prefer his brother
even above himself.
2.
Consider the
instruction of Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also
for the interests of others.
a. This gives the definition of selflessness, which is to
"do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit and to be mindful "for the
interests of others.
b. Notice that Christians are told to "regard one another
as more important that yourselves. We
know that we are all equally valued in the eyes of God (Rom. 2:11), but each
Christian is to consider every other Christian to be more important than
himself.
B. Jesus Christ gave us the greatest example of the
attitude of humility when He gave His own life for us.
1.
Following the
instruction of Philippians 2:3-4, Paul gave the example of Jesus as an
illustration. Notice verses 5-8:
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in
Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard
equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross.
2.
Remember the
instruction, "Regard one another as more important than yourselves, and
consider how Jesus exemplified it.
a. It is evident to all that the Son of God is more
important than any man, but when He came in the form of a bond-servant and the
likeness of men, He regarded all others as more important than Himself.
b. This was not merely a state of mind, but it was a
manifestation of deeds by which Jesus put the interests of others above his own
interests.
c.
By this, we know
what genuine humility is. Jesus had an
accurate opinion of Himself, for He knew exactly who He was. Even so, He treated all others as if they
were more important than He. This is why
Jesus says to us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart (Matt. 11:29).
IV. CONCLUSION
A. If we follow God's word, think realistically about
ourselves, and think highly of others, then God has promised to exalt us.
1.
This promise is
given in James 4:10 "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He
will exalt you.
2.
It is repeated in
1Peter 5:5-7 "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all
of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed
to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may
exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares
for you.
B. In this way the words of Jesus concerning the kingdom
are fulfilled, which say, "So the last shall be first, and the first last
(Matt. 20:16).
