Tag: humility

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The Fourteenth Mark of a True Disciple of Jesus

True disciples humble themselves like children

humble themselves like children

True disciples enter the kingdom of heaven, while false disciples do not make the cut. As the Son of God, Jesus knows with absolute clarity who will enter. He knows who his true disciples are, and he wants us to know.

Thus he tells us one more mark of a true disciple in Matthew 18:2–4:

“Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is not exaggerating here when he says you will never enter the kingdom of heaven without this mark. You really must turn and become like a child. And then he elaborates on the quality of a child he has in mind, and that quality is the willingness to humble oneself. “Whoever humbles himself like this child…”

Turn

Notice also that Jesus says there is something that happens in your soul that precedes becoming like a child. He says you must first “turn.” We must first turn because naturally if we are not children we are adults. And the kind of adulthood that Jesus is speaking of is not a positive maturity that is good but rather a negative sort of adultness that is bad, and what makes it bad is pride. As we get older, if we follow our sinful nature, we become more proud.

Pride runs so deep in the soul of the fallen human that it corrupts and controls everything about us. Pride is a major part of what caused Satan to fall from being a perfect creation of God to being evil. Our pride leads to rebellion against authority. It leads to self-centeredness. It leads to arrogance toward others. It leads to stubbornness, hardening of the heart, and disobedience to God. It leads to an independent spirit and self-righteousness. Pride leads to a spirit of unbelief toward God and his words.

And that is why we can never enter the kingdom of heaven without turning away from our proud unbelief and self-justifying thoughts, to humbly acknowledge our sinfulness and inability to save ourselves. We must become humble enough to acknowledge that we need a Savior, that we can never do enough good works to merit eternal life and acceptance from God. Apart from Christ Jesus, we can never be holy, never be perfect. We can never atone for our sins; we can never be free of our guilt unless we follow God’s way of forgiveness.

Proud people do not think they need Jesus. They think any religion will get them to heaven. They think they can be nice people and earn heaven. Whereas humble people recognize their own brokenness and need for God to save them.

The Pharisee and the tax collector

Jesus brought this crucial point home with an unforgettable parable:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10–14 ESV)

Humble enough to believe Scripture

We need childlike humility because the “adult” mind does not accept God’s truth.

We must humble our proud mind. Believing in God and Jesus Christ his Son is not irrational or unscientific. Far to the contrary. Nevertheless no one through human reasoning alone can come to faith in Jesus. No one can prove Jesus rose from the dead. No one can prove Jesus even existed. There are mountains of compelling evidence and arguments, but they are not proof.

And God wants it this way. He deliberately planned for a way of salvation that did not depend on human wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “Since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.”

Young children humbly believe what their parents tell them. We must humbly believe what God tells us in his written Word.

The apostle Paul identifies the proud mindset that resists God and the gospel. He says that his evangelistic ministry required that he “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Why did the Pharisees and the scribes reject Jesus even though they knew the Scriptures better than anyone in Israel? Because they were proud in heart and mind. They were in fact blinded by their pride. They believed they could be accepted by God by their keeping of the Old Testament laws. They believed they could be good enough to earn eternal life. They were proud of how externally religious they were, even though their hearts were filled with darkness.

Childlike to the end

We never outgrow the need for the humility of a child. We cannot humble ourselves, repent, and give our lives to Christ and then start depending on ourselves to save ourselves. While in this series of articles we have identified over a dozen marks of a true disciple, none of them is meritorious in the sight of God. These marks do not make us good enough to have God’s approval on Judgment Day. Till the day we die we always need the grace of God found through childlike faith in Jesus Christ.

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The Spiritual Genius of Humility

Part 4 of 8 Qualities of the Heart That Resists Error

To find ultimate truth, you need humility.
humility

If we want to know the truth about the big questions of life, we must pay attention to the state of our soul, not just our worldview. This series examines eight soul qualities that make us immune to false teaching. To begin the series see the first quality, Devotion to the True God. If you are up to speed, read on for part 4.

4. Humility

The true, saving gospel both exalts and humbles believers. It exalts by revealing that God created us in his image with dignity and purpose, that he loved us enough to give his beloved Son to die on the cross for us, that we will reign with Jesus Christ in the coming age over a recreated earth-paradise. The gospel says we are headed for nothing short of eternal glory, shining like the sun in our Father’s kingdom.

But the gospel also humbles completely. You cannot be saved without first believing humbling things. According to the gospel, before you come to faith in Christ Jesus you are an evil being deserving nothing from God but eternal condemnation. You cannot justify yourself before God on the basis of your good deeds, niceness, and religious involvement. You cannot save yourself. On your own you cannot even decide to seek the Lord; he must draw you to himself and convict of sin. You cannot believe in Jesus or repent of sin unless God gives the ability. From beginning to end you are completely dependent on him for salvation. (See Romans 3:9–28.)

On these points, false teaching often leaves the tracks. False teaching twists the gospel to appeal to our proud desire to justify ourselves, to earn God’s acceptance. When advertisements tell consumers they deserve a luxury item, sales improve. In pride we want to deserve what we have; we resist grace. But Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” No one will be able to boast before God. No man will be able to credit himself for his salvation. It takes humility to accept the truth of the gospel.

Vast Bible knowledge alone will not keep you in the truth if your heart is wrong. Religious leaders of Jesus’ day knew much about Scripture, but they rejected him. Proud people misread and misuse God’s Word. They make it a tool in the pursuit of proud purposes. Therefore it is unsafe to follow a proud Bible teacher or be a proud Bible student.

We find safety and truth only in humility, for God “leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way” (Psa. 25:9). With humility, the greater our Bible knowledge the more we give glory to God and depend entirely on him for understanding.

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Six Surprising Reasons to Pray as You Pursue Truth

If you do not pray to understand truth, your hands are tied behind your back, your eyes are closed, and you are hard of hearing. And then there are the serious obstacles.

Pray to Understand Truth

In previous posts we learned that God leads even the newest believer into truth through three divine guides: the inerrant Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and the church. Today we add one more crucial guide into truth, which I did not identify earlier and which will bring us to four guides into truth. This fourth guide is prayer. These four guides, used in harmony, enable even the newest believer to know the truth with confidence.

What do you do when you do not understand a Bible verse, or a biblical doctrine? Is your first reaction to reach for a book that might explain it to you? Do you google the question? Do you ask someone such as a pastor or Bible scholar about it?

Or is your first reaction to pause and pray that God would give you understanding into that Scripture or doctrine? And if the question is significant enough to you, do you write out your question in your prayer journal?

What you do reveals what you truly believe about the role of prayer in understanding truth. It reveals what you believe in your heart of hearts about whether God will answer your prayers for understanding into theological truths.

Prayer is the fourth guide into truth, along with the Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and the church.

Psalm 25

Psalm 25:4–5 says, “Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (ESV)

Here David prays that God would lead him into the truth. What is theology? What is doctrine? It is truth about God and his ways; it is truth about spiritual things. You can and should ask God to be your teacher. No one can teach you about God better than God himself.

Of course he will typically teach you through others, but by being careful to ask him to lead you into theological truths you ensure he is in charge of the entire process. If you pray, he will bring the teachers, videos, books, and teachings to you that answer your prayer.

Six reasons why prayer is an essential guide into truth

1. God teaches the humble.

Psalm 25:9 says, “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”

Prayer is an act of humility and dependence. Therefore we can conclude he leads and teaches those who pray for understanding.

Next week we look at the second reason why prayer is an essential guide into truth.

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Pray for Wisdom Humbly

There are many ways to pray for wisdom humbly.

pray for wisdom humbly

“Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:12).

Last week we drew from the well of this Scripture the first principle of inquiring of God for wisdom: you must set your heart to understand.

Principle 2: Pray for wisdom humbly

The next principle in Daniel 10:12 of asking for wisdom is to humble yourself before your God, as the angel said Daniel had done. Humility is needed because James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Wisdom is a grace from God, and therefore we need humility to receive it.

Daniel humbled himself by fasting. Daniel 10:2–3 says, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.” He denied himself pleasure and comfort, and his purpose in this was to humble himself.

But humility is the point, not fasting. Fasting is good and helpful, but not without sincere humility as its motive and purpose.

That’s because a person can fast with pride and self-righteousness. Luke 18:9–14 says, “[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’”

In this parable Jesus calls our attention to the importance of sincere humility and its effect. Although the Pharisee fasted, and prayed in the temple, he was arrogant. The tax collector was truly humble even though Jesus said nothing about whether he was fasting.

So the point is sincere humility. God exalts the humble. To them he gives grace.

Ways to humble yourself

Attitudes and actions commonly associated in the Bible with self-humbling include:

  • Confessing and repenting of sin. (James 4:6–10)
  • Kneeling and bowing before God. (Psalm 95:6–7)
  • Worshiping and thanking God. (Romans 11:33–36; 1 Corinthians 15:10)
  • Acknowledging need, inability, and dependence on God. (John 15:4–8)
  • Fasting. (Ezra 8:21; Daniel 10)
  • Serving others. (John 13:1–5; 12–17)
  • Considering others more significant. (Philippians 2:3–11)
  • Surrendering prerogatives and taking a low estate. (Philippians 2:5–8)
  • Obeying God’s commands. (John 15:5–10; Isaiah 58)
  • Being correctible and teachable. (Psalm 32:8–9; 81:10–12)
  • Submitting to others. (Ephesians 5:21)
  • Submitting to those in authority. (1 Peter 5:5)
  • Enduring suffering patiently. (1 Peter 5:6–10)

All the above are relevant as we seek to humble ourselves before God and receive from him the gracious gift of wisdom.

Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)

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The Humility of God

The humility of God is on stunning display at the cross of Jesus.

The humility of God

We are currently looking at what the gospel teaches about God, and we come today to one of the most significant elements of the gospel, namely the cross. What does the crucifixion teach us about God?

Of course, you can fill libraries with this topic, so we will need to be selective. Let’s look today at one thing the cross teaches us about Jesus. In the crucifixion we see that the most glorious, exalted, powerful being in the universe, from whom and through whom and to whom are all things, whose name is above every name—this God is humble.

The humility of God in human form

Scripture says, “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV, italics added).

Humility was the “mind” (v. 5), the attitude, of Jesus. His humble attitude expressed itself in his actions.

Notice the threefold repetition of the word “form”:

  • “the form of God,” in verse 6
  • “the form of a servant,” in verse 7
  • “in human form,” in verse 8

This repetition sets up a stark contrast. Jesus was and is God, the unique Son of God, and he had all the majesty, authority, and privileges inherent to the Son of God. Thus in heaven Jesus was worshiped, served, adored, obeyed. All this is what the phrase “the form of God” means—not his physical form but his exalted position and prerogatives. He had “equality with God” (verse 6).

Jesus emptied

But when Jesus became a man, he surrendered that form, leaving the glory he had in heaven. He “emptied himself” of it, as one pours out the contents of a full glass. He did this willingly. The Father did not have to pry it from his grasping fingers (v. 6); instead Jesus opened his hand and released it. In this, Jesus revealed his humility. Moreover, since Jesus is the perfect reflection of the Father and the Holy Spirit, he displayed their humility.

Imagine the Queen of England surrendering all the privileges, clothing, and majesty of her position to become the lowliest servant in the kingdom, washing floors and dishes in a dingy bar. That’s a picture of what Jesus did when he took “the form of a servant” (v. 7). Again, Jesus did this willingly. One only does something like this willingly if he is profoundly humble.

The humility of God in the obedience of Jesus

But Jesus took this self-humbling much further. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient.” He obeyed everything the Father commanded him to do. Have you ever found yourself chafing when someone gives you orders? Have you ever complied outwardly with the commands of someone in authority yet inwardly churned with rebellious thoughts and feelings? That’s pride, pure pride.

Jesus didn’t do that. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (John 4:34). And, “I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father” (John 14:31).

Jesus obeyed willingly, joyfully, wholeheartedly, even though he too is God.

The humility of God in the death of Jesus

And now we come to the fullest expression of the humility of Jesus. He obeyed “to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v. 8). No one wants to experience death. It is the terrible consequence of sin. Jesus did not deserve to die. In his divine nature he could not die. In his human nature he could, but he had lived a perfectly holy and righteous life and therefore deserved only the reward of eternal life and blessedness.

Nevertheless, the Father determined that he must atone for the sins of evil humans, and so Jesus willingly went to the cross to suffer the agony of death (Acts 2:24), to die the death of the wicked.

Death in the worst way possible: “even death on a cross” (v. 8). This was the cruelest way to die known on earth. The Romans employed this form of execution to dissuade conquered subjects from rebellion. This was torture and torment.

The humility of God in the suffering of Jesus

And that was so if you were just dying like any human. But Jesus was not dying like any human. On the cross, he took upon himself the guilt of human evil and suffered the furious divine wrath ­that evil deserved. In this wrath was a spiritual and emotional agony beyond anything we can imagine. It included his beloved Father withdrawing his presence, withdrawing the awareness of his love, something Jesus had never in his eternal existence experienced, such that he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

This was the humility of the Son of God.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, he saw all this coming and asked that the Father would find another way. But the Father said no, and Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

This was the humility of the Son of God. This is the humility of God. This is the gospel.

To our exalted, humble God be all glory.

Our way and God’s way

Our way: We resist humility.

God’s way: The Lord values and demonstrates humility, and sooner or later he rewards it.
Philippians 2 continues: “ 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11).

Life principle: “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)