Humility, Pt. 2

This message is a continuation of the message we started, on Humility.

After telling us how to walk in humility (being lowly in mind, esteeming others better than ourselves and looking uot also for the interests of others - Phil. 2:3-4), Paul then goes ahead and talks about our Role Model and Example in humility, over the next verses.

Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Note that Jesus fulfills verses 3-4, too. He did not do anything out of selfish ambition or conceit in his life on earth, meaning that not one moment is it noted that Jesus was doing anything to benefit himself, just for Himself; He had mankind on His mind all through. At one instance after receiving the news that John the Baptist was dead, He left to be alone in a deserted place but multitudes followed him and immediately he was moved with compassion and started healing their sick (Matthew 14:13-21). This is where we got the miracle of feeding the five thousand. This also shows us that He put the interests of others before His. By dying for you and for me, He esteemed us better than Himself. I always say that if Jesus was self-centered, we'd still be in our sins till today.

God would NEVER tell us to do anything He does not do Himself. If He tells us to be humble, it is because He Himself is humble. This is why after being told what to do in verses 3-4, we are told to have the same mind which was in Christ Jesus, who was God. He was and is God, and still emptied Himself of His privileges and rights as God and made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant/ slave, became like men and was born in a manger, as a man. This is God we are talking about. The children of Israel expected Him as a King to be born in the palace, and be arrayed with all good and rich things. Instead, in humility He was born in a manger, amidst animals. We were all born in different places, most of us were born in hospitals, but I’m sure none of us was born surrounded by cattle and goats singing lullabies for us. We are not even told if there was a doctor or qualified midwife to aid in His birth. Instead of nice smells and fresh air, He was greeted by dung and stuffiness. This is the God who created human beings, and the animals themselves, being born in a manger. This is why Paul says He made Himself of no reputation.

Furthermore, He did not consider it robbery to equal with God, meaning He knew He was equal with God. Still, while on earth He walked with the “rejects” and “outcasts” of the society, the fishermen, tax collectors, money keepers, etc. He asks us to associate with the humble (Rom. 12:16), as He Himself associated with the humble throughout His ministry. He associated with lepers and even touched one (Mk. 1:40-44), conversed with a Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:1-26), defended and forgave an adulteress Jn. 8:1-12), allowed a very sinful woman to touch and minister to Him (Lk. 7:36-50), conversed with a criminal at the cross (Lk. 23:39-43) etc. They expected Him probably to walk with doctors, lawyers, Pharisees, kings etc.  Still, not once did He pull the “I am God” card. He never used His powers to harm, only to do good. He never manipulated people to believing He was God; all this is humility. If you were Him, would you behave the same? When people ask you if you are the Son of God, would you use your powers to show them you were? This same attitude and mind is what caused Him to become obedient to the point of death, the worst and most humiliating kind of death – death on the cross.

In the Roman culture, the cross was reserved as a humiliating and terrorizing way of death, which was supposed to dissuade people from committing certain crimes, since the victims were displayed for all to see and be warned. Crucifixion was intended to provide slow, painful, gruesome and public death, and is the source of the word ‘excruciating’ literally out of ‘crucifying’. Even the children of Israel had a form of hanging, and at one point God Himself said, “for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” Deuteronomy 21:23. Jesus would have chosen any other form of death, but He went for the most humiliating and painful one, death on the cross. Why? Because He esteemed you and I better than Himself, and looked out for our interests. He gave preference to us, in honour (Rom. 12:10). Deuteronomy 21:22-23 basically implies that hanging is allowed for sin deserving death, and that one is accursed of God. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and deserved death according to Romans 6:23; Jesus, who had not sinned (Hebrews 4:15), chose to take our place on the cross, and to take all the punishment before dying on the cross. This was because He esteemed you and I better than Himself, and looked out for our interests. I believe Jesus would have chosen death by beheading or stoning, but He wanted the FULL punishment of our sins to be on Him, and the most humiliating way at that so that we could learn humility and obedience from Him. Humility is a root of obedience. 

As a result, God exalted Him highly and this is why we have His name that is above every name. All this resulted in God’s glory. Whenever you humble yourself, God receives glory. Pride steals glory from God, who says He will share His glory with no one (Isaiah 42:8). Pride is self-awareness and self-exaltation, which glorifies oneself and I believe this is why God says He opposes the proud (1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6).

Humility always results in God exalting you, like He did with Jesus.

James 4:10

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” (Emphasis added)

You are always in the sight of the Lord, so at all times you should be humble in your own sight, just like Jesus was. God is not watching you from a distance, like one musician sang; He is with you and His eyes are upon you (1 Peter 3:12), at all times. Never think you are better than anyone. It’s all by God’s grace and mercies that we are who we are, not that we were so deserving or so worthy to be who we are. We do not have anything to boast about, since no one created themselves. God created us, so why should we boast? It’s like you cooking ugali and then it starts boasting how well-shaped, white, hot and soft it is. Or better yet baking a cake and it starts boasting how mouth-watering, colorful, magnificent and yummy it is. This is how we look in the sight of God when we start boasting and seeing ourselves better than others, whereas we did not create ourselves. God made us and gave us everything we have and are, so we should never boast about anything. One may say, “but I worked for this myself, God had no part to play.” The earth and all its fullness belongs to Him (Psalm 24:1); All things were created through Him and for Him, and all things consist in Him (Colossians 1:16-17), meaning without Him we are nothing, as He holds us and the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3); we are not our own, we were bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This tells us that even if we make money, it still belongs to God as He gives us the power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), and He owns us! It’s like you owning a farm and after planting and the crops grow the farm starts boasting that the crops belong to it, that you have no right to claim them. If we boast of our intelligence, guess who gave us the mind and eyes to read -- God! This clearly shows us that we have nothing whatsoever to brag or boast about.

Apostle Peter, who spent 3 years with Jesus bragging how he is greater than the other disciples and boasting of his love and devotion to Jesus, also talks about humility, I bet after learning the hard way:

1 Peter 5:5-7

“Yes, all of you, be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (Emphasis added)

We should be submissive to one another. To submit basically means to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. In order to submit to another person, you have to esteem them better or higher or superior to yourself. This does not mean we become doormats for all to tread on, it simply means we always treat each other with respect and be willing to be corrected, advised, instructed, warned, directed, praised, appreciated, recognised, etc. Peter further tells us to be clothed with humility. This means that humility is something you can put on and off, like a cloth. It is something you sometimes might have to force yourself to wear, just like you force a child to wear a heavy clothing they do not like because you know it is good for them. Even when you do not feel like it, force yourself to be clothed with humility. Why? Because it’s good for you, and it’s your nature. We don’t walk by feelings or sight, but by faith. It’s not all the time that you’ll feel motivated to walk in humility; most of the time it has to be because you know it’s the right thing to do, and you do it by faith.

In addition, from 1 Peter 5:5-7, we learn that one of the benefits of humility is grace. Grace is God’s ability working in and through us, basically Him working in and through us. If you humble yourself, God will even give you grace to be humble, and basically to do all things. The reason why some Christians continue to struggle and live in frustration is because they do not humble themselves enough to receive grace, the empowerment to do God’s will and Word. Young people continue to struggle with sin and unrighteousness because they are not humble enough to tell God, “I’m struggling with this and this, please help.” As a result they are frustrated, because grace is only available for the humble. This is the same grace that teaches “us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age..” Titus 2:12. This is the grace “by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29.  

He exalts, in due time. God decides the “due time” to exalt you. It may take days, months, years, decades, but He will eventually exalt you, as He does not lie (Numbers 23:19). You don’t decide the due time, He does. So what do you do while you wait? You cast all your care upon Him. People may talk about you and the enemy may whisper all sorts of things to you as to your humbling yourself, and thus provoking you to care and worry, which you should cast to God. Pride causes you to carry your own burdens and not cast your cares upon Him, as you think you can do a better job with your burdens and cares than God can.

If you do not humble yourself and cast your care upon God, the enemy will devour you. Many continue to resist the devil and have never submitted to God and humbled themselves under His mighty hand. Why? Because of pride. Because of this, the enemy will never flee from them. Verse 9 of 1 Peter 5 comes after verse 6, to tell you that before you resist the devourer who seeks to destroy you, you have to humble yourself. The same we see in James 4:7, which tells us to submit to God, and resist the devil, and he will flee from us. You don’t resist the devil while you haven’t submitted to God.  Humble yourself before God, submit to Him, then you can resist the devil. Submitting to God means that you yield to His authority. Do not have an area of disobedience in your life, as this opens the door to the devil (Eph. 4:27). Whatever He tells you to do, do it, as you recognise Him as the authority and superior power over your life. He has the final say.

So, in summary, how can you humble yourself?

1. If you have heard this message and you hear the Spirit convict you of areas of pride, agree and admit to the fact that you are proud and that you need help.

2.   If you’re not yet convicted, surrender that He may reveal to you if there are any areas of pride, not only now but continuously, in your walk of faith. Humility is a virtue that has to be maintained, which is why Peter tells us to be sober and vigilant (1 Peter 5:8), and talks of humility as a cloth, meaning you may unconsciously remove it. You have to be alert; as you manifest God’s blessings in your life, pride will constantly be knocking, and may subtly creep in. Living in total surrender to the Holy Spirit, Who will help you spot the enemy from far and remain clothed in humility. The Holy Spirit will let you know when the cloth of humility is off, or you’re partially covered, or it starts sliding off your body.

3.  Pray, lest you enter into temptation (Lk. 22:40). Daily disciplined prayer life is an indication of reliance on God, that one realises they cannot do without God. Prayer in itself helps you remain humble, as you realize it is one way of abiding or remaining in the vine (John 15). Prayer helps you realise that without Jesus, you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5). Pray, not out of obligation, but revelation, understanding how much you need God. I don’t just mean closet-prayer-time, rather praying without ceasing, throughout the day talking with God and relying on Him. As you remain connected with God in prayer, it becomes easy to walk in humility, and spot pride from afar.

4.  Spend time in the Word, constantly, keeping God’s Word in your heart. David said that he’d hidden God’s Word in his heart, that he may not sin against God (Ps. 119:11). Again, a daily disciplined devotion will also help you remain humble, as you realize that your life is dependent on the word of God, which is the God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). Since Jesus is the Word, as you behold His image in the Word constantly, you are transformed into the same image (humility and meekness), from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18). This is not a-few-minutes-a-day Bible Study, but a constant meditation on the Word of God, day and night (Josh. 1:8).

5.  Surrender to the Holy Spirit. Whatever He tells you to do, do it. This is obedience and is the root of humility. If He tells you to shut up, shut up. If He tells you to speak, speak. If He tells you to persevere, do so. With the Holy Spirit as our help, we do not have an excuse to fail or walk in defeat.  As you surrender, you will undergo sufferings that the Holy Spirit can use to help you develop humility, and which are called “wilderness experiences.” This is what Peter talks about in 1 Peter 5:9-10, saying that these sufferings are experienced by our brotherhood all over the world, and after they have gone we will be perfected, established and settled. Moses became the meekest/ most humble person after suffering (Num. 12:3); he spent 40 years in the wilderness. Jesus was even more humble, spending 33 years on earth as a man and dying the most humiliating death, and the Bible says that He learnt obedience through suffering (Heb. 5:8). Both are known today and we can see how God exalted them. Whatever the Holy Spirit will use to help you build humility, accept it, but always keep in mind that He always uses His Word (Jn. 15:3, 17:17, 2 Tim. 3:16-17). He may bring someone to point out your pride and tell you what to do; don’t defend yourself, just listen and thank that person, thanking God for that gesture. He may send a child to correct you; accept it. When trials come, don’t focus on the trials, focus on the objective/ result. Don’t focus on the “what”, focus on the “why” (James 1:2-8, Romans 5:3-4). If you do not know what to do during a trial/ suffering/ tribulation, ask for wisdom (James 1:5-8), to know what to do so that you conquer. I'm not saying that God brings sufferings and problems to teach us humility; these things come because we are in the world (Jn. 16:33). As they come, we're not to turn to God and start asking Him to remove them, rather turn to Him and ask Him what to do (Jas. 1:5).

Other ways in which we can keep walking in humility include:

1.     Know and walk in your identity. Proud people are insecure, and have to prove a point at all times. They are empty on the inside, and want to fill the gap by self-exultation so that no one on the outside will notice how insecure and empty they are. Humility and meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control. Humble people know who they are and choose not to exalt themselves. In the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (Jn. 13:1-20), His hour had come and He knew He was going to the Father. If you are in your last hours on earth, you do the most important things, and teach the most valuable lessons. During his last hours, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. Before He did this, the Bible says that He knew “that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God” (verse 3). He knew His identity, and this enabled Him to humble Himself. At the end, He told them that we also ought to wash one another’s feet. This calls for submission and humility, as foot-washing was one of the most menial tasks in those days, done by servants when guests arrived at the house. He further said that, “if you who know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (verse 17). This is in relation with Matthew 5:5, which says that “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Humility will help you walk on the path of your destiny, and inherit all that the Father had purposed for you, all that belongs to you as a son. Before this happens, you have to realize that you are a son and walk in humility. Other lessons on humility and servanthood are in Mark 10: 14-15, 42-45, Matthew 20:25-28.

2.     Receive the love of God. 1 Corinthians 13 describes the God kind of love, and verse 4b says that love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.” God is love, and so when you know that you have this love and get to experience His love you receive His fullness (Eph. 3:19). Meditating on, knowing and walking in the God kind of love (Agape) will produce humility in you. You realize that you did not do anything for God to love you as He does, that you were not so lovable or lovely, but He just chose to create you as the epitome of His love. When you realize this, you can’t help it but walk in humility. The God kind of love in you will produce humility, but first it has to be recognized, revealed and meditated on.

All in all, keep in mind Who your role model in humility is, and fix your eyes on Him (see Hebrews 12:1-2), with endurance. In every situation, ask yourself What Would Jesus Do? That’s how you keep your eyes on Him.

If you want to remain on the path of your destiny, you have to remain clothed with humility, meaning you cannot ever achieve your purpose on earth without humility. Nebuchadnezzar learnt the hard way, and off the path of destiny for 7 years, being forced to live with animals all this while, until He got humble and gave glory to God (Dan. 4:27-37). Always remember to give glory to God for whatever comes your way, always saying like Paul that, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain,” 1 Corinthians 15:10.

Amen.

Grace and peace to you!

    Sam Gitonga

Sunday Service Teaching, Transformation Ministry, Ruiru. 


Brother Sam is the Youth Leader at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./ Bypass intersection), Next to Eastgate Restaurant.