John 1:24-28

Humility is certainly an endearing and disarming character trait is it not? True humility such as John the Baptist demonstrates in our verses for today attracts attention and points others to a higher way. Standing in familiar territory on the other side of the Jordan where the Baptist was baptizing, among throngs of people who flocked to him, he demonstrates to us the beginnings of becoming less while Jesus was becoming more. His actions provide for us a wonderful example of “dying to self”. Not easy to do then, certainly not easy to do now yet that is what Jesus calls every one of His followers to do:

23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)

Jesus’ Words are worth contemplating regarding our own lives as well. Just as a side note, this same command appears in all four gospels – repetition in Scripture red flags us to take heed.

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, ‘I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory’, defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for ‘it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts’. They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out the granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat...Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.” C. H. Spurgeon

Have you ever noticed how often a braggart with at least a half of a wit will tone down his effusive boasting when in the presence of the truly humble? Boasting exhibits the insecurity in our lives while true humility demonstrates our security and standing in Christ. We are told in Scripture that God will oppose the proud but give grace upon grace to the humble:

5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)

Indeed, God sets Himself against the arrogant yet grants favor and acceptance to the humble of heart. The wording here shows that we are to “tie on oneself as an apron” the rare jewel of humility knowing full well that it is only by God’s hand by which we are made recipients. Paul tells us in First Corinthians:

7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Cor 4:7 (NIV)

We must be particularly aware if bestowed with strength or power or possessions or authority lest our hearts become lifted up to our own destruction. Remembering always that pride is an insidious monster often grabbing hold of us unaware with its long tentacles and strangling the very Life out from us. We find in Isaiah:

1 This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2 (NIV)

If one desires to be “esteemed by God” the haughty eyes have to go. Indeed, Proverbs 6:16-19 lists the seven things the Lord hates and that are detestable to Him - the number one position went to “haughty eyes”. God detests pride just as God detests our lack of mercy and forgiveness.

“I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.” Oswald Chambers

“Such as are haughty and self-conceited, rush against the mighty hand of God, and destroy themselves; but those that are humbled under it, will be protected by the same. Whatever knowledge or skill we may obtain in the schools of human learning, the Scripture does not yet allow us to be truly wise, but calls us blind and mere worldly students, till we learn to be poor in spirit, lowly in heart, and dead to the world. Therefore, the more a man dies to this world, the more is he enlightened.” K. H. Von Bogatzky