In an effort to look at a biblical view of humility, I will be setting out some erroneous views and contrast those with the biblical view. In the last BLOG I quoted from a recent book that gives a modern view of humility, but one that is desperately wrong. I will repeat the quotes below and then get into some discussion on the statements. I will insert numbers so that the statements will not have to be repeated. The hope is that by setting out false views in contrast to the truth that the truth will be seen even more clearly. But the errors that so pervade our day in biblical dress will be seen for what they are. If the devil is able to steal the idea of humility and mix his poison in it, he will reign in the professing Church under the guise of biblical truth. This is really that serious. Once the idea of humility is changed, then grace becomes something far different and salvation and sanctification become by works.
“[1] In this study, you’ll be learning about the character trait of humility…[2]You’ll learn that God rewards humility. [3] You’ll study about an angel and some people who allowed pride to enter into their hearts, and you’ll see what happened to them because of it….[4] You’ll also study about the punishment for pride…[5] To humble yourself means to make yourself low. How do you make yourself low? You make yourself low by not thinking more highly of yourself than you think of others. You make yourself low by putting others first-above yourself…[5] Humble people are selfless people….[6] Humble people admit that they have faults and weaknesses. [7] Humble Christian people admit that they are nothing without God. They admit that apart from God, they can do nothing.”
In [1] above we can see the issue raised about humility being a character trait. A few BLOGS ago some verses from Proverbs were given. Three of those verses will be listed below:
Proverbs 15:8 – “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 15:29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 16:5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished.”
If humility is nothing but a character trait that the soul (as in [1] above) puts on by the efforts of self, we can see that the prayer of the upright is the person with enough character traits. If the LORD hears the prayer of the righteous, yet righteousness is obtained by a person working to obtain character traits, then prayers are answered on the basis of the righteousness obtained by self-effort. If those who are proud in heart are abominations to the LORD, yet humility is obtained by the effort of self, it is by the works of self in obtaining humility that we are not an abomination to the LORD. What we have to understand is that the word “character” can be meant in different ways. If character is simply those things that we have to work up, then much of the Bible is built on human works though that is not how it is presented. If humility is a character trait, then the ramifications are enormous. Scripture tells us that God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If humility is a character trait to put on by human self-effort, then God gives grace to those who exert self-effort enough to put on humility. Put simply, that destroys any idea of the biblical teaching of grace. The grace of God is sovereign grace or it is not grace at all.
Romans 11:6 is a determining verse on the matter: “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” If we think of humility as something we work up and are in control of, then we have made grace out to be that which comes by our works and so grace is no longer grace. If [2] from above is based on the idea that grace is what the human soul comes up with, though many would admit that God must help it, then the devil has turned the idea of grace into something that human beings can at the very least assist themselves in obtaining. Instead of just assuming that humility is a virtue that the soul can obtain by some self-effort helped along by the grace of God, we must look to the Scripture for the truth of what grace is and what humility is. We cannot understand one without the other. What is obtained by works will never obtain grace.
Philippians 2 has the core issue of humility. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Humility is to be emptied of self. If we are emptied of self it cannot be self doing the work and self cannot obtain humility to receive grace or grace would not longer be grace. The soul must be emptied of self by grace so grace is always grace.
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