In the last BLOG we looked at a way to examine our hearts to see if we are truly humble. Our feeling low does not determine humility. Our walking around with our eyes cast down does not determine if we have humility or not. Letting other people walk over us is also not a real determination of true humility. All of those things can be done by a cowardly person or of pride pretending to be humble. True humility can only be judged or determined by the glory of God shining in a heart by the life of Christ.
5 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 (Philippians 2)
The text above tells us very clearly that we are to have the very attitude of Christ in us. The glory of God shines ever so brightly through Christ in this passage. Though Christ Himself was very God of very God, He did not hang on to that in a selfish way (grasped). Instead, He took the very form of a bond-servant by being made in the likeness of men. How could it be that He who was life itself take on flesh which could die? How could it be that He who was infinite could take on a very finite body? How could it be that He who was perfectly and infinitely joyful could take on human flesh and experience sorrow, mourning, and weeping? How could it be that He who was infinite in power could take on the weakness of human flesh? How could it be that He who was totally self-sufficient became totally dependent in human flesh? How could it be that He who was perfectly just would take human flesh and suffer injustice? There are many other things that could be said in this contrast, but what we must see is that the glory of God shines in this. When Christ took human flesh to Himself the very glory of God shone ever so brightly in all places and in all ways through Him.
When Christ humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, we have missed the main issue if we fail to behold the glory of God as the main point. God did not send the Son of His love with a higher motive or intent than to shine forth His own glory in and through the Son. While Christ came to save sinners, the reason God saves sinner is to the praise of the glory of His own grace (Eph 1:5-8). Oh how we need to look at the cross from a God-centered perspective rather than our own fallen one. Fallen humans want to think of the love of God being primarily for him or her. But this is simply not so and would make God out to be an idolater in loving sinners more than God (Himself). If Christ loved humans more than the Father He would have been an idolater and would have not been able to have died for the sins of others. If He would have been an idolater, He would have been less than a perfect Lamb and so could not have been the perfect sacrifice required.
Instead we have Christ as a perfect Lamb of God who died for sinners as a perfect sacrifice. But He humbled Himself in order to go to the cross. In humbling Himself He obeyed the Father out of perfect love and so the glory of God shone through Him. If we behold Christ on the cross carefully, what we see through the humble Lamb there was the perfect justice of God shining forth. We will see the perfect holiness of God shining out. We will see the grace of God on display. We will see the love of God shouting in a voice loud enough to fill the heavens. We will see the perfect self-sufficiency of God in being able to show wrath and yet love at the same time and so sinners can be saved to the glory of His name. In Christ we see the very pleasure of God in shining forth His glory. In Christ we see the goodness of God in procuring a salvation for sinners. In Christ we see the very patience of perfection of God in waiting since the Garden and enduring the sin of sinners to send His Son and then satisfy His own wrath and justice. The glory shone and just keeps shining.
As we look in our own hearts, are we willing to endure the ridicule and persecution of others so that the glory of God will shine in and through us? Are we willing to go forward in perfect love for the Father no matter the cross and trials He calls us to? Are we willing to nothing more than an instrument of His glory no matter what the world thinks of us? Are we willing to value the glory of God more than suffering and death itself? Suffering and ridicule brings out the selfishness and pride in us. We can’t stand it when another mortal (especially if we judge them as lower than us) does not speak highly of us. Our pride will declare them and their words wrong rather than thinking that God may be using them to show us the vile pride of our hearts. Our self wants honor from others rather than the ridicule that hurts our pride. But the humble Christ works Himself and His life in our hearts. That is humility.
God Loves... Himself 
Leave a comment