God Loves… Himself

The issue of humility is so vast that one could write about it for a hundred years and not scratch the surface. In the last BLOG we started looking at Colossians 1:9-13 in order to look at the spiritual nature of truth and of why humility and the glory of God are two correlating truths that run throughout the whole Bible and are necessary and assumed in virtually every teaching of Scripture in places they are not explicitly talked about. In the text below we can see this as true of this text but it is also true of Scripture as a whole if this text is true (which it is).

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:9-13).

The spiritual wisdom that Paul prayed for will not be found by Bible study alone. That may sound heretical to some, but a spiritual understanding can only come by the Holy Spirit who does His enlightening work in the mind. Indeed He uses Scripture, but that shows that an academic understanding of the Bible is not what Paul prayed for and is not what people should seek primarily. The scribes and the Pharisees were quite learned in the external meaning of Scripture, but they did not have a spiritual understanding of Scripture at all. They knew the letters of the Bible and they were reputed to have memorized large parts of the Old Testament Scriptures, but they did not understand the real point of Scripture. There has to be a spiritual wisdom and a spiritual understanding in order to be filled with the knowledge of His will.

1 John 5:20, combined with John 17:3, shows how this is true: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” John 17:3 tells us that “this is eternal life, that they may know You.” When we see how these verses come together, it is quite clear that eternal life is by grace alone and that the Spirit is responsible for these. Eternal life comes from an understanding and eternal life is not distinct from spiritual life, but instead they are the same thing. Eternal life is to know God and spiritual life is to receive all life and all things from the Spirit. It is from the Spirit that all spiritual fruit comes and yet eternal life is all about spiritual fruit and sharing in or partaking of the holiness of Christ (Heb 12:10) and also to be partakers of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4).

Human beings do not become God and they do not share in the essence of God, and if Scripture put it in any different terms it would be blasphemous to say that human beings partake of the divine nature. However, when we understand something of the spiritual nature of Scripture we know that when the Holy Spirit works in believers and they have the fruit of the Spirit, which is partaking in the divine nature. There is no love in the universe apart from the triune God who lives in perfect love within the Trinity and He shares it with His children who receive it as the fruit of the Spirit. The very love of God is poured out in the hearts of believers by the Spirit and so believers love God with the love that He gives them for Himself. This is to share in the divine nature. I John 4:7-8 is quite explicit when it says that God is love and the only ones who love are those who are born of God and know God. Then it goes on to say that the one who does not love does not know God. In other words, there is no love in the universe apart from a love that comes from God.

Underlying all of this simply glorious teaching of Scripture is a God-centered God and the humility of human souls. Human beings do not deserve salvation and eternal live. Part of that salvation and eternal life is to share in the love that the Father has for the Son and the Son has for the Father. This is what it means to be united to Christ. The love of God shines out of Himself and is sent from God not on the basis of any human merit or work. It comes to the praise of the glory of His grace. It is only the humble soul that will receive this totally as grace. It is by grace alone that souls share in the divine nature and receive the divine love. Spiritual wisdom and understanding are given by grace to those who love God. This wisdom and understanding are spiritual and they are by grace alone.

The biblical teaching on humility is obvious in many places, but it is not seen as clearly in all the Scriptures as the prominent place it truly has. It is my view that there is a spiritual understanding of Scripture and this spiritual understanding would include things like humility. Part of the world values humility but they don’t see it for what it truly is. A correlating truth with humility is that of the God-centered God of Scripture. Scripture is girded and intertwined with the glory and beauty of a God that loves Himself within the Trinity and does all things to His own glory. A person that has not been humbled to some degree in accordance with Scripture will not see either truth in its beauty and glory. We speak of spiritual truth and at times don’t realize that spiritual truth is always related to the Holy Spirit. The two correlating truths that we must grab tightly and not let go are: 1) the God-centered God that Scripture drips with the glory of all through it and 2) the humility that human beings must have as creatures, sinners, and perhaps saints. These two core truths are woven throughout Scripture whether they are openly discussed or not.

True and biblical humility has to do with the emptiness of the human soul of self-centeredness, self-love, and pride on what it does not have and then the life of Christ in the soul in terms of the positive life of it. Until the soul has been turned from its pride and self-centeredness, regardless of how religious it is and how many church functions it does or attends, it is locked into itself and does not serve God in other than name only. An unhumbled soul is full of self and will do many things for God in name, but the heart of that soul will do nothing but serve self. The unhumbled self will read Scripture and see it as all about itself and perhaps the things it must do, but the humbled soul sees the glory of God in Scripture and of what He must do.

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:9-13).

This passage of Scripture sets out some basic truths that are both God-centered and require humility. In verse 9 Paul starts off telling the people that he is praying for them and what he is praying for. He is praying that the people will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. While one may think that a cursory reading of Scripture is enough to find out the will of God, that is not what Paul says here. Paul labors in unceasing prayer that the people would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will. But, as he goes on to say at the very least by implication, it is not just any will of God that he prays for. He prays for the knowledge of the will of God that comes in spiritual wisdom and understanding. Where does spiritual wisdom and understanding come from? Is it what a professor has in a scholarly study of the Bible?

What does Scripture teach us on this issue?

“For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (I Cor 1:18-20).

From the text above we see a wisdom of the world and a wisdom of God. The wisdom of God has made the world’s wisdom utter foolishness. The cross itself is foolishness to the world, but to those who have the wisdom of God they see the very power, glory, and wisdom of God at the cross. The same thing is true of Scripture as a whole. The Gospel itself is hidden to those who are perishing (II Cor 4:3). We have the hidden wisdom of God (I Cor 2:7) which those of this world do not understand. Is it because believers are smarter or wiser? No, it is because God shows the humble Himself and His ways. The very glory of the only God who is a God-centered God shines when people are humbled from seeing their own glory and are then enabled by His grace to see their own pride and His glory. It is a spiritual wisdom since it comes from the Spirit.

Humility also has to do with the Divine life in the soul. It has to do with Christ Himself dwelling in the soul and living His life in the soul. The soul is born dead in trespasses and sin and by nature is a child of wrath. That life that it lives is the life of self and pride. But the Divine life, Jesus Christ Himself, humbled Himself to take human flesh and be born as a man. The Divine life while clothed in human flesh humbled Himself to perfect obedience to the Father and went to the cross to suffer and die. This Divine life is seen in the glory of humility and in that humility He overcame pride and self. Salvation occurs in a human soul when that soul is released from the bondage of the self and pride and the Divine life which includes humility then lives in that soul. This is the same Lord Jesus Christ who humbled Himself to come to earth, walked in perfect humility on earth, then humbled Himself to death and was then resurrected. Since it is the same Lord Jesus Christ we can expect and know that the life He lives in His people will constantly be moving them toward humility.

In his magnificent book on humility, though not perfect, Andrew Murray gives us a view of humility not often presented. In the preface he makes the point that there is the humility of the creature, the humility of the sinner, and then the humility of the saint. This is a very important distinction to make. The humility of the creature tells us about the humility we should have simply as creatures. There is no need to bring sin in at all points to instruct us about humility as Jesus Christ Himself was the most humble of all time and He never sinned. Simply as creatures bowing before their Maker human beings should be emptied of self and set apart for His purposes of displaying His glory. The humility of the sinner points to how humble sinners should be since not only have they been created but they have sinned against their Creator and have no way of satisfying justice for the demands against them on account of their cosmic criminality. The humility of the saint is in some ways a combination of the previous two with an added dimension, however. The saint is both a created person and a sinner. But the saint is one that has the Divine life dwelling in him or her. The humility that dwells in the saint is in many ways one with the life that dwells in the saint because that humble life is Christ Himself. This is the life of grace in the soul.

To truly understand humility we must understand to some degree all three of these aspects of humility. The creature can never bring the Creator into its debt and can never force or deceive the Creator to do anything. The creature is always at the mere mercy of the Creator for its life, breath, and all things. Yet the creature could never have the power to please the Creator in its own strength. The creature would always have been utterly dependent on the Creator for any ability to please God since God is never pleased with anything or anyone apart from His own glory shining in it. That is not in the hands of the creature to do. The sinful creature has sinned against the Creator and is at enmity toward Him. It must have its heart of enmity turned to love or it will perish. It must have its infinite debt that it owes because of its sin taken away. If that sin is not removed, the creature will never have the indwelling of Divine life that will enable it to please God. The humility of the saint is that it has been shown how utterly dependent it is on God. The saint is a creature and the pride of the creature has been broken so it sees to some degree just how dependent it is as a creature on God. The saint also sees the depths of its sin and so sees how utterly dependent on God it is to take away its sin and have the Divine life dwelling in it. The saint lives each moment by grace and would not have it any other way. But the saint must constantly fight pride and self and die to pride and self so that faith may live in it which receives grace. Thus it should be seen how these three aspects of humility are important for the believer to walk in true humility. Each of these three aspects also reflects on the other two aspects so that a believer can see what utter dependence s/he has on grace.

Humility is far a far deeper topic and far more important to the spiritual life than is thought in the modern day. It is far more important than church growth topics and of all the things that take up air and cyber space today. Without humility no one will be saved. Without humility no one will have the life of Christ in them. Without an increasing humility there will be no spiritual growth. Without humility there is no true understanding of Scripture. Without humility there is no prayer. Without humility there is no spiritual sight, no spiritual hearing, and no spiritual feeling or taste. Without humility there is no spiritual fruit. Without humility there is no repentance and turning from sin for the unbeliever or believer. Without humility there is no communion with God. Humility is inextricably tied to the Divine life in the soul since the life of the soul is Christ and He lived and lives a humble life. Oh that believers would grow in their understanding of humility so that the life of Christ would shine through them and the glory of the Father would be seen shining in the face of Christ as He dwells in His people.

In the last BLOG we looked at many ways that people can have high religious feelings and yet be lost. This is not just an isolated sort of thing, but in our nation which is so focused on self the religion in America has taken on that basic thrust and is now the religion of self. This can be true in any denomination and any theology. The fallen heart and nature of the human soul has fallen from God-centeredness to self-centeredness. The heart is naturally inclined toward self and so it will be very religious for self without even thinking about it. This is how mega-churches come into being. They intentionally set out to give people what they want. They do what makes people comfortable at church and play the music that people like or are comfortable with. They don’t want to preach on sin because people will become uncomfortable. When this happens it is self-centered people planning services for self-centered people. The only One who is not comfortable at meetings like that is God. So the music and the preaching that are focused on the people to make them comfortable is actually idolatrous because it is not focused on God in truth.

The following quote is taken from The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. The total quote being used can be seen in the BLOG Humility 36.

“But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory…This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.”

The writings of Edwards as he follows the depths of Scripture are devastating to the modern versions of Christianity. While modern versions pursue self with a version of a god that is focused on our self, Edwards teaches that God is God-centered and can desire nothing but His own glory. So the real God’s desire for His people would be to take away their wicked self-centeredness and give them love for Himself which is the greatest good. For God to give an unregenerate person all that the person’s heart desired would be to give them an awful judgment on them. An unregenerate heart will only desire sinful things for self and if they are religious it would still be self-centered. This is why the modern version of Christianity can be the judgment of God upon us.

If true religion only comes when the heart is truly humbled, then clearly a massive amount of false religion is sweeping the United States and the world. If in fact this is true: “This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect,” then the vast percentage of what we see going on in religion is false because it is based on self which is opposite of true Christianity. If all of what God does toward fallen man is calculated to bring man to an end of his self-love and self-focus, then the orthodoxy and good works of people that are moved by and focused on self simply are wrong from top to bottom. It is like a beautiful tree or house on the outside that has nothing but rotten wood on the inside. What does God require of human souls? “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). What is it that is at the essence of Christianity?

Isaiah 57:15 – For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

Colossians 1:27 – to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Hab 2:4 – Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

The essence of Christianity has to do with Christ living in souls, but God is opposed to the proud and gives grace to the humble. He will only dwell with and in the contrite and lowly of spirit. Those who are proud and focused on self, despite elevated feelings and devotedness to religion, are opposed to God and the essence of Christianity.

In the last BLOG we looked at the fact that it is not necessarily a sign of true religion to have high religious affections. This is true because of the fact that a person without evangelical humility is a person that loves self and all that is thought to bring good to self. Forms of religion, apart from evangelical humility, can be nothing more than acts of self-love. Music and preaching can be aimed at the feelings and as long as God is mentioned people may think that their feelings that are raised by those things are religious affections, though they might not use that language. Preaching that declare that Christ died for you may do nothing but move self-love in a person. Singing and music can produce high and elevated feelings, yet add a few words about God and people will think that their elevated feelings are toward God and they will be certain that they love God because of those feelings.

The following quote is taken from The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. The total quote being used can be seen in the BLOG Humility 36.

“But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory…This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.”

If Edwards was and is correct, and I am not sure how his position could be argued against from Scripture, there could be large numbers of people donate money and do good works, but they do so because it makes them feel good which is from self-love rather than love for God. People can donate money to a “good” cause because it makes them feel good or because it gives them relief from their guilty feelings. But as should be obvious, that is not the same thing as giving or doing out of love for God. So not matter how high and elevated the feelings are while doing these things, apart from evangelical humiliation it is all done for self rather than love for God.

Large numbers of people go to church because it is a time of quiet and they can hear a moral lecture, but that is again obviously and simply self-love seeking things for self and not out of love for God. There seems to be something so right about going to church in America for many people, but still that is far from going out of love for God. We live in a nation that exalts self and thinks that things are to be done for self, so it is so easy to slip into a way of doing that in things of religion. The modern version of Christianity seems to be nothing more than another way to seek self, yet the biblical truth teaches over and over that self must be denied in order to follow Christ. Apart from evangelical humiliation, people are full of self and seek God for self.

There are popular preachers that are quite orthodox that focus on preaching about wealth and about joy and things like that. While it may sound God-centered, in reality it is not or at least it is not heard that way by many. God is not to be sought for anything but is to be sought for Himself. Yet apart from evangelical humiliation, the soul is bound to itself in pride and self-love and will not and cannot seek anything but itself. This shows how dangerous it is to have preachers that tickle ears. Many people will say amen to that and yet love ear ticklers themselves. The love of ear tickling sermons can come in many forms. Some love to hear those who are quite entertaining on stage. Some love to hear those who tell them good things about themselves. Some love to hear those who speak to them and claim to seek their happiness and joy. Some love to hear folksy stories during so-called sermons. Some just love an intellectual approach to the Bible. Some love to hear good old time fire and brimstone. Some love to hear orthodox doctrine from the pulpit. Some love to hear practical things from the pulpit. Some love to be made to feel great joy in the sermon. Some love to hear what they are to do from the pulpit. Some even love to hear hard things from the pulpit and can have pride that they go to hard preaching. But none of those things are inconsistent with hearing from self-love and pride. The unhumbled heart loves to base what it does on the feelings it gets from being apart from the crowd, though some like to be part of the crowd. The heart that has been truly humbled, however, no longer lives for self but out of love for God and does all for the glory of God. The truly humbled heart has pain when it hears sermons that are aimed at self rather than the destruction of self. They that are destitute of this, [evangelical humiliation] have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.” Religious affections can be raised very high without the least bit of Christ in them.

In the previous BLOG we looked a little deeper at what evangelical humiliation really is in light of the vital importance of it. In the modern day we simply have a person say that s/he is a sinner and then repeat a prayer, walk an aisle, or sign a card. We think of this as being a sign of faith because we think of faith as an intellectual act rather than what the whole soul does. The whole soul must receive Christ by grace in all of His offices or He is not received at all. If the whole soul does not receive Christ, then the soul does not truly believe. If the soul does not receive a whole Christ, then the soul is picking and choosing which part of Christ it desires and so does not receive a sovereign Lord. Indeed, in light of those things, it is patently obvious that a soul must have a faith that is attended with a mortification to exalt self. This teaching is so rampant in modern America that it may almost sound new to many that the whole Christ must be bowed to and received by a whole soul. One does not make Christ Lord because He is Lord already. One simply bows to Him as the utter sovereign of this universe. But when one bows to Him as He really is that means that a person must not seek to exalt self rather than Christ and must not seek the honor of self rather than Christ. Instead, true believers must seek to love God and do all to His glory.

The following quote is taken from The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. The total quote being used can be seen in the BLOG Humility 36.

“But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory…This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.”

Without going off the point but taking in a bit more of what Edwards is saying here, he remarks that those without evangelical humiliation are destitute of true religion regardless of their profession and regardless of how high their religious affections may be. Vast numbers in our day listen to forms of music that is termed “Christian” and their feelings are lifted high. Because of the exalted feelings and of the fact that God is mentioned in the songs, people think that they are in worship of the true and living God. But that does not follow, and in fact it may be a sign that they are greatly deceived. The Scriptures tell us that God can only be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Feelings may or may not be indicative of the worship of the true God as one can be spiritually dead and still have a high level of feelings that are worked up by forms of music. One can also have a high level of feelings based on self-love as well. A person can even be seeking the high level of feelings much as people seek adrenaline rushes by doing various dangerous sports and activities. Without evangelical humility a person can do many religious things and do them for the high level of feeling which is to do them out of self-love rather than love for God.

There is also a form of preaching that has an intensity to it that can raise a high level of feeling, but that does not make it a way of preaching the truth. We must understand that the heart is so deceitful and try to get at the depths of the intents and motives of it. Preaching that is very personal or with a lot of stories can reach our natural feelings while we are spiritually dead. Preaching that is a form of drama or is performed by or carried out by the “preacher” It can lead us to feelings about God that is based on our self-love. A lot of talking about what God has done for us can lead to a high level of feelings. We have seen how secular speakers and talk shows can lead people to tears and high feelings, so clearly something that is called “preaching” can do the same thing that has nothing to do with the truth of God and of the Gospel. However, it is even more dangerous due to the deception that can occur as a result. It leads to people thinking they love preaching and therefore love God when in fact they only love themselves and the high level of feelings that they have while hearing a type of preaching that produces the feelings of self.

The teaching of Edwards on this should be read by preachers and all professors of Christ today and taken to heart. Satan is out to deceive and it is a very deceptive work he has done and is doing when his deception is through the preaching and singing at “church.” With such a premium placed on feelings or “emotions” today, anything that produces a feeling in religious services is thought to be true. However, as Edwards observes, without evangelical humility those feelings are not true no matter how high they are raised. Those feelings can be nothing but the workings of the natural man to things thought to do good things for self. It can be the deception of the devil.

In the last BLOG we primarily looked at why evangelical humiliation is so necessary for true religion (Christianity). We did this, at least in part, with the help of a quote from Lou Holtz the famous football coach. His quote, though perhaps not intended to be taken spiritually, is rather helpful. Apart from evangelical humiliation, the soul does all it does out of the strength of self and the love for self though it may think it is doing what it does out of love for God. It is hard to imagine the numbers of people that may be deceived in the modern world because they are deceived in this area. Jesus said “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS'” (Mat 7:22-23). Apart from what Edwards called evangelical humiliation, this is what religious people are doing. They are preaching and doing all kinds of religious things, but they are practicing lawlessness. May God awaken us so that we can see His judgment on us and then pronounce judgment on our own souls that we may be turned to Him.

The following quote is taken from The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. The total quote being used can be seen in the BLOG Humility 36.

“But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory…This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.”

The quote that we used in the last BLOG from a famous football coach is this: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it” (Lou Holtz). This insightful quote, when looked at closely, shows something of how the soul actually works. The soul has ability and it has motivation. Jesus taught that we have no spiritual ability and our motivation must be out of love for God and be for the glory of God. Until a soul arrives at some understanding of the fallen nature of human beings and of his or her own spiritual deadness, that soul will do all it does out of love for self and the strength of self. It can be very religious and very active in that religion, but it is nothing but the activity of self.

It is easy to see what is going on with people are quite taken with themselves. They boast about themselves, their looks, their abilities, and their intellects. It is obvious that all they do is for self and out of love for self. But for others it is a lot harder, and especially for the fallen heart, to see that it is wrong to love and serve self. It is so “natural” for the fallen heart to serve and love self. It is so “natural” for the fallen heart to love God if it thinks that God loves it. It is so “natural” for the fallen heart to do many things out of that deceived love for God while all the time it is doing nothing but loving self. The proud heart has built so much of its righteousness upon self while perhaps deceived about it but still thinking it is the righteousness that comes from God. The proud heart will even think that it has evangelical humiliation because of its false view of what it means to love God. How desperately we need to understand that self-denial is not what self does in order for self to follow Christ, but instead self-denial is the denial of the very self and its abilities and motivations to do so.

Apart from a true evangelical humiliation, which is essentially to turn from doing all for self to despising the self enough to die or to mortify the disposition to exalt self and renounce seeking ones own glory, then all that is done in the realm of nature or of religion is done for self. This is why Edwards is so clear that this is at the very heart of Christianity. Human souls that are bound to self-love will from self-deception be very religious for self. This can be true of those who are very moral and for those who are very theological. This can be true of those who are very smart and those who are not as smart. This can be true of those who are Reformed and those who are not Reformed. A person can be a Pelagian out of self-love and Reformed in theology out of self-love as well. Apart from the true mortification of a disposition to exalt self all that a person does will be to exalt self even if s/he thinks it is out of love for God. This is not a minor issue at all; it is at the very heart of what it means to be saved. After all, salvation is from the guilt and power of sin. If we are not saved from self, we are not saved from sin.

We have spent that last few BLOGS looking at evangelical hypocrisy along with evangelical humiliation. It should chill us to the depths of our souls. If what Edwards says about what true religion is, then there is a lot of evangelical hypocrisy in our nation. A person can be very evangelical in terms of doctrine, but that does not mean that the person is a true believer. While a person must have certain expressed beliefs to be a Christian, the very nature and depth of those beliefs are important as well. A person’s true belief is from the depths of the heart and is sometimes hidden to the person. The deepest beliefs of the heart can be hidden from us by our deceptive hearts and actually hide behind evangelical beliefs. Apart from recognizing the stunning superficiality of this age, we will continue on in our deception and evangelical hypocrisy will flourish.

The following quote is taken from The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards. The total quote being used can be seen in the BLOG Humility 36.

“But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory…This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame of the gospel, every thing appertaining in the new covenant, and all God’s dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass this effect. They that are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and high soever their religious affections may be.”

Edwards says that this is “a great and most essential thing in true religion.” But why is it that a mean esteem of self that is attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt self and a free renunciation of a person’s own glory is so essential to true religion? It may not seem all that obvious to people in a day where self-esteem is exalted. This may sound virtually alien to those who think that to encourage another is simply to say good things about them. Religion is thought of in our day as that which is centered upon people and is for people. That is exactly backwards. True religion (Christianity) is to be centered upon God and is for God. Some of this can be seen in a quote from a famous football coach. “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it” (Lou Holtz).

A man-centered approach tells us to look at what ability we have. Another man-centered approach that is hidden under the use of God in the language tells us to look at what we can do if God helps us. But the biblical approach is to look at John 15:4-5 and know that apart from Christ we have no ability to do anything spiritually. As long as a person pursues self-esteem and high thoughts of self, that person will never reach the end of his or her strength in self and so live by grace. The fallen human soul has no ability in the spiritual realm and all and in that fallen state it does not recognize its own utter helplessness. The fallen human soul must come to a point of being broken and humbled or it will attempt to do all it does in its own ability. But the biblical teaching is that human beings have no ability in themselves and must look to Christ for all of its strength and ability.

“Motivation determines what you do.” In some ways this is a true statement, but motivation also determines why a person does something. In the unhumbled soul, though it may be very religious, the person’s motivation will always be self. Indeed the very religious person may be moral and do outwardly good things in the name of God, but the heart is still in bondage to self. The religious person can have an outward motive of doing things for God and yet the deepest motive of the heart is love for self. One can love God only out of love for self as indeed sinners love those who love themselves (Luke 6:32). If we love God, that is, only do things for God out of love for self, then we do not love Him but self. This is a terribly deceptive situation for the heart. It thinks it loves God because it thinks that God has done something for it, yet its only love for God is really motivated and moved by love for self. Now if the motivation determines what the soul does, then the soul that is deceived about its love for God does all out of love for self while thinking that it loves God. The unhumbled soul is a terribly deceived soul. It thinks it is doing for God when in fact all it does is done in the strength of self and all of its motivation at the deepest level is love for self. The Greatest Command is to love God with all of the being. Apart from evangelical humility, the soul loves itself with all of its being. It is utterly necessary for true Christianity.

As we have stepped aside from a direct look at some of the writings of Jonathan Edwards on evangelical humility and looked at some of the meaning of that in light of Thomas Shepard’s thoughts on evangelical hypocrites, the focus has been sharpened since we can see it from two angles now. Shepard brings us to see the great danger of being an evangelical hypocrite while Edwards helps us to see the necessity of having evangelical humility and yet by implication how few seem to have it. When a person has evangelical theology (or strong Reformed theology) and perhaps strong morality, and yet does not have evangelical humility; that person is an evangelical hypocrite. This is not to call names, but instead it is an effort to get people to see the need to examine their own hearts and not be contributing to the deception that others have. The ramifications of these two quotes when put together help us to see with chilling clarity some of the dangers we face in our day.

The first quote is from Thomas Shepard and then a few comments on it by Alexander Whyte in a book he wrote on Shepard originally published in 1909. The second is from Jonathan Edwards.

‘Of all hypocrites,’ says Thomas Shepard, that pungentest of preachers, ‘take care that you be not an evangelical hypocrite.’ A hundred times and in a hundred ways Shepard says that. But what does the dreadful man mean? He means this: An evangelical hypocrite is a man who sins the more safely because grace abounds; who says to his lusts, both of mind and body, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all such sin, and who reasons with himself thus: God cannot, by any possibility, cast any man into hell who loves evangelical preaching as I love it, and who would not sit a day but in an evangelical church. My evangelical brethren, let us take good care! For if evangelical hypocrites are to found anywhere in our day it is in a church like ours and under a doctrine like ours.

…without the least mortification of the pride of their hearts. But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory… (Jonathan Edwards)

The book of I John was written for a few different reasons. Yet one of the reasons that he wrote the letter was so that people could know if they had eternal life or not (I John 5:13). All through the book he set out ways for people to know if they had eternal life or if they were lost. The issues that he set out as signs of life in the soul were not what people look for today. What people look for today is if a person has a particular set of beliefs, has prayed a prayer asking Jesus into his or her heart, and then perhaps if one has a certain kind of morality or is faithful in church or a para-church ministry of some sort. But none of these things (depending on how one view morality) are mentioned in I John. In our pragmatic time we have watered down our theology and our practices so much that we have given way to the conditions that make it easy for people to be evangelical hypocrites. When we simply require that people make an assertion that they believe some intellectual facts about the Gospel, we have made it easy for people to be evangelical hypocrites. When we don’t have any real discipleship, though we may have some classes with the name tacked on it, we have made it easy for people to be evangelical hypocrites. When we want more people in the building giving more money, we water the truth down in ways so as not to run them off and so we have made it easy for people to be evangelical hypocrites. When we don’t preach in a way that reaches the depths of evil, sin, and pride of the heart we make it easy for others and ourselves to be evangelical hypocrites.

The only real solution is for churches to begin to cry out to God to grant them repentance from the fear and love of man rather than the fear and love of God. We must begin to search our own hearts and the hearts of others with utter ruthlessness in regard of sin. This will be the kindest thing we can do. We must pray and labor to see our own hearts and help others to see their own hearts in the pursuit of a true mortification of our own pride. We must cry out to God against that enemy that is within us and cut off that right arm and gouge out that right eye when we must to get rid of something in our own heart. We must become burdened over the sin of pride when we see the risings of self in our hearts wanting and desiring the praise of men. We must become stricken at the thoughts we have in wanting to lift ourselves up or admiring thoughts of ourselves. The world sees this as harmless, but it has no idea of the wickedness of pride and the deceitfulness of the human heart. We must know that the pride of our hearts must be mortified at all costs. We must not just hear about evangelical humility, we must have it in truth.

When people read voices from the past and the depth of their thinking on Scripture and its application to the heart, it is easy to set down their writings or dismiss them as too inwardly focused. It is easier to deal with a text with exegetical skills than it is to have the Spirit open a person’s eyes to the depths of sin in his or her heart. It is easier to study a systematic theology book than it is to have one’s heart studied and then opened to our own study by the Spirit. It is easier to study the blackness of the human heart and the wickedness of a proud heart in an objective manner than it is to see these things as true of one’s self. It is easier to study about the doctrine of man’s inability from an intellectual basis than to feel the horror and fear of seeing the chains of bondage around our own hearts. But many men in the past studied the books of their own hearts under the tutorship of the Holy Spirit and to the degree that we ignore their writings and their practices is the degree that we will be impoverished.

The first quote is from Thomas Shepard and then a few comments on it by Alexander Whyte in a book he wrote on Shepard originally published in 1909. The second is from Jonathan Edwards.

‘Of all hypocrites,’ says Thomas Shepard, that pungentest of preachers, ‘take care that you be not an evangelical hypocrite.’ A hundred times and in a hundred ways Shepard says that. But what does the dreadful man mean? He means this: An evangelical hypocrite is a man who sins the more safely because grace abounds; who says to his lusts, both of mind and body, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all such sin, and who reasons with himself thus: God cannot, by any possibility, cast any man into hell who loves evangelical preaching as I love it, and who would not sit a day but in an evangelical church. My evangelical brethren, let us take good care! For if evangelical hypocrites are to found anywhere in our day it is in a church like ours and under a doctrine like ours.

…without the least mortification of the pride of their hearts. But the essence of evangelical humiliation consists in such humility as becomes a creature in itself exceeding sinful, under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation of his own glory… (Jonathan Edwards)

The modern day thinks of humility as a virtue and something that the free-will of man can put on and off as he pleases. But that is at the root of many of our problems in our day. We have not gone to the depths that Shepard and Edwards did in examining their hearts and the hearts of their parishioners by the light of the Spirit in applying Scripture. In his day Shepard warned people over and over of the dangers of being deceived about their salvation and the dangers of their own hearts. The very term “evangelical hypocrites” should chill us to the depths of our souls. Yet the theology that has swept our nation from the days of Finney and has turned much of our nation into a burned over district from his own preaching and practices as well as his followers have left us very susceptible to those things. His teachings and practices focused on intellectual decisions or commitments instead of focusing on the breaking and humbling of the heart which is necessary for proud hearts to have true faith.

What happens then is that a person that has been intellectually convinced can also make intellectual choices to be more moral and be more religious. But unless the person’s heart has been truly humbled, all that the person does comes from pride. This leads to “churches” being filled with a congregations and ministers who are evangelical hypocrites. Jesus said with great clarity that a soul must be converted and become like a little child in order to enter the kingdom (Mat 18:3). The type of teaching that Finney did changed that to the idea that one must make a decision and become moral in order to enter the kingdom. Jesus repeatedly said that a soul must deny self and take up the cross and follow Him, but Finney and his followers (theological ideas not necessarily the person) say that a person must make a choice and take up the cross and follow Him. The two comments listed above by Shepard and Edwards demonstrate for us if we care to see the massive difference between the theology and the practice of their time and that of ours. Now we have combined an intellectual choice with “eternal security” and do not warn people at all. Then even the most orthodox and moral of people were warned to beware of the salvation of their souls. Then Edwards would warn people that they must have evangelical humility or they were not converted, but today it is thought a trip up the aisle of saying one believes a creed is enough. Oh how we flee from a thorough plowing of our hearts in the modern day. How we long to put on humility as a work of the flesh rather than have God do the work of humbling our pride with His burning and hard trials that He sends to those He loves. We must beware.