The
Grace of Humility
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Pro
15:33 The fear of the LORD [is] the instruction of wisdom; and before honour [is]
humility. Pro 18:12 Before destruction
the heart of man is haughty, and before honour [is]
humility. Pro 22:4 By humility [and] the fear of the LORD [are] riches, and honour,
and life. Act 20:19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me
by the lying in wait of the Jews: Col 2:18 Let no man beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things
which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 1Pe 5:5 Likewise, ye younger,
submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to
another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth
grace to the humble. May 11, 1897 The Grace
of Humility. By
Mrs. E. G. White. "Thus saith the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him
also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the
humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 1} The
grace of humility should be cherished by every one
who names the name of Christ; for self-exaltation can find no place in the
work of God. Those who would co-operate
with the Lord of Hosts must daily crucify
self, placing worldly ambition in the
background. They must be long-suffering
and kind, full of mercy and tenderness to those around them. True humility
must be seen in all they do. {RH, May 11,
1897 par. 2} Much fitful, spurious humility is seen
among professed Christians. Some, determined to conquer self, place
themselves as low as possible; but they try only in their own strength, and
the next wave of praise or flattery carries them up out of sight. They are not willing to submit wholly to God, and he
cannot work through them. Take no glory whatever to yourself.
Do not work with a divided mind, trying to serve God and self at the same
time. Keep self out of sight. Let your words lead the weary and heavy laden
to Jesus, the compassionate Saviour. Work as seeing him who is at your right
hand, ready to give you strength for service. Your only safety is in entire
dependence upon Christ. {RH, May 11, 1897
par. 3} God honors those who humble themselves before him. Moses disheartened by the discontent and murmuring of
the people he was leading into the land of promise, pleaded with God for the
assurance of his presence, saying: "See, thou sayest
unto me, Bring up this people; and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt
send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by
name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee,
if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider
that this nation is thy people." And the Lord said, "My presence
shall go with thee, and I will give thee
rest." {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 4} Encouraged
by the assurance of God's presence, Moses drew still nearer, and ventured to
ask for still further blessings. "I beseech thee," he said, "show me thy glory." Think you that God reproved Moses for his
presumption?--No, indeed. Moses did not make this request from idle
curiosity. He had an object in view. He
saw that in his own strength he could not do the work of God acceptably. He
knew that if he could obtain a clear view of the glory of God, he would be
enabled to go forward in his important mission, not in his own strength, but
in the strength of the Lord God Almighty. His whole soul was drawn out after
God; he longed to know more of him, that he might feel the divine presence
near in every emergency or perplexity. It was not selfishness that led Moses
to ask for a sight of the glory of God. His only object was a desire better
to honor his Maker. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 5} God knows the thoughts and intents of
the heart, and he understood the motives that prompted the request of his
faithful servant. He answered Moses, saying: "I will make all my
goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before
thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy
on whom I will show mercy. And he said,
Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the
Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth
by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my
hand while I pass by." "And the Lord descended in the cloud, and
stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord
passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and
gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." {RH, May
11, 1897 par. 6} Moses had genuine humility, and the Lord
honored him by showing him his glory. Even so will
he honor all who will serve him, as did Moses, with
a perfect heart. He does not require his servants to
work in their own strength. He will impart his wisdom to those who have a
humble and contrite spirit. The righteousness of Christ will go before them,
and the glory of the Lord will be their rereward. Nothing in this world can harm those who are thus honored by a close connection with God. The earth may
shake; the pillars of the world may tremble under them, but they need not
fear. "I am persuaded," writes Paul, "that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
{RH, May 11, 1897 par. 7} God
has been waiting long for his followers to manifest true humility, that he
may impart rich blessings to them. Those who offer him the sacrifice
of a broken and contrite spirit, will be hidden in the cleft of the rock, and
will behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the
sins of the world. As Jesus, the
sin-bearer, the all-sufficient sacrifice, is seen more distinctly, their lips
are tuned to the loftiest praise. The more
they see of the character of Christ, the more humble they become, and the
lower is their estimate of themselves. No heedless presumption is seen in
their work. They do not seek
self-exaltation; they are not anxious to mix common fire with the sacred fire
of God's own kindling. Self is lost sight
of in their consciousness of their own unworthiness and of God's wonderful
glory. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 8} Christ
came to this world for no other purpose than to manifest the glory of God,
that man might be uplifted by its restoring power. All power and grace were
given to him. His heart was a well-spring
of living water, a never-failing fountain, ever ready to flow forth in a
rich, clear stream to those around him. His whole life was spent in pure,
disinterested benevolence. His purposes were full of love and sympathy. He rejoiced that he could do more for his followers
than they could ask or think. His constant prayer for them was that they
might be sanctified through the truth, and he prayed with assurance, knowing that an almighty decree had been
given before the world was made. He knew that the gospel of the kingdom would
be preached in all the world; that truth, armed with
the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, would conquer in the contest with evil;
and that the blood-stained banner would one day wave triumphantly over his
followers. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 9} Yet Christ came in great humility. When he was here, he
pleased not himself, but "humbled himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross."
To his followers he says, "Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls." To all who reveal his meekness and lowliness, living
lives of self-denial and self-sacrifice, submitting themselves in humble
obedience to his will, he will manifest the glory of God. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 10} Those who value a holy and happy walk
with God, who prize the strength that a knowledge of
him brings, will leave nothing undone if only they may behold God. They will
cherish the spirit that trembles at his word, and in every place, and under
every circumstance, they will pray that they may be allowed to see his glory.
{RH, May 11, 1897 par. 11} True humility is evidence that we behold
God, and that we are in union with Jesus Christ. Unless we are meek and
lowly, we cannot claim that we have any true conception of the character of
God. Men may think that they are serving God faithfully; their talents,
learning, eloquence, or zeal may dazzle the eye, delight the fancy, and
awaken the admiration of those who cannot see beneath the surface; but unless
these qualifications are humbly consecrated to God, unless those to whom
these gifts are entrusted seek that grace which alone can make their work
acceptable, they are regarded by God as unprofitable servants. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 12} From
the root of true humility springs the most precious greatness of
mind,--greatness which leads men to conform to the image of Christ. Those who possess this greatness gain patience and
trust in God. Their faith is invincible. Their true consecration and devotion
keep self hidden. The words that fall from
their lips are molded into expressions of Christlike tenderness and love. Having a sense of their
own weakness, they appreciate the help which the Lord gives them, and they
crave his grace that they may do that which is right and true. By their
manner, their attitude, and their spirit, they carry with them the
credentials of learners in the school of Christ. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 13} "Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." All heaven enters into co-partnership with those who
come to Christ for eternal life, submitting themselves to him as those who
have made a surrender of all to God. God requires his servants to stand under
the blood-stained banner of Prince Emmanuel, striving in his power to keep
the principles of truth pure and uncorrupted. They must never step aside from
the path of self-denial and humility which every true Christian must travel.
As they thus co-operate with God, Christ is formed within, "the hope of
glory." Clad in his meekness and lowliness, they find their highest joy
in doing his
service. Earthly ambition gives way to a desire to serve the Master. {RH, May 11, 1897 par. 14} "Though the Lord be
high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off." "The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not
despise." Those who reveal the meek and lowly spirit of Christ
are tenderly regarded by God. Nothing is unnoticed by him. He marks their
self-denial, their effort to uplift Christ before the world. Though these
humble workers may be looked upon with scorn by the world, they are of great
value in the sight of God. Not only the
wise, the great, the beneficent, will gain a passport into the heavenly
courts,--not only the busy worker, full of zeal and restless activity. No; the pure in heart, in whose lips there is found no
guile; the poor in spirit, who are actuated by the Spirit of an abiding
Christ; the peacemaker, whose highest ambition is to do God's will,--these
will gain an abundant entrance. They are
God's jewels, and will be among that number of whom John writes, "I
heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many
waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,
saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
They have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
"Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and
night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the
throne shall dwell among them." Ellen G. White, {RH, May 11, 1897 par.
15} |