Humility is “free from pride or arrogance; the quality or state of being humble.” Also “lowiness and modesty.” Humility and meekness is the complete opposite of pride.
An example of someone who shows humility is when someone gets pulled over to the side of the road by a state patrol officer. When the officer comes up to the window, the driver treats the officer with respect. They submit themselves to the officer’s authority over them.
And also when someone comes before a judge in a courtroom, they address the judge by saying, “Your Honor” when they speak to them. By showing the judge meekness, it shows that they are beneath the judge and that they are submitting themselves to the place of authority that the judge is in.
As Christians, we need to show humility, and humble ourselves before God.
1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
When we show humilty and meekness towards God, it shows our love and reverance to Him for His great gift of forgiveness. Could you imagine back 500 years ago a peasant or common person coming up to the king and slap him on the back and say, Hey how’s it going, bud? A king is in a place of authority over his people and those who came before him needed to do it humbly or meekly.
When we come before God, we need to come forward meekly, and filled with humility. Not filled with arrogance and pride, but with a humble spirit.
Someone who doesn’t have humility will not come forward for forgiveness because they actually believe in their heart that they don’t need forgiveness. What causes this? Pride. Pride is the complete opposite of humility and meekness.
Look at the parable of the pharisee and the publican in Luke 18.
“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14
The Pharisee in this passage didn’t show humility or meekness, did he? He was filled with pride, and thought that he was such a great person, so much that he was blinded to the fact that he was a sinner just as the publican was. The publican on the other hand, he knew his sins, and it caused him to humble himself before God in prayer. He realized that he needed forgiveness and he came forward humbly, and asked to be forgiven.
We all are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. It takes a humble person to admit that they are wrong and have sinned. It takes humility and meekness to say, I am sorry Lord for the sins that I have commited against you, and ask you for forgiveness.
A humble person will put someone else’s needs before their own. A natural man living after the flesh out in the world may put themselves and what they want first, but when someone becomes a Christian we learn to put the needs of others before our own.
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3
Humility (or when you don’t have humility) is illustrated perfectly in Luke 14, what happens when someone puts themself above or before another.
“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them.
When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11
Pride is something that God hates, and it is written several times in the scriptures. A judge in a courtroom is probably more likely to hand out punishments to someone who doesn’t show remorse for a misdeed and is defiant or arrogant, than to someone who is genuinely sorry and shows respect and meekness before him. When you come before God for forgiveness, don’t be like the proud Pharisee. Get rid of any pride in your life, and replace it with humility, and God will lift you up.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 