Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at the following passage of scripture
1 Peter 5:5-7 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. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
First of all, humility begins with submission. That’s very important to remember so I will say it once again. True humility begins with submission. When you submit, it means to accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person. When you yield, it means you give way and submit to anothers urging and persuasion. In the Christian faith we want a yield ourselves to the teachings of Jesus Christ. It’s a matter of yielding to His authority.
Submission truly is a great quality to possess because it is the first step towards the path of humility. Without submission there is no humility. There are people in the church who educated you, taught you, instructed you baptized, and gave you Holy Communion. The Apostle taught that he had begotten them through the gospel.
Hebrews 13:17 – Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
To obey and to submit shows that you have the quality of humility. Think of Peter, James Paul and the other Apostles of the Lord who were helping the church to grow in their faith day by day. They were instructing them and teaching them in order to save their souls. The church is a place of spiritual instruction.
Many of you have had to babysit family at one time or another. Some of you might have worked at a daycare or yet even others at a school watching children who have been placed in your charge.
When kids start getting involved with things that they shouldn’t be doing, what is the response that you might have towards them? You should correct them, rebuke them and lead them on the right path. That is the responsibility that you have been placed in charge with.
Think about two children playing on the playground but then they start to get into a fight. The teacher comes up and tries to prevent it all from happening correcting and disciplining them.
This happens each day in society and out in the world. Even more so it happens in the church. The church is a place of correction. We can come boldly to the throne of grace when we need it but the scriptures correct us guide us and lead us on the correct path that we are to take in this life.
The apostles were preaching God’s Word to the church and wanted the church to obey the things that they were teaching them. A person can either submit to what they’re being taught or they can fight against it and resist. The causes a lot of grief in the instructor. It’s detrimental to your eternal salvation when you resist and turn away from the truth.
Ephesians 5:21 – Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Our God is a God of authority. He wants children to the obey their parents, especially their dad who is the head of the household. God wants a wife to obey her husband in everything. These are all examples of the quality of humility in a person’s life. I have always succeeded at the many jobs I’ve had when I just did what I was told.
Look at the following example of submission.
Luke 18:9-14
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 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.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 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.
14 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.
Notice that this entire parable was meant for people who thought that they were righteous in and of themselves. They hated others. If you despise somebody, you truly hate them in your heart. The end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart.
Look at the way that the apostles love us by preaching God’s Word to us. True love ultimately cares for the soul and salvation of the other person that’s your preaching and teaching.
The Pharisee really felt that he was better than other people. The real s we are all sinners worthy of the exact same punishment. None are righteous no not one. He had numerous religious things in his life that made him feel better then other people.
Look at the humility of the publican. He confessed his faults to God and apologized in God’s presence asking for forgiveness. He simply said, God be merciful to me a sinner.
There were people who were crying out to Jesus as he passed by saying, thou Son of David be merciful to me. They were crying out for forgiveness and God wants to forgive us but it requires humility. Some people have not because they ask not.
Pride is such a dangerous thing because it makes you feel better than everybody else. The truth is that we are all the same. I’ve said it for 20 years but there are only two people on the face of this Earth, a sinner and a forgiven sinner.
James 4:10 – Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Matt 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
When I think about this topic I think about the lives of Moses and Pharaoh. The harder and harder and harder that Pharaoh resisted the work of God Moses was a part of, the lower and lower and lower he was brought down. It was God’s work that was happening through Moses obedient heart. Think about the great miracle that God performed when Moses was backed up against the Red Sea. God saved Moses and the Israelites and did battle for them.
Think about it for a moment, even though God performed this great miracle in the eyes of the Egyptian Army they still decided to chase after Moses and the Israelites. Ultimately they were destroyed. All they were doing was fighting against God. Pharaoh was completely abased. The battle Belongs to the Lord.
Proverbs 22:4 – By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
It is God who protected and delivered Moses and the Israelites. Before honor is humility, and true humility is to be in subjection to your authority.
Ephesians 5:24 – Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians 5:22 – Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
In the military there are many different levels of authority. They are supposed to be in subject one to another depending on who your direct authority might be. Remember, God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.
It was the Publican who humbled himsef under the things of God and he went down to his house forgiven and justified. It was Moses who turned away from the things of this world and went and lived out in a desert place. Later on he was used by God for his purposes. It was Noah who kept away from the world and spent a lot of his life building a ship to save his own family. He believed in God. These are all examples of what happens when a person is humble before God. They are examples not only a faith, but the results of submission to Gods will and purpose.
Forgiveness is available to everyone but sadly not everybody is going to apologize for their misdeeds. Although God wants to save everyone, it’s the pride in a person’s life and their inability to admit their own faults that brings a person’s downfall. It’s like the saying that I’ve always remembered, ” some people’s greatest enemy is themselves…”
True humility is understanding that we are not perfect. We each have our own faults and mistakes, but humility will recognize those things and then yield themselves do God’s Will and purpose. Christianity is to submit to God’s Will and purpose rather than your own.
John 3:30 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
His purpose and will in our lives must be greater than our own.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
Be clothed with humility. Where like a jacket for everybody to see. Be humble so that God can lift you up.
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing, we’ll talk some more tomorrow. Till then bye-bye everybody.♥️
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