We sometimes hear the words, ‘Believers need to be humble.’ However, it is more proper to say, ‘If you are a true believer, you cannot help but be humble.’ For sure, there are times when people become believers and they still cannot give up self-centered attitudes and cause trouble for the church. They are missing a fundamental change which believers must undergo. This is the reason people are taught about humility and must be cautious about pride in the church.
Humility is an incredibly unnatural quality in this world. On the other hand, pride comes from mankind’s self-centered nature. This natural attribute occurs even if you do not learn it. The problem is that many people do not think they are proud. Their desire to love themselves is so great that they think they are right. Some people think they will suffer disadvantage if they are humble, so they refuse to. Other people resist the message about humility because they hate to uncover their pride to others.
Humility is God’s own personality. The pride of the angel corrupted mankind, but God’s Son countered this pride with His humility and made believers acceptable to God by removing pride from their lives. Nevertheless, if believers consider humility as something useless, it is like denying the method which saved them.
The church does not provide the chance for individuals to succeed, but it is the group God has called and gathered so that they can handle His mission. Therefore, every member must clothe themselves with humility and faithfully contribute to the church’s ministry. If we apply the Lord’s method to fulfill His will, the Lord will joyfully lead us and we will gain eternal victory.
When the disciples heard that Jesus was going to be killed, they asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The Lord’s reply was shocking. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He said the issue was not about who would be the greatest in heaven, but whether you can even enter it.
The Lord told them to change so that they could become little children. This does not mean you should stop after repenting once, but you should change yourself to become suitable for the kingdom of heaven. Repentance does not only refer to understanding your sins and changing, but it is realizing that you have no means to be righteous before God and acknowledging your spiritually bankruptcy. Since those who do this know that they are worthless, they do not assert or demand anything for their own glory but they offer themselves for God’s work.
When the Lord said you should become like little children, it was not because children have some kind of virtue. Little children in those days were socially very low. Becoming like little children meant acknowledging that you are worthless and becoming satisfied by God’s grace. This is because God regards simple faith like this as worthy to be led into heaven.
Humility is not a requirement for your sins to be forgiven, but it is a basic setting for the kingdom of heaven. God can give you the legal qualifications to enter heaven - but if your personality is not suited to the character of heaven, you will be unable to enter it. It is like the person who tried to attend the wedding feast without wedding clothes. In contrast, those who completely trust in God’s grace like little children and accept the Lord’s guidance will easily enter heaven, and the Lord will honor such people first.
(Lord’s Day Service on September 5, 2021)
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