Cover: Be Humble or Be Humbled

2019-02-10T01:29:55+00:00June 9th, 2017|

by Dennis Rokser

You and I have a problem. To deny it only worsens the self-deception and slows the remedy to overcoming it. Though we are slow to admit it, this cancerous attitude is actually at the root of so many others problems in our lives. Do you know that it is #1 on the list of sins that God abhors (Prov. 6:16)? I am convinced that it is the #1 sin in the world. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is the #1 sin in your life and mine. It is what motivated Lucifer to rebel against God (Ezek. 28:15, 17), taking 1/3 of the angels with him in his fall (Rev. 12:4). It was the lie and sin that Satan seduced Eve with in the Garden of Eden, and which Adam complied with in the fall of man (Gen. 3:4-6). Ironically, some people do not even recognize it as a vice, and actually view it as a virtue. It’s called “pride”—that’s the nice name. It’s also called “arrogance”—that’s the ugly synonym. This is why, by nature, we are not intrinsically humble. Pride is resident naturally in the heart of man under the bondage of the sin nature (Mark 7:21-22). So when you finally pull the mask off the lone ranger of sin, underneath it time and time again you find the sin of pride or arrogance.

Thus, years ago, Charles Spurgeon clearly articulated the two options we have in the Christian life: be humble or be humbled! That’s the title of the present series I am teaching at Duluth Bible Church. Our God is the “God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10) who has saved us by His grace (Eph. 2:8), spiritually blessed us according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 1:7), and accepted us in the Beloved to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:6), so that we are now to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18), become “established by grace” (Hebrews 13:9), and confess that “by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10). Yet three times in Scripture (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5), God has spoken and He has not stuttered when He dogmatically stated, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” But since grace refers to God’s undeserved kindness and blessing, God does not give grace to the humble because they deserve it—or it wouldn’t be grace! But He gives grace to the humble because the humble admit their sin and insufficiency, and turn in faith to Him to receive as an undeserved gift that which He alone can and must provide for them. And frankly, dear readers, sometimes God has to humble us in order to then give us His grace. Can you relate? Be humble or be humbled! (If you would like to watch / listen to this series, you can do so at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHTTk9khjw or
www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=520172218315.