Humility

I would like to talk about a topic that is very, very important to every one of us. So much so that Christ said that without these two attributes, and I want to focus on one of them, which is linked to the other. Without these attributes, none of us will see the Kingdom of God. So, this is very, very important.

Matthew 18:1: "At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' And after calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in their midst, and said, 'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, there is no way that you shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven'" (vs 1-3).

That's a pretty powerful statement. And the two become linked together: conversion and becoming as a little child. That little child has an attitude of humility, which is what Christ says:

Verse 4: "Therefore, whoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

And that is the Kingdom of the Father and of Christ. And that is the one that will replace the kingdom on this earth, ruled by the adversary Satan the devil.

Verse 5: "And whoever shall receive one such little child in My name receives Me."

So, if we don't receive those who come in an attitude of humility, and we ride roughshod over them, we're actually rejecting Jesus Christ!

Verse 6: "But whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to offend, it would be better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck and he be sunk in the depths of the sea."

A lot of people read this, and they misread the words to offend. And they take it with the attitude of, instead of "to be offend"—be offended. So instead of it reading, but whoever shall cause one of these little ones who believe in me to be offended—which is a lot of what people mistakenly do—they take offense!

But that's not as what Christ is talking about here. He says that if we do something that causes a little one to offend, those offenses are against God—sin—and against one another!

So if we do something that causes one who is a little child—with an attitude and learning—that they turn around and offend, Christ said "…it would be better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck…" because it will cause so many problems!

We all need to take heed and be careful. And the attribute this afternoon is humility that I want to focus on, because without humility, we won't be converted! But we need conversion in order to exercise humility, because we need the power of the Spirit of God working with our spirit to enable the mind of Christ to be developed and formed in us, so that we can understand the things of God, as it's said in 1-Cor. It is by the Spirit of God that we understand the things of God!

Isaiah 57:15: "For thus says the high and lofty One… [Elohim, the Father]…Who inhabits eternity; Whose name is Holy; 'I dwell in the high and Holy place, even with the one who is of a contrite and humble spirit…'"—completely repentant and humble!

We can only humble ourselves. Sometimes experiences or things that happen will cause us to humble ourselves.

It's a lot easier to take the attitude of humbling ourselves, rather than having to be humbled. But God here is saying that He dwells with those who have this attitude, who are contrite and humble, and He revives the spirit of the humble. That is, He breathes life back into it. Sometimes we can feel crushed:

• by the things that happen to us
• by what other people do to us
• by what we do to ourselves

But God says that it is He "…to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (v 15).

In another verse, God said that 'our heart would throb, throb in love with Him.'

God is a God of love, and He dwells with those who take this attitude and this approach. So, we need to be careful of what attitude we're in when we're dealing with other people, and also when we're talking to God.

• What attitude, what spirit are we in?
• Are we taking the attitude of humility, that we don't know everything on the situation?

There may be more information that will change our attitude!

2-Chron. 7—this is where Solomon had just finished building the temple and was dedicating it to Almighty God.

2-Chronicles 7:12: "And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said to him, 'I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens, and there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, IF My people who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes shall be open, and My ears shall be attentive to the prayer offered in this place'" (vs 12-15).

We know that the temple has been destroyed and we know that those who are Christ's are the temple where God's Spirit dwells now on this earth! Each one of us with the Spirit of God dwelling in us have that access directly to the Father through Christ. And we know that the Spirit of God is dwelling in us, and we have that access directly to the Father through Christ past the veil and God hears! But it's conditional:

• Are we willing to humble ourselves?
• Are we willing to turn from our ways?

or

• Are we seeking our own desire?

A lot of people in this world look at battles down through history and the great things that have happened in D-Day, and they are momentous events. But the biggest battle today on this earth is happening between our ears in the way that we think. It's the battle for the control of our mind!

2-Corinthians 10:4: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal… [not the fleshly mind, not of this world] …but mighty through God to the overthrowing of strongholds." A stronghold is a position held:

• a fortress
• a tower
• a position of strength
• a castle

Spiritually speaking, we have strongholds of the way that we think, the attitudes we take, be they right or be they wrong.

But it's by the Spirit of God that we can destroy these strongholds where they are causing problems for us and for others by the changing our mind, which is called conversion, to think like God thinks and thus act like God acts!

Verse 5: "Casting down vain imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ." We need to keep a check on ourselves:

• What are we thinking about?
• What manner of spirit is it?
• Is this according to the will of God or not?
• Are we seeking to promote peace or to promote our own agendas?

Verse 6: "And having a readiness to avenge all disobedience, whenever your obedience has been fulfilled."

As we grow and overcome, we have greater strength to make a better decision next time.

Verse 7: "Are you looking at things according to their appearance?...."

We look at the people around us and we perceive problems that they're generating or problems we've generated with them.

• Are we just looking at the things that they're generating?
• Are we just looking at the outside?
• Are we considering what manner of spirit they are of?
• Are we considering what manner of spirit we are of?

"…If anyone is persuaded in his own mind that he is Christ's, let him reconsider this concerning himself; for exactly as he is Christ's, so also are we Christ's" (v 7).

We're all brothers and sisters. We've all been called personally by the Almighty God through Christ to be His children.

• Are we acting like His children should?
• Are we imitating Him?

The opposite of humility is pride, and we all know the author of that.

Ezek. 28 is speaking of the prince of Tyre, but he was actually ruled by the prince of this world, the adversary Satan!

Ezekiel 28:1: "The Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre. "Thus says the Lord GOD," 'Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, "I am a god, I sit in the seat of God…"'" (vs 1-2).

In other words, he can make his own decisions and what he decides he can do, and he has the power to do it. He runs roughshod over everybody around him.

"…in the midst of the seas…" (v 2).

Tyre was a rock, an island, just off the coast of Israel, just to the north on the Mediterranean. And it was, I think, just about one kilometer offshore, about a mile or so. By dwelling in the midst of the sea, that was a natural defense. It was very difficult for any army to siege them. This attitude of being in the midst of the seas was self-satisfying, self-secure in his own position.

"…yet, you are a man and not God, though you set your heart as the heart of a god… [here God starts to mock him, and says]: …behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from you! With your wisdom and with your understanding you have made riches for yourselves, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom and by your trade you have multiplied your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches'" (vs 2-5).

They got rich doing the things they were doing, but they were taking advantage and doing things that were not in the best interests of those they were dealing with. It was an attitude of pride that he had done it, that he was self-ruled and could do whatever he pleased.

Verse 6: "Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Because you have set your heart as the heart of a god, behold, therefore, I will bring strangers upon you…" (vs 6-7).

In other words, God brings a problem to try and sort out the guy's problem of having his heart lifted up. God brought Nebuchadnezzar against Tyre, and later on Alexander the Great, who built a causeway from the land out to the rock and utterly destroyed it.

Verse 7: "And they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall defile your brightness…. [they were brought to nothing; they were destroyed] …They shall bring you down to the pit, and you shall die the death of those slain in the midst of the seas. Will you yet say before him who kills you, 'I am a god'? But you are a man, and not God, in the hand of him who kills you" (vs 7-9).

Verse 12: "'Son of man, lift up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him,' Thus says the Lord GOD, 'You seal up the measure of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty'"

The king of Tyre—the one who really ruled Tyre—was Lucifer, or Satan.

Gen. 3—Here we see the encounter of the serpent with Adam and Eve.

Genesis 3:1: "Now, the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field, which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Is it true that God has said, "You shall not eat of any tree of the garden"?'…. [that was a blatant lie] …And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may freely eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has indeed said, "You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die"'" (vs 1-3).

Verse 4: "And the serpent said to the woman, 'In dying, you shall not surely die!'"

An utter lie!A total contradiction of what God had previously told them! Then he justified that lie:

Verse 5: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be like God, deciding good and evil."

In other words, they're taking to themselves the prerogative that God reserves for Himself to decide what is good and what is bad. That is exactly what the Prince of Tyre did, and all of humanity has been doing ever since, under the influence and authority of the serpent.

Verse 6: "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

He should have stood his ground and said, 'Eve, what are you doing? Take heed to yourself.' But he didn't. What was the consequence of that?

Verse 7: "And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."

Here they decided that they were naked. They had no concept of that before. But in rebelling against God and believing a lie and disobeying God, they ended up looking at things skewed, not the way that God intended at all. And the problem was:

Verse 13: "And the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this you have done?' And the woman said, 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate.'"

She was deceived. So, often we, too, are deceived by things that look good, that look right. But the contrary to what God has said. Adam was also not out of trouble, but in deep!

Verse 17: "And to Adam He said, 'Because you have hearkened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree—of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it!....'"

Adam should have, stood his ground. He should have followed God. But he listened to that of his wife, and he acted on it, and humanity's been doing that ever since.

• we're all guilty
• we're all at fault

As a consequence; "…the ground is cursed for your sake. In sorrow shall you eat of it all the days of your life" (v 17).

We have problems, and things have become hard work. Cause and effect. Having an attitude of humility in situations—doesn't matter what situation it is—if we take that attitude of looking:

• to following God
• remembering His instructions
• asking for wisdom on the spot, instantly in prayer
• proving all things

we can make better decisions! But it needs humility and conversion; they go together.

Ezekiel 28:13: "You have been in Eden the Garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the turquoise, and the emerald, and gold…. [he was rich] …The workmanship of your settings and of your sockets was prepared in you in the day that you were created. You were the anointed cherub that covers…" (vs 13-14).

So this identifies who this person is, the king of Tyre. There's a spirit being, a cherub that covered the Throne of God. He is one of three cherubs.

Verse 14: "You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I set you so; you were upon the Holy Mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways… [wholehearted] …from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you" (vs 14-15).

As we've had it pointed out, this word iniquity in the Hebrew 'evel' means perverseness, wickedness, thinking is not straight.

Verse 16: "By the multitude of your merchandise they have filled your midst with violence, and you have sinned. Therefore, I will cast you as profane from the Mountain of God, and I will destroy you, O covering cherub, from among the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness. I will cast you to the ground; I will lay you before kings, that they may behold you. By the multitude of your iniquities… [lawlessness] …by the unrighteousness of your trade…" (vs 16-18). he was taking unreasonable, unfair advantage; manipulating things!

Verse 18: "By the multitude of your iniquities, by the unrighteousness of your trade, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore, I brought forth a fire from your midst… [problems erupt, its cause and effect] …it shall devour you, and I will bring you to ashes upon the earth… [everything that Satan does on this earth ends in ashes, destruction] …before the eyes of all who see you" (vs 16-18).

We can see a whole planet experiencing this now. You have some places that are just terrible because the rulers are not submitting to the will of God. We've been called to be priests and kings in God's government and to learn how to produce peace now. We learn that through our interactions with those around us. The attitudes that we take are critical to that; humility being the key!

Because Satan had his heart lifted up and trusted in his own beauty and his own riches, so did the prince of Tyre. Yet, they are both coming to destruction.

• Are there times to learn from these examples in our own life?
• The things that we go through?

to put things in perspective:

• What are we going to gain if we go headlong against somebody in an attitude of pride or arrogance?
• What do we gain?

Ecclesiastes 1:1: "The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 'Vanity of vanities,' says the Preacher, 'vanity of vanities! All is vanity'" (vs 1-2).

That means empty, meaningless. That is, without God everything becomes empty and meaningless; there's nothing really that satisfies. At the end, we know the outcome of everything, where this whole planet is going to be burned up and everything in it. The Apostle Paul cautioned us and said, 'what manner of people should we be since we know these things? 'Imitate me,' said Paul, 'as I imitate God.' Take his attitude, take his approach, and it will produce peace.

Verse 3: "What profit does a man have in all his labor, which he labors under the sun?"

We work to become rich, try and 'keep up with the Joneses.' What do we have at the end of the day?

Verse 4: "One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. The sun also arises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it arose. The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually; and the wind returns on its circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet, the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, there they return again. All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun" (vs 4-9).

Even with all of our technology today, it's just a different way of doing the same thing. Often more complicated.

Verse 10: "Is there a thing of which it may be said, 'See, this is new'? It has already been in days of old, which were before us."

We know when Noah, at the time of the Flood, it's prophesied that 'as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be now.' There are some people that are of the understanding that there was a golden age of technology just prior to the Flood, some of which has been dug up and then hidden away.

Verse 11: "There is no memory of former things, neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come by those who shall come afterwards."

How much impact do we have upon this planet, upon our friends, upon our families? Everything, at the end of the day, revolves around God and His Plan for us:

• to be converted
• to become like little children
• to grow
• to be able to enjoy the things that He has made
• to inhabit eternity with Him

So, what does it benefit us if we take an attitude of pride or arrogance, what do we gain? Nothing!

Christ was making an observation of the people at His time:

Matthew 13:15: "For the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed… [they willingly did it] …lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears…"

They don't want to know. They're taking an attitude of pride, of arrogance, because they don't want to change. Christ and the Father are using this, as well:

"…lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (v 15).

It's not His plan for the general population to be converted at this time. That's why He spoke in the parables. But the point I want to bring out in this verse is that "…the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull of hearing…"

These are attitudes of mind that can influence us because we live in this world, and amongst people who do this all the time. But WEare to be converted and become like little children!

Verse 16: "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear."

Proverbs 19:2: "For a man to be without knowledge, it is not good, and he who is impetuous sins."

We need to be gaining knowledge, and that is the knowledge of God, the knowledge of His will! And He who is impetuous—that is fast acting without thought—sins. We need to be mindful of what we're doing and how we're doing things; 'growing in grace and knowledge' as the  Apostle Peter said.

Verse 3: "The foolishness of man perverts his way…"

The foolishness that we have when we are not keeping the Word of God and walking in obedience:

• to His instructions
• to the way of love
• loving Him
• loving one another

When we don't do this, it perverts our way; we end up with problems.

"…and his heart frets against the LORD" (v 3).

We end up striving and thinking against what God is trying to do. And our thinking becomes twisted and screwed up.

We have an opportunity not to behave this way, but to learn and grow, and it's based in knowledge, knowledge of the will of God and of the plan that He has, because that makes sense of everything! There is great gain in what He has for the future for us.

Rev. 3:14—this is where Christ is speaking to each of the Churches, and this is the seventh Church: Laodicea.

Revelation 3:14: "And to the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans, write: These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginner of the creation of God. I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you be either cold or hot" (vs 14-15). In other words, you're not zealous! You're either switched on or switched off!

Verse 16: "So then, because you are lukewarm, and are neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth."

Have you ever tried drinking some water that's lukewarm? It's not very pleasant!

How is it that we are neither hot nor cold? Because we lack the zeal, we lack the enthusiasm! The enthusiasm means God's Spirit working with us and in us giving us that energy:

• to press forward
• to become like Him

Verse 17: "For you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing"; and you do not understand that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."

Physically, they were rich. And they had eye-salve that they had produced. Here God is saying they're blind. It's a spiritual thing that He's talking about! The nakedness they lack is:

• spiritual righteousness
• knowledge according to God
• according to the will of God

What is Christ's response to this?

Verse 18: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire so that you may be rich…"

Problems purify us like a fire. But the end result of that is very valuable in terms of our character. But without humility and conversion together, we just experience problems. If we take the attitude of being humble and learning from it—being humble in all of our actions toward one another—how many problems would that solve in our life that we would prevent from actually happening if we take that attitude? It would solve so many things and prevent them!

"…and white garments so that you may be clothed… [the garments of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ]  and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and to anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see. As many as I love… [Greek: phileo] …I rebuke and chasten…" (vs 18-19).

How often in problems do we refuse to recognize that God is dealing with us in a way of love, and He's trying to get us to see something?

What does Christ say? "…Therefore, be zealous… [energy; enthusiastic] …and repent" (v 19)—change; be converted!

Verse 20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To the one who overcomes will I give authority to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father in His Throne. The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches" (vs 20-22).

• Are we listening?
• Are we seeing?
• Are we taking heed to ourselves?

Matthew 5:3—here Christ is giving His Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit…"

Humble; they're blessed. If you take that approach, don't you want to be blessed? I do!

"…for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (v 3).

That is the result. That is what the kingdom is comprised of. People who take this attitude.

Verse 4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

What are we mourning about? We're mourning about the nature that we have that we all struggle with, and the problems it produces! We can see it! We hear it! We humble ourselves and we turn to God in repentance and seeking reconciliation with our brothers and sisters. That is what mourning is, "…for they shall be comforted." Our relationships are restored! Cause and effect!

Verse 5: "Blessed are the meek… [the teachable] …for they shall inherit the earth."

That's a pretty big promise. How much of the earth do we own at the moment? Not much, if any! And here Christ is saying, IF we take these attitudes, this is our future!

Verse 6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." They're zealous!

• Are we zealous?
• Do we hunger and thirst after God's ways?

Verse 7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy." Are we prepared to exercise mercy with one another?

Verse 8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God." (vs 8-9).

• seeking peace with one another
• seeking peace with God

that requires

• conversion
• the leading of the Spirit of God
• an attitude of humility

Phil. 2—I find this section here very, very encouraging:

Philippians 2:1: "Now then, if there be any encouragement in Christ… [we know that God is the God of all comfort] …if any comfort of love… [when someone exercises love toward us, are we not comforted?] …if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any deep inner affections and compassions." We have these gifts that God's given us!

Verse 2: "Fulfill my joy that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being joined together in soul, minding the one thing." That is the love of God and the Kingdom of God.

Verse 3: "Let nothing be done through contention or vainglory… [we'll just get problems] …but in humility, each esteeming the others above himself. Let each one look not only after his own things, but let each one also consider the things of others" (vs 3-4). What a difference it would make!

Verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God… [He was all powerful] …but emptied Himself, and was made in the likeness of men, and took the form of a servant; and being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself…" (vs 5-8).

Here is the Almighty God, the Word, Jesus Christ sent by the Father. He humbled himself to this extent. Do we have to do that much of ourselves? We haven't come down that far! He humbled himself to death,

Verse 8:"He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has also highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him a name, which is above every name" (vs 8-9).

God exalts! We don't need to exalt ourselves. If we try to do that, we'll just get tripped up on our own feet.

Verse 10: "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow took the form of a servant, of beings in heaven and on earth and under the earth"—those in the grave!

Verse 11: "And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed…" (vs 11-12).

• we know that you're all trying
• we know that your heart's in the right place

This is what Paul is saying!

"…not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (v 12). Each one of us can only change ourselves. and it needs humility.

Verse 13: "For it is God Who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure."

It's God who is doing this in us! What an awesome thing Je is doing. Staggering! Yet, it is done without a show. It's done in our minds:

• being converted
• letting the mind of Christ dwell in us
• learning the ways of peace

to walk in:

• in righteousness
• in fellowship with the Father, with Christ and with each other
• in the faith of Christ
• in fellowship with the Father and with Christ and with each other

to bring peace and help Christ and the Father bring life to the rest of humanity!

Exercising humility is a key part to that. It's not so hard.

Scriptural References:

• Matthew 18:16
• Isaiah 57:15
• 2-Chronicles 7:12-15
• 2-Corinthians 10:47
• Ezekiel 28:1-9, 12
• Genesis 3:1-7, 13, 17
• Ezekiel 28:13-18
• Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
• Matthew 13:15-16
• Proverbs 19:2-3
• Revelation 3:14-22
• Matthew 5:3-9
• Philippians 2:1-13

RM:bo/po
Transcribed: 6/15/25

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