Rev J B Jardine
The essence of humility. It consists in lowliness of heart. Pride lifts up the heart and puffs it up. In his conceit, someone proud wishes to be honoured above others. This motivates him in all that he does and is the end of all his actions. He is delighted if he achieves this end, but he also becomes angry when frustrated. But humility brings the heart low. The humble person does not have himself in view in his actions. When he completes his duty, he returns to himself and humbly and quietly remains there no matter the outcome of what he has done. “When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants” (Lk 17:10).
Humility is a lowly and unassuming disposition of the heart. Humility does not need much room for itself. The humble are at home when they are inconspicuous, or in the background, and they do not desire to move beyond this position. The humble person acknowledges himself to be dependent upon the grace and power of God. The humble soul does not want to be seen by others or to be honoured by them. He will be satisfied with having done his duty and if this results in honour, this will not puff him up. On the other hand, if it brings him shame, he will not become despondent or
1This is another section of a paper given at this year’s Youth Conference.
discouraged. He will humbly and quietly remain in his place ready to do his duty the next time. A humble person has a childlike disposition, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child” (Ps 131:1-2). “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Mt 10:16).
À Brakel says that true humility consists of several things, “(1) Humble-ness of heart: ‘I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies’ (Gen 32:10); ‘I . . . am no more worthy to be called Thy son’ (Lk 15:21).
“(2) True repentance accompanied by faith: ‘I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to Thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens’ (Ezra 9:6).
“(3) Sorrow over the sinfulness of sin: ‘For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest’ (Ps 51:3-4).
“(4) A humbling abhorrence of self: ‘I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly’ (2 Sam 24:10).
“(5) A fear of chastisement: ‘O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure’ (Ps 6:1).
“(6) A confession of sin, joined with an acknowledgement of it being both hateful and contemptible: ‘I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord’ (Ps 32:5).
“(7) Heartfelt prayers for forgiveness and peace of conscience: ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. . . . Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities’ (Ps 51:1-2,9).
“(8) A lifting up of the heart by believing the promises made to those who confess their sins: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 Jn 1:9).”2
God bestows these humble exercises of soul by His grace. These true exercises delight the Lord. We need to be praying for these humble exercises of soul and value them for ourselves.
The Christian’s true attitude towards God is shown by his humility, as
2Wilhelmus à Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, Soli Deo Gloria, vol 2, pp 585-586 (slightly edited).
John Newton says. “He has received from Gethsemane and Golgotha such a sense of the evil of sin, and of the holiness of God, combined with His matchless love to sinners, as has deeply penetrated his heart: he has an affecting remembrance of the state of rebellion and enmity in which he once lived against this holy and good God; and he has a quick perception of the defilements and defects which still debase his best services. His mouth is therefore stopped as to boasting; he is vile in his own eyes, and is filled with wonder that the Lord should visit such a sinner with such a salvation. He sees so vast a disproportion between the obligations he is under to grace and the returns he makes that he is disposed, yea constrained, to adopt the Apostle’s words without affectation, and to account himself less than the least of all saints; and knowing his own heart, while he sees only the outside of others, he is not easily persuaded there can be a believer upon earth so faint, so unfruitful, so unworthy as himself. Yet, though abased, he is not discouraged, for he enjoys peace.”3
Although he feels himself unworthy of the smallest mercies, he claims and expects the greatest blessings that God can give. He is rooted and grounded in the knowledge and love of Christ. His peace with God remains unchanging.
Humility comes from God. God is the cause of humility. Man by nature is proud and conceited and strives after earthly glory. He has high thoughts of himself. He is motivated by his love of self and is focused only on that. He desires that everyone else would honour, fear, serve and submit to him. The new heart that the Lord gives to His people is different. He forms Christ in them and then gives them humility. This is an ongoing, progressive work and part of their sanctification. The Lord enlightens the eyes of their understanding so that they are able to know and judge themselves correctly.
The true grace of humility results in a right judgement of oneself. The humble acknowledge that they are made of dust and exist in a tabernacle of clay. They know that they have sinned and come short of the glory of God. They know that, by nature, they are blind, miserable, naked, wretched, abominable, hateful and intolerable to God, angels and men. They know that they are unworthy for the sun to shine on them, to walk on the earth, to enjoy the fellowship of other men, to have a piece of bread to eat and to have clothing for their bodies. They see themselves as only worthy of being cast into hell. They would acquiesce in their own condemnation. They are the clay in the hand of the potter.
They see how wrong it would be for them to lift themselves up or to pretend that their good works have some merit. When comparing themselves with others they consider themselves to be foolish, empty of understanding,
3John Newton, Works, vol 1, Banner of Truth Trust reprint, 1985, pp 535-6.
to be of a disgraceful and difficult character and all their actions to be only worthy of contempt. They acknowledge that any good found in them that others might admire has been given to them by God. All they have and are is from God. They would be guilty of the greatest foolishness if they were to covet honour or be esteemed for something that had been gifted to them. All esteem, honour, love, fear and obedience are due to God alone. They know that God has forbidden them to covet, strive for, or allow these things to be attributed to themselves. To them, taking such credit would be like an act of theft and unrighteous. They desire to be small in their own eyes.