What is the purpose of Christian humility? Why do Christians need
this humility? What is humility itself? It is the manner or
characteristic of being humble. OK, so we are to be humble. Are you a
humble person? Why would Christian humility be a trait that one would
want to possess? Let’s look into this together, shall we?
Why be humble? Well, most importantly, because it is Christ-like and
as Christians, we are to “put on Christ” or in other
words, we strive to conform our lifestyle, our mannerisms, our
conversation (to use a Biblical term), to be in the image of Jesus
Christ and to live the kind of godly life that He lived. If we wish
to claim that He lives through us ... Christian humility must be part
of our being.
Humility is the Opposite of Pride
There are a lot of humility Bible verses teachings in the Proverbs of
Solomon, most having the same general humility Bible quotes
admonition:
Do you know the difference between humiliation and humility?
Let us look within the Bible for Truth ...
Christian Humility Bible study clarification ... Humiliation is
shame. Humility is meekness, not out of shame, but out of
righteousness.
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 16:18-19
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide
the spoil with the proud.
Proverbs 18:12
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.
Proverbs 22:4
By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life.
Proverbs 29:23
A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Have you seen pride cause humiliation to someone you know, or even in
your own experience?
Pride is for Grownups
Humility Bible Verses and Humility Bible Quotes Warning
So, you want to be more humble, do you? What’s the first step?
Where do you begin? Let’s take a look at what Jesus taught the
disciples:
Matthew 18:1-4
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child
unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say
unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall
humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven.
Christian Humility Bible study trivia ... What does that mean to humble yourself as a little child? There’s a big difference between being childish and being as a child. Being childish is being ignorant, or without Truth, however, being as a child is being innocent and readily accepting of the Truth with an open heart. Take a moment to think back to when you were a child.
Dig deep into your subconscious mind and remember how effortless it
was to be obedient to your parents and how it was a genuine desire in
your heart to please God. If you’re thinking back to when you
were about 10 years old. You’re not going back far enough. By the time
we’re 10, our soft mushy little innocent minds have already
been trespassed upon by the filth of the world, and we are convinced that the ways of the world may be right. Then that monster
called pride introduces itself to us and seems to freely take
residence within us.
When it come to the decisions that we face in our lives from that
point on, pride defeats humility just about every time, hands down.
We begin to believe that we should question The Way of our God
and the Word that He gave us through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit
and the Bible, and most are converted to the way of the world,
though just about everyone at least gives worldly ways some con
sideration.
Even temporary credence of the world’s teachings gradually
steal away the innocence ... The blind Faith ... The humility that we
had as children, and without even knowing it, more and more people
are finding themselves further and further from ... Heaven.
Acts of Christian Humility
Now that you know the first step, to humble yourself as a little
child, what do you do next? As you learned from the Christian
humility Bible verses, our Lord was humble, and to fashion our lives
after His life would be the best way to exhibit humility.
When you think of a humble person, you don’t think of someone
who readily basks in praise for their accomplishments. We know as
Christians, that any achievements we make, are only possible because
our Lord is working through us by way of the Holy Spirit and all
credit belongs to our Father.
1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man
minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God
in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be
praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Humility Bible Study Counseling
Humility Bible Quotes Danger
When you’re complimented by someone for a good work that you’ve
done, does your Father see you polishing your fingernails
on your shoulder, or is your hand lifted up to Him ... the source of
the good in your work. Ask yourself, Who is it that really deserves
the recognition? Are you here to gain glory for yourself or to
glorify God? It is a humble act to make it clear, that any gift you
may have, comes from above, and is not of your doing. (By the way, isn’t
your treasure, your reward, your recognition all laid up and
waiting in Heaven for you, anyway?)
Christian Humility isn’t something that the common person
practices. It takes someone extraordinary to be humble. Jesus
explains some other ways in which we should strive to humble
ourselves:
Matthew 5:38-48
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth
for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy
coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to
go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from
him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that
it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for He maketh his sun
to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have
ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans
so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven
is perfect.
Go the extra mile, turn the other cheek, give, forgive all, treat all
as your own. These are all Christian humility Bible quotes. They’re
the way Jesus lived every single day of His life ... Not
just when He was in the mood, or when He could afford it, or when He
had the time, or when it was convenient. He lived in humility,
every - single - day.
Why do you suppose Jesus told His disciples these things? Because He
knew they were things that for most people are not their first
reaction. An eye for an eye is the gut reaction of most people. There’s
a term that people use for how most people react to things
... they call it human nature. That, my friend, is a lie. I think they’ve
come up with that term because they think it’s a more
gentle description than the real term - Original Sin.
Christian Humility Bible study time machine voyage ... Go back to
when you were a child again. If you saw someone in trouble, or in
need, you wouldn’t have thought twice about helping them, but
once the world gets its ideas embedded into your mind, then you have
to stop and think before you act out of kindness and decide if it’s
practical, financially wise, or socially acceptable to act
in a humble manner. What a crying shame.
Humility Bible Study on Mercy and Grace
Humility Bible Verses on Pride
Y’know ... People love to be right about things. People will
throw Christian humility out the door so they can be right. Maybe you’ve
seen it, or done it yourself, when you’ve thought
that there was no possible way that you could be wrong, and you stood
tooth and nail against anyone who opposed you, but then ... oops ...
you were wrong. If you find yourself scrambling for excuses of WHY
you thought you were right, you’re stuck in Prideville, but if
you concede to Truth and say simply, I was wrong, that, my friend, is
humility according to the plethora of humility Bible quotes.
This is a
good Christian Humility Bible study story to reflect on that explains what I mean ... The
storyteller is Jesus:
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.
In many situations, you’ll find that Christians forget that
Christian humility is an important vestment to wear when they put on
their virtues each morning and go out to publicly represent
the Lord Jesus Christ. When we criticize others, how do we forget so
easily that we have our own iniquities as well, and we are all
sinners? It doesn’t matter how old you are, or how long you’ve
been a Christian, because of “human nature” we
are never cured of sin. We will all sin again ... And again
... And again.
Knowing this Christian Humility Bible Truth should be enough
to keep us humble and keep us away from criticizing others who fall.
Be careful that you don’t become like the Pharisees that got
their priorities all mixed up. Because of their pride and lack of
humility, they didn’t even recognize the Messiah, though He was
right there amongst them ... They even crucified Him.
Matthew 23:1-12
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to His disciples,
2 Saying, The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy
burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s
shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their
fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make
broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the
synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men,
Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master,
even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father
upon the Earth: for one is your Father, which is in Heaven.
10 Neither
be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he
that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself
shall be exalted.
Humility: The Catalyst for Grace
Christian Humility has wonderful effects on a person. I’d love
to give you a whole list of the rewards, but I think you get the
picture of how this virtue is beneficial (Thanks Dave) to your
Christian life. It’s the key ingredient to forgiveness ... the
gift that we all cherish and that enables us to be one with Christ.
Humility is the activator of Grace. If you don’t humble
yourself to God ... Well, James can tell you better than I can in one
of his humility Bible quotes:
James 4:6-10
6 ... God resisteth the proud, but giveth Grace unto the humble.
7 Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from
you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your
hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight
of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.
Humility Bible Verses With Humility Bible Quotes Conclusion
Wait just a minute ... Does this mean that God wants us to be sad?
Not at all, but rather, to repent. There is a sort of grief that we
should feel when we have submitted to sin. When we don’t feel
it, our hearts are stony with pride ... In the Old Testament, the
Lord referred to pride as being hard hearted or stiff-necked. It
causes God to resist us, and that means distance between us and our
Father.
When Christian humility breaks through, we feel repentance, sorrow,
grief, for the sin that we’ve committed against our God that we
love above everything, and when in sincerity you feel this mourning,
God pours out His Grace and releases you from that heaviness. When
you surrender to the Holy
Spirit through Christian humility, you can once again enter into
the joy of His presence within you and the softening of your heart.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.
Christian Humility Bible study reminder ... When you close this
window, no matter where you go, whether it be to the chat room, to
spend time with your loved ones, to work, to school, to church, or
anywhere in the world ... Let humility be something that you take
with you wherever it is that you go.
And remember ... If you’re ever offered a slice of humble pie
... Devour it while it’s fresh and then you can enjoy the real
dessert of Grace.
Colossians 3:12-13
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a
quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Do not fumble ... Be humble.
Our humility Bible study adventure where we Spiritually explored many
of the humility Bible verses with absolutely thought provoking
Christian humility Bible quotes clearly reveals that we need to
utilize humility in our lives as to avoid some very serious pitfalls
placed there by the enemy of our souls.
Let pride ... Take a ride.
