The Christian Flavor of Humility

We often speak of the need for humility as Christians, and we are exhorted by Paul throughout the New Testament to put on humility as children of God – see Ephesians 4.2, Philippians 2.3, and Colossians 3.12. But when we give up ourselves in humility – contrary to what the world teaches – we do not give up our power or our inheritance in Christ.

Therefore our humility should not be accompanied by fear or timidity or passivity (all of whom like to claim humility as a disguise), but should rather be a demonstration of power and security. We have Christ as our example, who we read about in Phillippians 2:

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As we empty our lives of the pursuit of our own glory, God’s glory will shine through and He will be magnified. Our path in humility is a confident path based on our righteousness in Christ and our adoption as God’s children, as Paul describes in Romans 8:

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

17 and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ – provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We are therefore victorious – not victims – in this life, as we live both now in the power of our Savior and in eager expectation of our eternal life together with Him. This is the Christian flavor of humility, that our humility is based not on our own lack of power but on the demonstration of God’s power, and for God’s glory!

Thanks for reading!

Mickey