Be Humble
John Flavel The Method of Grace, “Of The Imitation Of Christ, in Holiness of Life, and the Necessity of it in All Believers”
They that know God will be humble. They that know themselves cannot be proud.
Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. (Matthew 4:4)
Proverbs 11:2
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV)
For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the Lord...seek righteousness...seek humility.
Matthew 5:5 (NLT)
God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
Luke 14:11
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 3:34
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Thomas Manton A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer
If we could make ourselves, then we could live for ourselves. But God made us for himself, and sent us into the world for himself.
From Iain H. Murray’s Evangelical Holiness, an address to the Keswick Convention 2010, Published in the Banner Of Truth, April 2013
There is a great paradox in the Christian life. The Christian is a son of God, an heir of glory, and a possessor of eternal life; he knows God in Christ, and has begun to be like him. Yet far from being proud of himself, he thinks very differently about himself than the way he used to think before he was a Christian. In the presence of God he knows he is an unworthy sinner, and the more he knows Christ, the less he thinks of himself. Isaac Watts captured evangelical experience when he wrote the lines ("The Humble Worship of Heaven"):
The more Thy glories strike mine eyes,
The humbler I shall lie:
Thus while I sink, my joys shall rise
Unmeasurably high
The language of a Christian is ‘not I but Christ’ and the more he knows Christ, the more he mourns his weak love, his poor faith, his small usefulness. ‘O wretched man that I am,’ he can say from his heart. Daily he has reason to be ashamed. He goes on repenting all his days, and will die dependent on the mercy of God. ‘Less than the least of all saints,’ ‘the chief of sinners,’ is Paul’s estimate of himself.
And yet, here is the paradox, the more the Christian learns this about himself, the happier he is. For the word of Jesus is true: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of God’ (Matt. 5:3). (Thomas Charles) an old evangelical leader in Wales affirmed, ‘We are never nearer to God than when we are lowest in our own estimation.’
‘To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word’ (Isaiah 66:2)
Read the biographies of Christians and it will be seen that evangelical holiness has always had this characteristic.
John Calvin wrote, ‘Where we see pride, there let us be assured Christ is not known.’
George Whitefield, seen by others as a great evangelist, only a few years before his death prayed ‘to begin to begin to be a Christian.’ (Works of George Whitefield)
William Grimshaw, one of the greatest evangelists to be given in England, died with the words, ‘Here goes an unprofitable servant.’
John Wesley after a lifetime of service, wrote, ‘I have been wandering up and down between fifty and sixty years, endeavouring in my poor way, to do a little good to my fellow men . . . I can see nothing which I have done or suffered, that will bear looking at. I have no other plea than this:
'I the chief of sinners am
But Jesus died for me.'
C.H. Spurgeon asked his students, ‘Do you not wish to hide your head when you contrast yourself with your Lord? We are far, far, far below the true glory of the Well-beloved, and even fall short of our poor idea of him.’ (Sword and Trowel, 1880)
A sure test whether holiness is genuine or false is whether it exalts or humbles. It is never the work of the Holy Spirit to magnify men. Holiness does not lead anyone to promote self and to talk about self.
"Walking Humbly With God"
http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols25-27/chs1557.pdf
"Micah's Message For Today"
Samuel Rutherford The Loveliness of Christ
When the Lord's blessed will blows across your desires, it is best to strike sail in humility, and deny yourself so you have no will of your own.
Jonathan Edwards Instructions To A New Convert
Pride is the worst viper that is in the heart. It is the greatest disturber of the soul’s peace and of sweet communion with Christ. It was the first sin committed and lies lowest in the foundation of Satan’s whole building. With the greatest difficulty is it rooted out, and it is the most hidden, secret, and deceitful of all lusts.
We pray that Thou wilt save us all from any pride of spiritual aristocracy, and help us to help each other toward the light. Save us from contempt and bitterness toward those whose eye of faith is not focused like ours, and save those of us who cannot see at all from misjudging those who can see. Thou hast compelled no man to acknowledge Thee, but by Thy good providences and gracious mercies Thou art drawing men unto Thyself. May we, Thy children, go and do likewise; compelling no man, by sneer or by fear, and winning all men by love and by sincerity.
Marcus Rainsford, Our Lord Prays For His Own: Thoughts on John 17
The sanctification of the believer consists as much in teaching him himself, and that he is nothing, as in teaching him that Christ is all and in all.
God's Minute: A Book of 365 Daily Prayers Sixty Seconds Long for Home Worship, George Coleman, July 1
We pray that Thou wilt save us all from any pride of spiritual aristocracy, and help us to help each other toward the light. Save us from contempt and bitterness toward those whose eye of faith is not focused like ours, and save those of us who cannot see at all from misjudging those who can see. Thou hast compelled no man to acknowledge Thee, but by Thy good providences and gracious mercies Thou art drawing men unto Thyself. May we, Thy children, go and do likewise; compelling no man, by sneer or by fear, and winning all men by love and by sincerity.
A.W. Tozer
(It is) in utter humility we are candidates for the display of God's power and are not tempted to steal His glory.
The Set of the Sail
The holy man is also the humble man and the humble man will not advertise himself nor allow others to do it for him. Spiritual virtues run deep and silent. The Christian who is zealous to promote the cause of Christ can begin by living in the power of the Spirit and so reproducing the life of Christ in the sight of men. In deep humility and without ostentation he can let his light shine. The world may pretend not to see, but it will see, nevertheless, and more than likely it will get into serious trouble with its conscience over what it sees.
J.I. Packer Rediscovering Holiness
In the spiritual life, nothing stands still. If we are not constantly growing downward into humility, we shall be steadily swelling up under the influence of pride. Humility rests on self-knowledge; pride reflects self-ignorance. Humility expresses itself in self-distrust and conscious dependence on God; pride is self-confident and self-willed.
John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress, Second Part, “The Shepherd Boy’s Song in the Valley of Humiliation”
He that is down needs fear no fall,
he that is low no pride;
he that is humble ever shall
have God to be his guide.
I am content with what I have,
little be it or much;
and, Lord, contentment still I crave,
because thou savest such.
Fullness to such a burden is
that go on pilgrimage;
here little, and hereafter bliss,
is best from age to age.
CAUTION
1 Corinthians 4:7b (ESV)
What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
No one is a "self-made man". What do you have, that you didn't receive by God's grace (John 3:27); peace with God, the certainty of heaven, the gift of the Holy Spirit, joy in the Lord, eternal life, a Christ who has become to you wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? (1 Corinthians 1:30)
William Gurnall The Christian in Complete Armour
If thou findest thy heart was warm in the work (of prayer), that thy affections flowed out to God, and (He) reciprocated love by unbosoming Himself to thee, take heed that no secret pride robs thee of thy new got treasure; be humble and thankful, remembering they were not thy own wings on which thou wert carried.
Lord Acton, regarding Oliver Cromwell, Lectures on Modern History, 1895
There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.