The Humility of Humility

I’ve been working through Philippians 2. The Apostle Paul writes strikingly and clearly about the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. And while this central truth of Christianity is important Paul uses it as an encouragement for our lives as believers. In other words, Paul wants us to understand and to live out the reality of our union with Jesus Christ that is effected through faith alone. So what does union with Christ practically look like?  In one word, humility.

Humility seems easier when we are faced with the accolades of others and we feel uncomfortable about the attention. We can shy away from public adulation though some of us tend to inwardly like it. Humility seems possible when we are called to perform some service that is needful but perhaps “below our pay grade.” Christians seem to quickly embrace service because after all, we know that Jesus came to serve others, us. We can “do” that. Humility is something we can resign ourselves to when things are not going our way and someone has to give in for the success of the project or ministry. That seems like the right thing to do.

Humility gets really hard when we have to, as Paul puts it, obey. Ouch! That is difficult especially for 21^st century evangelicals. That smacks of law and an unyielding God who makes Old Testament like demands. I mean, the Apostle Paul is the one who wrote, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1). We like the idea of liberty and freedom.

Paul also reminds us that not only was he a bond-servant of the Lord (Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:10) but we are to present ourselves as slaves to righteousness and servants of God (Romans 6:19). Now to be sure Paul is writing in human terms but the seriousness of the real Lordship of Jesus Christ cannot be understated. What we are talking about is sanctification.

Note the humility in the believer’s obedience in Philippians 2. The believer is to be doing all things without grumbling and disputing. God calls us like Christ to sacrifice ourselves trusting in his good plan. Like Christ by faith we are to be obedient to the extreme. God doesn’t promise us an easy life. We are called to die to self and to the world. Humility means that we ought not grumble and complain as we so often are tempted to do even when we suffer and struggle. It isn’t about our rights but God’s glory and his purposes which are really for our good. Real humility starts with easy things and moves to the sacrifice of one’s self for Christ and his kingdom glory.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…being found in the appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even, the death of the cross.”

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”