Humility and Pride Verses Abased and Exalted

Article aK 1989

True humility has only one foundation on which it can be received and possessed. This foundation is a living faith in God's goodness and Holiness as compared to the depravity and nothingness of one's self as well as all man. When one lacks the vision of God's goodness and Holiness and man's depravity and nothingness he is proud no matter how lowly he esteems himself as related to other individuals. There is a definite difference between being exalted by God and being proud, as well as there is a definite difference between being abased by God and being humble. When one properly esteems himself in relation to God he is humble and will be exalted of God. When one improperly esteems himself in relation to God he is proud and will be abased by God. When God exalts one, he can remain humble or he can become proud. God may abase one, yet such an one may not repent and find humility. aK-1

One does not need to become blind to be humble but only must see truth. One only becomes proud when he becomes blind. Oh may man see the gulf between the Holiness and goodness of God and man's depravity and nothingness, when one searches and finds the vision of such he has humbled himself under the mighty hand of God. Such vision inspires and is the only foundation upon which one can properly appreciate the plan of salvation and properly believe in God's sacrifice for sin. aK-2

One of Satan's greater tools against true humility is that of causing men to measure themselves by how they relate to other individuals rather than how they relate to God's standard of Holiness and goodness. One of Satan's greater tools against the Christian's growth and their effective service to God is that of causing God's children to measure themselves by others or by an accepted standard of the time, rather than with God's standard and requirement for them. God leads His children on an upward climb and for one to compare himself with another who possibly has only begun the upward climb or has been unfaithful could well cause his Spiritual destruction. One's personal need to continually become more fruitful never ceases. Those that bear fruit God purges so they will bear more fruit, and as He gives more, groweth He require more fruit. One should consider that God would more likely accept a small and healthy tree bearing sweet and tender fruit than a tree that God has nourished to become a large tree but it then resisted God's workings upon it and lost it's tender and sweet fruit. Jesus in Luke 17 revealed that His children are unprofitable servants which only do their duty, and in the light of man's depravity and nothingness as related to God's Holiness and goodness such is very obvious. The further God leads His children the more fruit they will bear and yet the more they will realize their depravity. aK-3

Humility is not becoming blind to our good but realizing that even at the best our good is as filthy rags. How can man who is corrupt and depraved, measure or comprehend how wicked he is and how far removed he is from true Holiness when he himself is corrupt and thus must measure with that which is corrupt? "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer 17:9). Only God can reveal it to man and yet we see as through a glass darkly. When God gives man vision and man becomes humbled under the mighty hand of God how thankful he is for his salvation and how worthless things of this present life become. He becomes thankful and content with just the basics of life. May God grant His people vision and humility. aK-4

(Count 654 2/17/01)