Humility is not Weakness

Andrew Murray identifies a reality, that, “Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the Christian.” So, humility—is birthed in a life focused on surrender that leaves one helplessly open to God. It is a sincere Christ centered perspective—it is when one truly has an emptying of self, acknowledging that one’s life, provision, and eternal state rests completely in the Lord's hands. 

We cannot confuse humility as weakness or the need to back down to criticism in our worship and witness of Christ.  Read the Gospels and Acts, Jesus and the disciples did not stop their witness, in humility they relied on God’s Helper to help them “run the race.”  Remember, we are in Christ’s likeness; God has made us into something great by his Spirit in us at salvation and upon us in power by Christ’s immersion of us into the Helper – His Spirit.  As Paul, said, “I am not in the least inferior to the ‘super-apostles,’ even though I am nothing” (2 Cor. 12:11).  Murray adds, “It is the surrender of faith to Jesus in His self-humiliation and death that opens the way to the full blessing of Pentecost.”  The church was birthed by wind and fire - you and I are the Church. 

We cannot attain the blessing of the Helper, without humility, and dare I say salvation, for we must be humble enough to confess our sin and trust Christ, indeed humble ourselves before the Lord (see Philippians 2:5-11).  To say I am saved and that I have the blessing of God with His Spirit in power is not a lack of humility, but a humble truth—truth that comes in power when we live in complete humility, emptying of self, in turn, being filled and overflowing with God's Spirit and power to reveal Christ. 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

Ephesians 6:10, 

Owen <><