HUMILITY

HUMILITY

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro

Main Text:. Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV):
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!"

Supporting Texts: Matthew 23:12, James 4:10, Proverbs 22:4, Micah 6:8, 1 Peter 5:5-6

INTRODUCTION:
Humility is often misunderstood in today’s world, where success, power, and self-promotion are highly valued. In contrast, the Bible teaches us that humility is a critical virtue, essential for true greatness in the kingdom of God. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. It is an attitude of the heart that is reflected in how we treat others and how we approach God.

Jesus Christ, the ultimate model of humility, showed us that true greatness comes from serving others and putting the interests of others before our own. He, being fully God, humbled Himself and took on human form, living a life of sacrifice and obedience to God. Humility, therefore, is not weakness but strength that is expressed through selflessness and the willingness to serve others.

1. HUMILITY IS THE OPPOSITE OF PRIDE

Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to humility. It makes us think more highly of ourselves than we ought, and it hinders our relationship with God and others.

a) Pride Elevates Us Above Others.
Pride causes us to elevate ourselves above others, often leading to arrogance and a lack of empathy (James 4:6).

b) Pride Disrupts Relationships.
Pride creates barriers between people because it fosters a competitive and judgmental spirit (Proverbs 16:18).

c) Pride Leads to Destruction.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride leads to spiritual ruin and separation from God.

d) Humility Allows Us to Serve Others.
True humility sees others as more important and seeks to serve them, rather than seeking to be served (Philippians 2:3).

Biblical Example: King Nebuchadnezzar's pride led to his downfall when he failed to humble himself before God. God humbled him by making him live like an animal until he acknowledged God’s sovereignty (Daniel 4:28-37).

2. JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of humility. Despite being the Son of God, He humbled Himself to serve others, even to the point of death on the cross.

a) Jesus Embraced Servanthood.
Although He was King, Jesus took the role of a servant, washing His disciples’ feet and teaching them to do the same (John 13:12-17).

b) Jesus Rejected Earthly Glory.
Jesus did not seek glory or recognition from men. He rejected the temptation to rule in worldly power (Matthew 4:8-10).

c) Jesus Died for the Sake of Others.
Christ’s ultimate act of humility was His sacrificial death on the cross for the salvation of humanity (Philippians 2:8).

d) Jesus Called Us to Follow His Example.
Jesus calls us to live with humility, to serve others, and to think of others before ourselves (Luke 22:26-27).

Biblical Example: Jesus washing the disciples' feet is the clearest example of His humility. Despite being their Master, He chose to perform the lowest task, showing His disciples that humility is the way to greatness in God's kingdom (John 13:1-17).

3. HUMILITY BRINGS GOD’S FAVOUR

God honors those who humble themselves before Him. Humility opens the door for God’s blessings, favour, and exaltation.

a) God Lifts the Humble.
James 4:10 promises, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” God rewards humility with His favour and promotion.

b) Humility Draws Us Closer to God.
When we humble ourselves, we acknowledge our dependence on God, which draws us closer to Him (Matthew 23:12).

c) Humility is Key to True Greatness.
In God’s kingdom, true greatness is defined by humility, not by wealth or status (Luke 14:11).

d) God Resists the Proud.
On the contrary, God opposes the proud and resists those who walk in arrogance (James 4:6).

Biblical Example: Jesus said that those who humble themselves like children are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3-4). The humble are exalted, while the proud are brought low.

4. HUMILITY ENABLES US TO LOVE AND FORGIVE OTHERS

Humility is essential for cultivating love, compassion, and forgiveness in our relationships with others.

a) Humility Makes Us Gentle.
A humble heart is gentle and kind, able to show love and patience even when wronged (Ephesians 4:2).

b) Humility Removes Self-Righteousness.
Humility allows us to forgive others and not think of ourselves as better or more deserving (Matthew 18:21-22).

c) Humility Helps Us to Serve Others.
True humility is demonstrated when we serve others selflessly and without seeking recognition (Philippians 2:4).

d) Humility Leads to Unity.
Humble people are more likely to promote unity in the body of Christ and in the world, as they do not seek to promote their own interests (Romans 12:10).

Biblical Example: Jesus taught the parable of the unforgiving servant to show the importance of humility in forgiveness. Despite being forgiven a great debt, the servant could not extend the same grace to others (Matthew 18:21-35).

5. HUMILITY ENCOURAGES PEACE AND RECONCILIATION

Humility plays a significant role in fostering peace and reconciliation, both in our relationship with God and with others.

a) Humility Leads to Peacemaking.
Humble people are quick to reconcile and bring peace, as they do not cling to pride or grudges (Matthew 5:9).

b) Humility Softens Our Hearts.
Humility enables us to listen, understand, and empathize with others, fostering peace (Proverbs 15:1).

c) Humility Promotes Harmony in the Church.
Humility is necessary for unity in the body of Christ, as we prioritize others’ needs above our own (Ephesians 4:2).

d) Humility Prevents Conflict.
Pride often leads to conflict, but humility promotes understanding and resolution of disputes (James 4:1-3).

Biblical Example: The apostle Paul encourages the church in Philippi to “make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2), urging them to humble themselves for the sake of unity.

CONCLUSION:
Humility is a powerful virtue that is essential for our relationship with God and with others. It is not a sign of weakness but of strength, as it requires self-control, trust in God, and a servant heart. Jesus is our ultimate model of humility, and we are called to follow His example in all areas of our lives.

When we walk in humility, we experience God’s favour, we are able to serve and love others, and we contribute to peace and unity in our world. Let us embrace humility, not as a burden, but as a privilege, for in it lies the true path to greatness in the kingdom of God.

PRAYER POINTS:

1.  Lord, grant me a humble heart that seeks to serve others and not myself.

2.  Father, help me to follow the example of Jesus in all things, especially in humility.

3.  I repent of any pride or arrogance in my life, and I surrender it to You.

4.  Lord, teach me to value others above myself and to serve them selflessly.

5.  Help me to embrace humility in my relationships with others, seeking reconciliation and peace.

PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS:

1.  As you humble yourself before the Lord, He will exalt you in due season.

2.  God is removing pride from your life and filling you with the spirit of humility.

3.  The humble will experience God’s favour, promotion, and peace.

4.  You will find strength in humility to serve and love others as Christ did.

5.  God is using your humility to bring reconciliation and unity in your relationships.

DEALING WITH PRIDE

 

INTRODUCTION:

The writer of Proverbs tells us that “God hates the proud look” and that

“There is more hope for a fool than a man who is wise in his own conceit.”

 

Think about it, “Do you want God to look at you and see something He hates.” No! Well, He hates a proud look. A proud look is the facial expression that proceeds from a proud heart.

 

Think about it, “Do you want God to look at your life and see something that will cause Him to resist you?” No! Well, the Word of God says, God resist the proud!

The problem with PRIDE is its middle letter. It is the self-centered life. It is the “Big Me” and “Little You” type of thinking. So in this message I want to make you hate the thing that God hates. The way I am going to attempt to do that is by reminding you of what Pride will cause in your life:

 

 

1. Pride will cause you to miss God and find trouble.

Proverbs “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

 

ILLUS—One of the more recent technological developments has been the Global Satellite Positioning device, or GPS. You can look on a map and then see where you are in relation to where you are going. If you don’t know where you are going, you can just check it as you move and see the direction you are headed and then you can know where you are going.

 

Similarly, you can look into your life and if you see Pride, the Bible tells you that you can know where you are headed—toward destruction and a fall.

 

2. Pride will cause you to see the faults of others but not your own.

Luke 18: 10  "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11  "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  12  `I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'  13  "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!'  14  "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

 

QUESTION--In the above story, who got attention? Both of them did. One got man’s attention. The other got God’s attention.

 

Even the world is turned off by a boastful arrogant individual who thinks they are better than everybody else.

 

There is a principle in the above story. The man who makes himself tall will in the end be made small.

 

3. Pride will cause you to have a faulty view of God and self--this is what   happened to the devil.

 

1 Timothy 3:6  not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the [same] condemnation as the devil.

 

ILLUS--In other words, PRIDE blinds us to who we really are. Therefore we become too self-important and begin thinking the earth actually rotates around us. Remind you of someone else? Reminds me of what happened to Lucifer who fell from Heaven. Yep, he got to looking at himself and comparing how much more beautiful he was than the other angels, and then the next thing you know, he thinks he should be God. What happened? He fell. What awaits him? Eternal destruction.

 

Pride will cause you to follow the wrong set of footprints dear friend!

 

4. Pride will cause God to resist you.

1 Peter 5:5  Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to [your] elders. Yes, all of [you] be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for  "God resists the proud,  But gives grace to the humble."  6  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,  7  casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

Illus—In a football game we often see a running back put out a stiff arm to keep a defender from tackling him. To me, this is the picture I see in the above verse. God stiff arms the person who has pride. In other words, whatever God is carrying, you can’t get to it if there is pride in the way.

 

5. Pride will cause you NOT to submit to God and NOT resist the Devil.

James 4: 6  But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:  "God resists the proud,  But gives grace to the humble."  7  Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  

 

NO SUBMISSION TO GOD

-Pride is a prayer killer.

Prayers from a proud heart go no further than our own ears which is why the proud person prays anyway, to hear himself.

 

NO RESISTANCE TO THE DEVIL

 

Illus—There is a terrible flu season going on this year. People are being encouraged to have their flu shots in order to create resistance to the flu virus going around. People take the vaccinations because they don’t want the flu to attack them if it comes near them.

 

 

If there were no other reason to avoid PRIDE it would be enough to know that PRIDE will take away your resistance to the Devil. You do not have the power to overcome and defeat the Devil with PRIDE in your heart. PRIDE I self-reliance and you can’t defeat the Devil without relying on the power of Jesus Christ.

 

CONCLUSION—I am calling on this church to be filled with hatred! Yes, hatred! May God help us to hate PRIDE when we see in our lives.

 

God hates pride, therefore we should hate pride.

 

Proverbs 6:16  These six [things] the Lord hates,  Yes, seven [are] an abomination to Him:  17  A proud look,