HUMILITY

Salvation is only for those who exhibit Humility

In the Beatitudes passage taught by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5: 3-6, we see that the promises that come at the end of each of these verses have to do with the realm of salvation. The description of a born again believer in these verses is as follows :

Poor in spirit; mourn; meek; hunger and thirst

All of these are descriptive of various facets of HUMILITY

Another illustration by Jesus that salvation is for those who exhibit humility is recorded in Matthew 18: 1-4. Jesus tells us the Kingdom of God belongs to the humble. Jesus used a little child to illustrate humility. What does a little child teach us about humility?

A little child is absolutely dependent; A little child has achieved nothing

We believe in Jesus totally dependent on Him and nothing of ourselves

After Salvation, a Believer continues to exhibit Humility

There are two characteristics of a humble Christian as taught in Philippians 2:3-4.

(a) Verse 3 : Esteem others better than ourselves

- We see our own sins as worse than everybody else’s

- We are not preoccupied with criticising the sins of others

(b) Verse 4 : Look on the things of others

- We are more concerned of the success and benefits of others than ourselves

The Bible records the humility of the Apostle Paul as a good example for us to learn from:

(a) Philippians 3: 13-14 – Paul said he had not arrived to perfection but he pressed on.

(b) 1 Timothy 1: 15 – Towards the end of his life, Paul said “I am the chief sinner.”

(c) Romans 7:24 – Paul called himself “wretched man” in his inner warfare with sin.

In conclusion, may the Lord help our Church to manifest Humility before the Lord and to one another as taught in Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Elder John Leong