Thank you for coming back to the study this week. Love is extremely powerful and this study can go on and on, and in many different directions. Your answered prayer, health, and prosperity are all tied into love. But, for this study on humility, we’re just going to focus on Biblical humility, and a revelation from The Holy Spirit concerning pride.
What is real Biblical humility? The definitions on the internet are wild. I’ve read it’s recognizing you’re a sinner, respecting yourself and others, surrendering to the Lord, fearing God, and thankfully being poor as a definition has run its course. None of these things are true. Humility means to be low minded. Pride is high minded.
Oxford defines humility as having or showing a modest estimate of one’s value or importance; not arrogant or self-important.
Does that mean we’re supposed to go around convincing people we’re nothing but living dirt and mentally abusing ourself until we’re almost depressed? Absolutely not! The key to having a firm grasp on humility is to recognize pride and remove it from your life. First let’s look at a couple scriptures about Jesus, and then we’ll jump into recognizing pride in the next study.
Philippians 2.5-8 NKJV
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus was humble. We’re seated WITH Jesus in Heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), but we’re also to make ourselves of no reputation (going low instead of high). Jesus speaking of Himself….
John 5:19, 30 NKJV
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
One more…
Mark 10:18 NKJV
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
What?? He didn’t even want to be called good? I practice this in my own life. When I do something for someone and they want to praise me, I kindly say, “This is the Holy Spirit working through me.” Sometimes I’ll say, “This is Christ on me and through me.” If they get insistent with trying to praise me, I say the truth, “Christi without Christ is selfish. This is truly a work of Christ in me.” I am. That’s true and I’m bold enough to say it! We don’t have to put ourself down or speak abusively about who we are, but recognize it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20). That’s a part of what that scripture means.
We all know that pride can destroy your life, even when everything seems to be going well. Scripture tells us…
Proverbs 16:18 NKJV
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
We see in the Bible, that’s exactly what happened to Judas. Let’s look at the story in the Bible and pick up where Jesus was in Simon the leper’s house….
John 12:3-7 NKJV
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
That’s not too bad of a correction, but let’s look at Mark’s account…
Mark 14:6-9 NKJV
6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
When we read the two accounts together, we can see something different. Judas wanted the money and was spouting off with arrogant nobility about giving to the poor. In the course of his arrogant actions, he was emotionally stomping all over Mary and putting her down. If you read Matthew’s account, in chapter 26 verse “But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, ‘Why this waste?’” We seeJudas stirred the disciples up against Mary, who weren’t stealing from the money bag. They thought Judas’ position on the oil was noble and agreed with him. Jesus was justified in making this type of public correction to Judas. But going even farther, because Mary had done something so special, Jesus said this would be told as a memorial to her in the whole world. That hurt Judas’ pride! So now he’s not only offended, but his pride is hurt! Let’s read on…
Mark 14:10 NKJV
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
That was Judas’ next move. He was angry, offended, and his pride hurt over the public humiliation. He was humiliated, because he was falsely humiliating Mary and Jesus and stirring up others to join in. Let’s see what happened as a result the next day….
John 13:27 NKJV
Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Satan entered Judas. How was Satan able to enter Judas? Let’s take a look at what Jesus said in the next chapter about Satan, and we will have our answer.
John 14:30 Hebrew Gospels
From now I will not speak many things with you, because the prince of this world has already come, and he has nothing in me
Jesus has nothing in common with Satan; no sin, no foothold, no open door, nothing! There was nothing of Satan’s in Jesus. What did Judas have in common with the Satan? Pride. Satan’s pride was found in Judas so he was free to enter him. What does that say about us? Where does that leave us if we have pride? We’re born again, so we cannot be possessed like Judas. But when we act in pride, we certainly have something in common with the Satan, HIMSELF. We have something of his in us. That being said, how does God feel about pride?
Proverbs 6:16-17 NKJV
16 These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look,
The first one listed is a proud look, but what does it mean? The word for look in Hebrew is an ancient word, ayin, and has a variety of meaning. It can mean appearance, resemblance, presence, or countenance. We can read this, “The Lord hates…a proud presence.”
Everyone has to deal with pride. It’s a big part of our flesh, and this world. One more 10 chapters down…
Proverbs 16:5 NKJV
Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
Ouch, and we can see why! It will give us something in common with Satan. Something of Satan will be found in us.
Next week, we’ll finish the study, unless the Holy Spirit leads in another direction. We’ll study how to identify pride, and how to eradicate it from our lives. Thank you for going through this study with me. Studying on pride was life changing to me, and I hope it has an impact on your life as well.
Lord, if there is any pride in our life, please forgive us for it. Grant us grace to change what’s displeasing to you that we may walk in greater grace, greater victory, and be trustworthy for the greater works of Christ. Thank you that you love us and You’re very patient with us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Christi
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