Increased Humility

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5).

Those who are humble receive grace from Him, for only those who are humble know that they are in need of grace. God is gracious with His grace. He demonstrates it on the cross. But His grace is only available to the humble. The proud can’t receive it because they themselves are the source of grace. One of the marks of growing in grace is increased humility. The way the Bible describes humility is different from our cultural understanding. We usually define humility in relation to people. We who are mature enough to put on different cultural masks know how to talk and act humbly. The biblical description of humility is related to God. It is a vertical dimension of knowing oneself before the holy, transcendent God. J. C. Ryle noted:

The man whose soul is “growing” feels his own sinfulness and unworthiness more every year. He is ready to say with Job, “I am vile—and with Abraham, I am “dust and ashes”—and with Jacob, “I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies”—and with David, “I am a worm”—and with Isaiah, “I am a man of unclean lips”—and with Peter, “I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Job 40:4; Gen. 18:27; 32:10; Ps. 22:6; Isa. 6:5; Luke 5:8). The nearer he draws to God, and the more he sees of God’s holiness and perfection, the more thoroughly is he sensible of his own countless imperfections. The further he journeys in the way to heaven, the more he understands what St. Paul means when he says, “I am not already perfect”—“I am not meet to be called an apostle”—“I am less than the least of all saints”—“I am chief of sinners” (Phil. 3:12; 1 Cor. 15:9; Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 1:15). The riper he is for glory, the more, like the ripe corn, he hangs down his head. The brighter and clearer is his light, the more he sees of the shortcomings and infirmities of his own heart. When first converted, he would tell you he saw but little of them compared to what he sees now. Would anyone know whether he is growing in grace? Be sure that you look within for increased humility.[1]

Biblical notion of humility comes from the inside out, not outside in. Human sinfulness is exposed as we are drawn near to Him. The closer we are to the mirror, the clearer we see the dirt on our faces.

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[1] J. C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2007), p. 110