Biblical Building Block #27 -- Subject One to Another (I Peter 5:5) PART 3

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from a Bible Study Series taught at Fellowship Baptist Church, titled “Biblical Building Blocks for Strengthening Relationships.”

Biblical Building Block #27 -- Subject One to Another (I Peter 5:5) PART 3

I Peter 5:5, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

Two of the rarest sights are a young man who is humble and an old man who is content. Humility carries the idea of having a proper evaluation of ourselves in relationship to others. As well as having a proper evaluation of ourselves in relationship to God. All throughout the Bible we are urged to have a spirit of humility. Romans 12:10, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.” Philippians 2:3, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Andrew Murray, said, “Humility is the perfect quietness of the heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble. The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself, he simply does not think of himself at all.” Humility has always been a quality and characteristic of a child of God filled with the Spirit of God and submitted to the Son of God. Peter Marshall gave a picture of humility in this prayer: “Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. When we are right, make us easy to live with.” Peter went on to say, “and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” It is never humble to be hesitant where God has been clear.

Now Peter deals with the number one thing that hinders submission—that is pride. Pride will ruin you. Remember! Pride is what turned a beautiful angel into the devil. There is no future in pride. The prideful man is dangerous because he has no fear of God. Of the things that God hates, a proud look is at the top of the list (Proverbs 6:17). Prideful people are hard to work with because they are not willing to listen and allow the Lord to lead them. Clothing is usually the first thing you notice when you see someone. Just as clothes cover the body, so the believer should be literally covered with humility. Humility is an attitude that puts others first. Submission is not a problem to one who is clothed in humility. A humble person will have no problem submitting to authority. Paul said in Philippians 2:3-4, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

For example, on his way to a reception in his honor, Ulysses S. Grant got caught in a rainstorm. Grant shared his umbrella with a stranger going to the same reception. The stranger did not recognize the person offering the umbrella was Grant. Stranger said, "I have never seen Grant, but I have always thought that he was a very much, overrated man." Grant responded, "That's my view, also." Humility is seeing yourself as you truly are. This is the hard part for us because we like to perfume and decorate the image of ourselves. Perhaps one on the worst things social media allows is for the user to photoshop themselves. A person with humility does not pretend to be blind to his great abilities and gifts that God has given to him. Humility acknowledges those abilities, but gives God the glory for them and credits those people that have invested their lives into you that have helped to develop those abilities.

When the humble person is successful, they do not view themself above others or expect others to give them recognition.
In 1853, J. Hudson Taylor arrived in Shangai as a 21 year old missionary. Twelve years later, he founded the China Inland Mission and became the first Protestant missionary to go into inland China. Taylor led the China Inland Mission for the next 40 years and at the time of his death in 1905, the mission had:
205 stations. 849 missionaries. 125,000 Chinese Christians. Taylor also translated the New Testament into the Ningpo dialect. Near the end of his life, two ladies in Shanghai once began talking about him, wondering if he was ever tempted to be proud. One of the ladies went and asked "You must certainly be proud about all the things you have done." Then immediately Hudson replied with this answer, "I never knew I had done anything." He was right. Hudson Taylor never had done anything, for it was God who had worked in and through him, and he realized this truth.

Humility is the first step to the following things:
1. The glory of the creature (Revelation 4:11; Luke 17:10).
2. Redemption (Philippians 2:5-8).
3. Riches and honor (Proverbs 15:33; 22:4; Matthew 5:3).
4. Fellowship (Isaiah 57:15; 66:2).
5. Soul rest (Matthew 11:29).
6. Personal salvation (Matthew 18:3; Luke 18)
7. Greatness (Matthew 20:26-27; Luke 22:26)
8. Exaltation (Matthew 23:12; Luke 14:11)
9. Revelation (Matthew 11:25; Luke 10:21)
10. Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3; 5:21; I Peter 5:5)
11. Faith (Matthew 8:8; 15:28; John 4:50)
12. Victorious Christian living (Romans 12:10, 16; I Corinthians 13; Galatians 5:26; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 3:5-14; I John 4:20; I Timothy 1:15; Titus 2:11-14).

Ten Examples of Humility:
1. Abraham (Genesis 18:27, 32)
2. Jacob (Genesis 32:10-11)
3. Moses (Exodus 4:10; Numbers 12)
4. David (II Samuel 7:18-19; I Chronicles 17:17)
5. Job (Job 42:4-6)
6. Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5)
7. The centurion (Matthew 8:8)
8. John the Baptist (John 3:30)
9. Jesus (Philippians 2)
10. Paul (Ephesians 3:8; I Timothy 1:15)

Thank you for reading PART 3 of Biblical Building Block #27 of this series. Please visit this website tomorrow for PART 4 of Biblical Building Block #27 of this series.

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