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Humility in Action James 4:11-17. God gives grace to the humble, not the proud “ proud” to have an exaggerated opinion of yourself.
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God gives grace to the humble, not the proud “proud” to have an exaggerated opinion of yourself “As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you .” C.S. Lewis Review 4:6-10
God gives grace to the humble, not the proud “proud” to have an exaggerated opinion of yourself “humble” to see yourself accurately as a dependent creature living before a Holy God “grace” undeserved favor from God Review 4:6-10
Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. God gives grace to the humble, not the proud Review 4:6-10
Don’t “speak against” one another slander gossip ridicule insubordination Speak humbly of others
Don’t “judge” one another to set apart, distinguish Speak humbly of others
Don’t “judge” one another to publically point out someone’s faults or sins in order to condemn him Speak humbly of others
“If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Matthew 18:15–17
Don’t “speak against” one another Don’t “judge” one another Because it... makes us law-breakers usurps God’s authority Speak humbly of others
Practical suggestions: Go to the person, not to others Be careful getting advice If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all! Speak humbly of others
NOT condemning... planning Proverbs 21:5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty. Plan humbly for the future
NOT condemning... planning profit Plan humbly for the future
Condemns presumptuous planning planning as if we control our future planning that leaves God out planning motivated by pride Plan humbly for the future
Condemns presumptuous planning because... we don’t know what the future holds Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Plan humbly for the future
Condemns presumptuous planning because... we don’t know what the future holds our lives are fleeting Plan humbly for the future
And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods... Luke 12:16–21
... And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16–21
The right way to plan for the future (v15) entrust your future to God hold your plans loosely “Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” Corrie Ten Boom Plan humbly for the future
How have I spoken of others lately? slander, gossip, ridicule, fault-finding How have I planned for the future? trust God and hold plans loosely? or trust my intellect, skill, & strength and get angry when things go contrary to plan? Are you proud or humble?
