Key Verse: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 Humility Required for Christian unity. This is the mindset of those who are not conceited but who have a right attitude toward themselves and others. Value others above yourselves. Not that everyone else is superior or more talented, but that Christian love sees others as worthy of preferential treatment. Similar verses include: Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, opposes the proud “God but shows favor to the humble.” 1Peter 5:5 is a universal human problem. Everyone suffers from it to some degree. When we have exalted ourselves in pride, God does not want to punish us and bring us low but rather to forgive and restore us. He says again and again in Scripture, humble yourselves, and I will exalt you. This gives us hope and encouragement. God takes pleasure in our efforts to humble ourselves, and he loves to bless and exalt the humble. For just as pride is the root of all sin, so is the root, mother, “humility nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue,” as John Chrysostom once remarked. Admittedly, humility and the humbling of oneself is out of fashion in today’s world and seems unappealing to most of us. However, as Jonathan Edwards said, “We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.” Our perspective on humility can be radically changed if we will ponder and meditate on the greatest example of humility in history: Jesus Christ. By the very act of leaving heaven, coming to earth, and taking the form of man, he demonstrated an unfathomable humbling of himself. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus
Key Verse: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 Humility Required for Christian unity. This is the mindset of those who are not conceited but who have a right attitude toward themselves and others. Value others above yourselves. Not that everyone else is superior or more talented, but that Christian love sees others as worthy of preferential treatment. Similar verses include: Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1Peter 5:5 is a universal human problem. Everyone suffers from it to some degree. When we have exalted ourselves in pride, God does not want to punish us and bring us low but rather to forgive and restore us. He says again and again in Scripture, humble yourselves, and I will exalt you. This gives us hope and encouragement. God takes pleasure in our efforts to humble ourselves, and he loves to bless and exalt the humble. For just as pride is the root of all sin, so “humility is the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and bond of all virtue,” as John Chrysostom once remarked. Admittedly, humility and the humbling of oneself is out of fashion in today’s world and seems unappealing to most of us. However, as Jonathan Edwards said, “We must view humility as one of the most essential things that characterizes true Christianity.” Our perspective on humility can be radically changed if we will ponder and meditate on the greatest example of humility in history: Jesus Christ. By the very act of leaving heaven, coming to earth, and taking the form of man, he demonstrated an unfathomable humbling of himself. Throughout his life on earth, Jesus
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