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In our past discussions on Ephesians 5:21-22, we have been discussing the issues of mutual submission and whether there is authority in marriage. \u00a0In this post, we will discuss the foundation<\/em> of humility.<\/p>\n One very important part of the nature of God that is rarely talked about is God\u2019s nature of humility. \u00a0 In fact God as the humble One is revealed in the Old Testament and also through the revelation of Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/p>\n Psalm 113:5\u20136 (NAS)<\/p>\n While the amazing Sovereignty of God and His nature of\u00a0omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience seems inconsistent with humility, yet there was something about God that was mostly hidden until Jesus revealed the nature of God. \u00a0In fact it was God\u2019s humble nature that was the very cause of Jesus becoming man. \u00a0Jesus spoke the truth when He said that to see Him was to see the Father as Jesus revealed the very nature of the Father as God.<\/p>\n John 14:8\u20139 (NAS)<\/p>\n Jesus came in the nature of the humble God as He set aside all of His rights<\/em> as God to come in humility to earth. \u00a0Paul explained that this humility was evidenced as looking out for the interests of others.<\/p>\n Jesus said that He did not come to be served, but to serve and give of Himself.<\/p>\n Matthew 20:28 (NAS)\u00a0just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As the embodiment of the humble God, Jesus did not use His power for His own benefit and His miracles were never done for His own use, but for the benefit of others.<\/p>\n Because the foundation of God\u2019s character is humility as evidenced by Jesus giving up His own rights and His own comfort to come for our <\/em>benefit, we too are required to be like Him. \u00a0We are to walk in the path set before us in humility.<\/p>\n In fact the call for us to be humble is such a basic part of God\u2019s requirement for His children, He has stated that He knows the haughty not intimately but from a distance.<\/p>\n All of us in the body of Christ without exception are called to clothe ourselves with humility toward one another.<\/p>\n This instruction is a classic one another<\/em> passage that is reciprocal in nature. \u00a0We are to take on an attitude<\/em> of humility toward one another<\/em>. \u00a0It isn\u2019t an attitude that is for some<\/strong> to others<\/em> but for all toward each other<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Are those who are in leadership exempt from showing humility towards the rest in the body of Christ? \u00a0No, they can\u2019t be exempt for the humble example of the Father shows that even the most honored of all humbled Himself.<\/p>\n In the story of the prodigal son, there is an angry second son who would not come in to the presence of the father because of his anger. \u00a0So the father went out to him<\/em> and showed him the example of a humble man. \u00a0Watch how the story unfolds as the son who had remained in the father\u2019s household rebels at his father\u2019s compassion and grace toward his brother:<\/p>\n Luke 15:21\u201328 (NAS)<\/p>\n Yet even though both <\/em>sons were given their inheritance while the father was living, the father in humility did not withhold anything that he had from his sons. \u00a0 When the youngest son returned, the father gave him a feast, his best robe<\/em>, a ring and sandals. \u00a0The feast was in honor of the son who had returned to him alive from the dead. \u00a0The robe was the very best that the father could offer. \u00a0The ring would be the signet-ring showing that the son was accepted as one who had the full rights of the father. \u00a0The sandals were the marks of a free man as slaves did not wear sandals.<\/p>\n The oldest son too had every right given to him as the father told him that all that he had he also willingly shared with his son (see verse 31 above). \u00a0While the father had every right to retain what was his own possessions to provide a living for himself, he was humble at heart and willingly shared everything with his sons. He was the perfect example of the Heavenly Father who although Sovereign in power and the One who holds the full right to reign alone<\/em><\/strong>, has shared all with us so that we would be lifted up to rule and reign at His right hand with Christ. \u00a0He didn\u2019t keep to Himself His sole rights, but gave up what had belonged exclusively to God in order to allow us to benefit from His riches.<\/p>\n Just as we are to be humble towards one another in a reciprocal way:<\/p>\n \u2026so too we are to submit to one another in a reciprocal way:<\/p>\n This has nothing to do with being subject to someone in authority over us. \u00a0It is being in submission to those who are worthy of our care and our humbly lifting them up. \u00a0Both humility and submission are to be reciprocal which means that both are \u201cone to another<\/em>\u201d in back and forth fashion. \u00a0If God Himself can set forth the example of One who gave up His rights to share all of His wealth and authority with us, why would it be so hard for us to give up our rights to lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ?<\/p>\n What about those who refuse to submit? \u00a0What if a husband says that he will not provide Christian submission to his wife for the benefit of his wife? \u00a0What if a husband wants to hold onto his male trump card and refuses to give it up his own \u201crights\u201d rather than lift up his wife?<\/p>\n Pride does not bring honor but dishonor. \u00a0In contrast, Paul was a man who had \u201crights\u201d as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet he willingly humbled himself so that the Corinthians could be exalted:<\/p>\n Those who refuse to give up their \u201crights\u201d so that others can be exalted and receive a benefit may find themselves in the pitfall of pride.<\/p>\n Think about it this way. \u00a0Who does the husband serve if he takes out his male trump card? \u00a0If a husband and wife disagree on a decision and the husband takes out his male trump card that gives him the right<\/em> to make the final<\/em> decision, what are the chances that he will make a decision to go her way? \u00a0May I respectfully suggest that if the husband and wife disagree over a decision and the husband resorts to taking out his male trump card to take advance of a perceived male right<\/em> to make the final decision, he will always choose his own way. \u00a0It is because there is always selfishness<\/em> tied to a trump card. \u00a0It is not God\u2019s way of humility nor is it God\u2019s way of sharing the honor and His own rights with others.<\/p>\n For a man to override his wife\u2019s will by taking for himself a male trump card in order to have the right to make a decision for her, he is not honoring her. \u00a0Remember the humble God who came to show the way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In our past discussions on Ephesians 5:21-22, we have been discussing the issues of mutual submission and whether there is authority in marriage. \u00a0In this post, we will discuss the foundation of humility. One very important part of the nature of God that is rarely talked about is God\u2019s nature of humility. \u00a0 In fact God as the humble One is revealed in the Old Testament and also through the revelation of Jesus Christ.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,33,40,47,63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-authority-and-leadership","category-ephesians-5","category-headshipsubmission","category-marriage","category-submission"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
5 Who is like the LORD our God,<\/div>\nWho is enthroned on high,<\/div>\n6 Who humbles Himself<\/em><\/strong> to behold<\/div>\nThe things that are in heaven and in the earth?<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
8 Philip said to Him, \u201cLord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.\u201d<\/div>\n9 Jesus said to him, \u201cHave I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, \u2018Show us the Father\u2019?<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Philippians 2:3\u20138 (NAS)<\/div>\n3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;<\/div>\n4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.<\/div>\n5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,<\/div>\n6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,<\/div>\n7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.<\/div>\n8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n
Micah 6:8 (NAS)<\/div>\n8 He has told you, O man, what is good;<\/div>\nAnd what does the LORD require of you<\/div>\nBut to do justice, to love kindness,<\/div>\nAnd to walk humbly<\/em><\/strong> with your God?<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nGod Himself dwells with those who are humble:<\/div>\n\n
Isaiah 57:15 (NAS)<\/div>\n15 For thus says the high and exalted One<\/div>\nWho lives forever, whose name is Holy,<\/div>\n\u201cI dwell<\/em><\/strong> on a high and holy place<\/em><\/strong>,<\/div>\nAnd also with the contrite and lowly of spirit<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\nIn order to revive the spirit of the lowly<\/div>\nAnd to revive the heart of the contrite.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Psalm 138:6 (NAS)<\/div>\n6 For though the LORD is exalted,<\/div>\nYet He regards the lowly,<\/div>\nBut the haughty He knows from afar<\/em><\/strong>.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
1 Peter 5:5 (NAS)<\/div>\n5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another<\/em><\/strong>, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
21 \u201cAnd the son said to him, \u2018Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.\u2019<\/div>\n22 \u201cBut the father said to his slaves, \u2018Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;<\/div>\n23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;<\/div>\n24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.\u2019 And they began to celebrate.<\/div>\n25 \u201cNow his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.<\/div>\n26 \u201cAnd he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be.<\/div>\n27 \u201cAnd he said to him, \u2018Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.\u2019<\/div>\n28 \u201cBut he became angry and was not willing to go in<\/em><\/strong>; and his father came out and began pleading with him<\/em><\/strong>.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNotice how the second son was unwilling to come into the house so his father humbled himself to come out to his son. Let\u2019s keep reading for the rest of the story:<\/div>\n\n
Luke 15:29\u201332 (NAS)<\/div>\n29 \u201cBut he answered and said to his father, \u2018Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;<\/div>\n30 but when this son of yours<\/em><\/strong> came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.\u2019<\/div>\n31 \u201cAnd he said to him, \u2018Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours<\/em><\/strong>.<\/div>\n32 \u2018But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours<\/em><\/strong> was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nNotice also that the second son refused to call his brother my brother<\/strong><\/em> but referred to him in his father\u2019s presence as this son of yours<\/em>. \u00a0Notice also that the father had given both sons<\/em> their share of the estate:<\/div>\n\n
Luke 15:11\u201312 (NAS)<\/div>\n11 And He said, \u201cA man had two sons.<\/div>\n12 \u201cThe younger of them said to his father, \u2018Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.\u2019 So he divided his wealth between them<\/em><\/strong>.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NAS)<\/div>\n9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe humble God became poor so that we could through His poverty become rich and be beside Him as joint heirs:<\/div>\n\n
Romans 8:16\u201317 (NAS)<\/div>\n16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,<\/div>\n17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ\u2026<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\nAs God through Christ has revealed His humble nature and as He requires that we follow in His footsteps, are men exempt from living a life of humility? \u00a0No, not at all. \u00a0All of us are to be humble in spirit.<\/div>\n\n
1 Peter 3:8 (NAS)<\/div>\n8 To sum up, all of you<\/em><\/strong> be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit<\/em><\/strong>;<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
1 Peter 5:5 (NAS)<\/div>\n5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and\u00a0all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another<\/em><\/strong>, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Ephesians 5:21 (NAS)<\/div>\n21 and be subject to one another<\/em><\/strong> in the fear of Christ.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Proverbs 29:23 (NAS)<\/div>\n23 A man\u2019s pride will bring him low,<\/div>\nBut a humble spirit will obtain honor.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
2 Corinthians 11:7 (NAS)<\/div>\n7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself<\/em><\/strong> so that you might be exalted<\/em><\/strong>, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge?<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Proverbs 16:5 (NAS)<\/div>\n5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;<\/div>\nAssuredly, he will not be unpunished.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
1 Peter 3:7 (NAS)<\/div>\n7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir<\/em><\/strong> of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Matthew 23:12 (NAS)<\/div>\n12 \u201cWhoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Psalm 37:11 (NAS)<\/div>\n11 But the humble will inherit the land<\/div>\nAnd will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Matthew 11:29 (NAS)<\/div>\n29 \u201cTake My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Matthew 18:4 (NAS)<\/div>\n4 \u201cWhoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n