1 PETER 5:5 – Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”.

THEME OF THE DAY. THE COST OF EXPERIENCING GOD’S AMAZING GRACE. Here is a one question theological test. It also has one word for an answer. It is not only theological but defines every aspect of our Christian experience. It is the source of our new life in Christ. It is the source of growing in Christ. It is the source of taking us someday to heaven and being with Christ. The answer? Grace. The Apostle Paul understood that everything about him was of grace. He wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). He serves as a model for all Christians. We are what we are by grace and we do what we do by grace. And this grace was costly; costly to God for He gave us His Son, the Lord Jesus, so we might know His grace. It is also costly to us. If we are to experience the amazing and liberating power of God’s grace, there is a price to be paid. The price is identified by the Apostle Peter in today’s scripture; humility – a humble life. Without humility, there is no salvation or growth in Christ. All spiritual life and spiritual advancements in life rise and fall on Spirit-produced humility. Let’s explore that a little in today’s nugget.

First, what is humility? It is defined as “the disposition of valuing or assessing oneself appropriately; especially in light of one’s sinfulness or creatureliness.” True humility may only be known and developed as we see ourselves as God sees us. There is a false humility that drives people to think poorly of themselves when compared with others. That is pride wearing a coat of false humility. True humility worked by the Spirit of God does two things; it brings us face-to-face with our total depravity and complete inability to come to God, and then grants spiritual sight to see His incredible grace reaching to us when we could not come to Him. Humility doesn’t produce a morbid sense of personal worthlessness. It produces an exalting heart of God’s mercy to reach down to an undeserving sinner. And what happens when this occurs? We become obsessed with the Lord Jesus in love and commitment to Him. Why? Only humble people are capable of loving God.

There is another important truth about humility. It is a necessity. Notice what Peter states in today’s scripture – “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The verb “opposes” is strong and serious. It means “To resist, be an adversary of, to be hostile toward.” Now think with me here. Peter is writing to Christians. He is actually warning us, “If we hold on to pride. If we refuse to take the high road toward humility, God will appear to be our enemy, not friend; our adversary, not advocate.” Be careful. God doesn’t literally become our enemy. We are reconciled to Him, but in our Christian life, if pride is something we want to hold onto, there will be no enjoyment of the Lord, no sense of His loving Presence; only a spirit of resistance, a spiritual wall between us which will not be scaled. And there are quite a few Christians across the land who are joyless, merely existing without a vibrant walk with the Lord because of pride. They have refused to exercise humility and seek forgiveness in strained relationships. They have “dug their heels” in when they have harmed someone by their prideful selfishness and resist reconciliation. They won’t say, “I was wrong.” And there are other examples where pride quenches the Spirit’s work of humility and as that occurs, all spiritual growth ceases. Are we seeing how important and necessary humility is in our walks with the Lord? I hope so . . . it is the number one thing we need to grow in grace. May the Lord help us pay the high cost in allowing the Spirit to work this wonderful and liberating fruit in our lives.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to put away all forms of pride in my life that I might experience more growth in Your grace.”

QUOTE: “A lack of humility will not only stop our growth in grace, but will bring the rod of correction into our lives.”