act 20v19 Serving The Lord With All Humility

 

 

"SERVING THE LORD WITH ALL HUMILITY"

Acts 20:19

We claim to be God's servants, men and women under the rule of Christ. Do we not? If our profession is true, if we truly serve the Lord Jesus Christ, our hearts' attitude before him is humility. This is what I mean: If I am God's servant, the purpose, goal, aim, and motive of my heart in what I do is the glory of God. If I serve Christ with humility, I will be honored to serve him whenever, wherever, and however he may allow me. I will not have to be prodded into serving him, constrained by threats of punishment, or bribed by promises of reward. I will serve my Lord willingly.

                Humility is a matter of the heart. It is not, as many think, timidity, weakness, or cowardliness. It is not an unwillingness to be bold, decisive, and uncompromising in the cause of Christ. Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist could hardly be described by such terms. Yet, they were truly humble men. HUMILITY IS BROKENNESS OF HEART BEFORE GOD OVER SIN AND OUT OF GRATITUDE FOR HIS LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE TO SINNERS IN CHRIST. Here are six characteristics of humility, as it is set forth in the Word of God:

 

(1) Humility is a heart realization of my own worthlessness before God by reason of sin (Job 40:4-5; 42:5-6; Ps. 51:4-5, 17).

(2) Humility is a heart renunciation of all personal merit and righteousness before God (Phil. 3:3-11).

(3) Humility is a part of that inexpressible gratitude of the heart to God for his great grace to me in Christ Jesus, which causes me to be forever in his debt (Ps. 116:12, 16).

(4) Humility involves a willing submission and devotion of my heart to Christ (Acts 9:6), a willing devotion of myself to Christ as my Lord, a willing submission to his providential rule, and a willing determination to obey him regardless of cost.

(5) Humility gladly ascribes all that I have and all that I am to the free and sovereign grace of God in Christ (I Cor. 15:10). And

(6) Humility, if I have any, is the mind of Christ in me, which causes me to love my brethren, esteem them more highly than myself, prefer their honor to my own, and gladly give myself to their interests (Phil. 2:3-8).