Arrogance/False humility, two ditches along the highway of holiness.

There are two ditches along the “highway of holiness,” one on either side. The ditches vary according to the particular stretch we are currently traveling. In our discussion in the Faculty Bible study the other day, we talked about the false humility/arrogance ditches in the context of the verse “It is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” from Philippians 1:24. For Paul “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (verse 21), but as verse 25 emphasizes, Paul was convinced that the Philippians needed him in the here and now (or the there and then?). We asked if in saying this, Paul was demonstrating a lack of humility. The related question was “Is my continuing life in the here and now, significant for others?”. The questions got us talking (if not exactly agreeing). Dialogue is good!

So what comes below is a combination of what was said, and some of my own thoughts since (it's my bog, so I am allowed :) !). So would it be lack of humility for me to say “Guys, I know that you need me, so I am confident that God is not about to take me home”? I want to suggest that it would depend on how I said it, and the attitude that lies behind it. The University is not entirely lacking in arrogance! In 1 Corinthians 8:1 (AMP) we are told “mere knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud),” on the other hand love edifies! We all know of adult spoiled brats that have far too high an opinion of themselves, and God forbid that I should be one of them! But there is an equal and opposite error that many seem to fall into, and I believe that it comes from not knowing who we are in Christ.

It is said our theology should not be the same as our hymnology. I am thinking of two hymns: John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” where he tells us that God “saved a wretch like me.” Or, Isaac Watts’ hymn “Alas! and did my saviour bleed “for such a worm as I.” Let me ask would you apply these terms to your Christian brother or sister? “You do know my brother don't you, that you are a wretch and a worm”? If you would not say such things because they would be inappropriate (and I hope that is your response), then I want to suggest that to say such things about yourself is also inappropriate! And if you say such things about yourself watch out, you are speaking about someone who is the apple of God's eye! If you would not set your brother at nought (treat him as zero - Romans 14:10 JKV), why would you consider yourself as a zero or less? Does this build you up? It has the appearance of humility, but I want to suggest that it is in fact false humility.

We can certainly have too high an opinion of ourselves, but we can also have too low an opinion. I am a child of the living God. I am Royalty (Revelation 5:10). Now for sure I can be snotty Royalty, and I can act in a way that is not consistent with my standing, but that is not how I am supposed to be. When we know who we are, and do not let it go to our heads we can walk in the authority we have been given. We have been given spiritual weapons (2 Cor 10:4ff), and armour (Ephesians 6:10ff) and authority (Mtt 28:18ff), and too many of us do not walk in these things.

In my own life I always seem to battle with unbelief at some level or other. However following some reading and listening and prayer I have been telling myself “My prayers are powerful”. Well where does this come from? In James 5:16 it says “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective”. So am I righteous? Certainly I do not have a righteousness of my own, but I do have the imputed righteousness of Christ (Philippians 3:9). And as long as I am not holding onto my sin, I can claim the verse in James as a promise. So I am telling myself that my prayers are powerful, and I will say it until I really believe it, and then I will say it because I believe it! What is interesting is that since I have been doing this, I have seen many more prayers answered! I am significant if my prayers make a difference, and they do “my prayers are powerful”. We are significant, I am significant and you are significant too. We do need to stay firmly on the highway of holiness, that is not falling into the being puffed up ditch, but neither being cow toed to the lies of the enemy who will undermine our faith and confidence in God and our calling if we let him (the false humility ditch).

Do others need my believing prayer? You bet they do! “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine”. All that comes between me and that, is my unbelief, which He tells me is sin (Hebrews 3:12). And even that is good news, because once I realize it is sin, I can confess and forsake it and be forgiven and move on to “the high calling in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). When we learn with right humility and confidence to be who we are in Christ, we will make a difference. But on top of this, we have work to do. God ordained something specific for you, and for me. But we will not find what that is if we continue to tell ourselves that we have no significance. He “prepared beforehand (works) we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). If He prepared these works individually for us, then they have to be significant. Our significant God would do nothing less.