"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord..."
Text: James 4:10
THE PROBLEM OF PRIDE
One of the greatest problems the Scriptures highlight is the sin of pride or arrogance. Two examples may be cited.
1. The Tower of Babel
a) The arrogant people wanted to build a tower so high it would virtually reach heaven.
b) God scattered the people (Genesis 11:1-9).
2. King Nebuchadnezzar
a) He was one of the mightiest kings that ruled the earth.
b) God had to chastise him by letting him suffer a severe mental illness (Daniel 4).
THE CALL TO HUMILITY
James issued a strong and important call to humble oneself before the Lord.
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
and He will lift you up.”
James 4:10
1. “Humble yourselves”
a) What is there to be proud of in ourselves in the first place?
b) So many take pride in the following:
i) Intellect (the wise man)
ii) Power (the mighty man)
iii) Wealth (the rich man) Jeremiah 9:23-24
2. “In the sight of the Lord”
a) We need to beware of false humility.
i) This is nothing more than hypocrisy.
ii) False humility is often paraded to win applause from men.
b) True humility is the person who stands before the Lord
i) He cannot but recognise how sinful he is before a holy God.
ii) He cannot but desire to be cleansed from all his sins (Psalms 32, 51).
3. “And He will lift you up”
a) True exaltation must come from the Lord.
b) The Lord Jesus is the classic example of how God will exalt the humble person (Philippians 2:5-11).