A religious man was diagnosed with prostate cancer. At his request some people prayed for him that his operation would be successful and that he would be given the all-clear. Those prayers were answered. As a result, the man decided to get up early and go to his church every morning. When told that God is not looking for that, he rejected it by saying that he loved God and that his church-going, “was the least I can do.” A soldier with much experience in war, years later experienced the Lord Jesus in His life and he began to see that it was God who had been protecting him. He too decided he would pray and go to church, “because I owe Him that much.”
A lady, upon retiring from the work-force gave over twenty years service working in a shop which raised money for one of her favorite charities. She had little respect for churches, having attended one as a young lady, only to be glared at by a couple of parishioners because she happened to be sitting in their spot. She acknowledged Jesus Christ as the Savior of souls and hoped hers was saved because she’d always tried to do her best in life, “which is more than I can say for many church hypocrites.” A church minister denied the Bible to be God’s revelatory word to man, but “one must always do one’s best in life and use what God has given us. That way we know we are serving Him and will be rewarded.”
A regular church-going husband and wife expressed their doubts in the existence of God, but each continued with their religious practice, “just in case we’re wrong.” A retired man has for twenty years or more tirelessly involved himself with three or four community organisations. He’s agnostic. But in any case, “if there is a God, well then at least He’ll know what kind of life I have led, which is more than I can say for some Christians!” A terminally ill woman with only hours to live rejected the gospel message of salvation, telling me that “if your simple faith” (in Jesus) was all that’s required for me to enter heaven, then my life has been a waste.”
Interesting words, “simple faith.” They were allowed to become the stumbling block, not only to the people mentioned here, but also to countless numbers of people I’ve shared the gospel of Christ with. Church-goers or not, most people don’t like “simple faith.” Why not? Because it disarms them. It strips them of all they are and/or think they are. In recent months the Holy Spirit of God has been impressing upon me that the hardest thing for people to embrace (“religious” or otherwise), is not to increase their church-going & praying 7-fold, not to feverishly get to work on the IOU debt, not doing the best with what God has given them, nor is it twenty-year charity/community work – nothing at all like that!
The hardest thing for people to embrace is……humility. By comparison to humility, those other things are dead-easy – disarming them of nothing, stripping them of nothing. On the contrary, at all times it leaves them totally in control of who they are, what they are, what they do, plus how and when they will do it. Such people may well call it “faith” too, but they’ll never call it “simple faith.” The very thought of that is offensive to them. And as for we who have humbled ourselves and are living by such faith, we are not seen as faithful, but we are seen as simple! That’s the label placed upon all non-compromising Bible-centered, Jesus-centered people.
Something else I’ve noticed about “simple faith” Christians. The moment one begins to open his or her mouth and speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, that one is seen as anything but humble – especially by the religious. Seen as spiritually proud, judgmental, bigoted, lacking love, compassion and sensitivity, yes – but not humble. But I thank God for the anointing of the Spirit because He never fails to show that the very people who accuse us of these things, are in fact themselves the ones who are judgmental, bigoted, etc. The moment I hear someone saying, “I don’t like to be judgmental……..I’m not one to judge…..,” it is only a matter of time when they will go on to do what they say they don’t like to do. I’ve never known it to be otherwise.
The Bible gives various meanings to the words humble and humility and it is therefore, important for all Christians to study the nature and character of both Old Testament and New Testament servants of God. Some of them most certainly would not be seen by today’s generation as humble men. In fact it was because of their so-called lack of humility that most of them lost their lives. Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit they offended the religious and non-religious alike and in the end they paid the ultimate price for doing so. Today, whether in the church or in government, in business or society we witness plenty of false humility, but the real thing is a rarity.
Jesus’ disciples once asked Him who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So He called a little child over and had him stand in the midst of them. Then He told the disciples that unless they were willing to change and become like little children they would be unable to enter heaven Matthew 18:1-4. People love to do, but they love not to change. Recently I heard a line in a movie on TV, “I would love to believe that there was a Higher Being somewhere, but I just can’t get my head around it.” The classic response, “Well, maybe it’s your head that’s getting in the way.” When it comes to matters of the head God gets plenty of takers – always has. When it comes to matters of the heart He gets very few takers – always has.
So then, what is true biblical humility? Thanks to the Internet there are plenty of studies to be found and downloaded on the subject. But for this post, I prefer an explanation given by Lawrence O. Richards from his Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: “Humility in our relationship with God is seen when we refuse to stand in judgment on His word, but instead respond immediately, recognizing God as the ultimate authority in our life. The dependence and responsiveness of the child (Matthew 18:4) is to mark our attitude in our personal relationship with the Lord.” Today’s church and society is full of believers in God but there are few who believe God.
It all comes down to one’s attitude towards His word. It is not “simple faith” Christians who make that call it is the God of “simple faith” Christians – an entirely different God altogether than the god of these people. The one who says he loves God may well do so even though he or she is ignorant of His true nature & character. But if that’s so they will humble themselves and keep on searching until they find Him Jeremiah 29:13. Once they do find Him they will then allow the Lord to prepare their hearts for change. On the other hand, if they do not find Him that means they allowed their head to get in the way of their heart. And, deep within that heart they know this to be the truth, therefore that’s why they are without excuse Romans 1:20.
Spiritual IOU debtors, community do-gooders, doers of one’s best, doubters in God’s existence, plus agnostics – all of these too are without excuse for the same reasons. None of this activity will ever bring us to God whilst there’s a refusal to embrace biblical humility. God has harsh words for those who believe otherwise, “……we are all like an unclean thing. And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags……” Isaiah 64:6. In reality, God is saying to these people, “You are not trusting in the righteousness of My Son Jesus who shed His blood in a once-for-all sacrifice for you, you are trusting in your own self-righteousness….but the best you can do is filthy and I will not look at it.”
Traditional, institutionalised religion is the main culprit here and as a result, it’s perpetrators await a harsh judgment from God at His Great White Throne Revelation 20:11. Its masterstroke all the way down through history has been that of keeping back TRUTH that leads to liberty. Instead they have continued to feed the deep, lasting guilts and fears that are in the hearts and minds of all people, not only religious but society in general. Coupled with this, they have created the strongest of all influences upon people to embrace & practice self-righteousness. Colossians 2:14 tells us Jesus, “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that are against us, which was contrary to us…..nailing it to the cross.”
Whatever else that Scripture means, it does mean that we are finished with the slavery of trying to obey religious law. God will not look at it. God is the Law-giver. The Law of God still applies….BUT, those who humble themselves before God and receive His Son Jesus into their hearts as Savior and Lord are no longer under religious law, they come under grace. Again, whatever else that means (and it means plenty), it means that the Law-giver has now entered my heart and takes up His responsibility as my Law-keeper.
In other words, I am not responsible for the obeying of all God’s requirements. My responsibility is to humble myself and yield to the promptings of my indwelling Lord (God, Master) and grant Him that responsibility. It matters not what I do by way of religious & secular works, I cannot ever earn God’s favor. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.