Theme: Even when we live as humble people for
the Lord’s sake, we will encounter suffering. In a Nutshell - Humility does not
prevent suffering.
Humility does not prevent Suffering.
Vs. 8-9 To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly,
kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not
returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead;
Lists of good and bad behavior like this are common in the
Bible.
Gal. 5:19-23 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:
immorality, impurity, sensuality,
idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
disputes, dissensions, factions,
envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I
forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;
against such things there is no law.
Eph. 5:9-12 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and
righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And do
not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose
them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them
in secret.
Eph. 5:18-20 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but
be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of
Christ.
Phil. 2:1-5 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there
is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing
from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you
regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the
interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ
Jesus.
Phil. 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good
repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your
mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard
and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.
Col. 3:12-17 And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and
beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a
complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And
beyond all these things put on love,
which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your
hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the
word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing
with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Col. 4:5-6 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the
most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may
know how you should respond to each person.
1 Thes. 4:10-11 for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are
in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make
it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work
with your hands, just as we commanded you; so that you may behave properly
toward outsiders and not be in any need.
1 Thes. 5:12-22 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those
who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give
you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their
work. Live in peace with one another. And we urge you, brethren, admonish the
unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. See
that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which
is good for one another and for all men. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in
everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not
quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form
of evil.
1 Tim 4:12 Let no one look down
on your youthfulness, but rather in
speech, conduct, love, faith and
purity, show yourself an example of those who
believe.
Heb. 10:23-25 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another
to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the
habit of some, but encouraging one
another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.
Jam. 1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in
humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
1Tim 1:5 But the goal of our
instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere
faith.
Our behavior is instructed.
Why do we need
instruction? Isn't it by grace we have
been saved through faith?
When I was growing up I remember art class being one class I
always looked forward to, even when I was an older kid. One thing every one of us kids would make was
something with clay. Funny thing, we all
made what we each desired. Some made
bowls, some necklaces, some made knickknacks and some made ashtrays. I made a coffee cup for my Mom. Isaiah 64:8 reads, "But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the
clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand." Paul
says in Romans "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?
The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,'
will it? Or does not the potter have a
right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use,
and another for common use?" (Rom 9:20)
Why do we need
instruction? For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith--and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so
that no one can boast. For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:8-10)
Where do we accept
instruction today? From School, parents, work, church, God's Word? Are we willing to actually live by HIS
instructive word?
It means accepting a certain kind of behavior.
We are to accept a certain
kind of behavior for ourselves, as Christians.
But we should not expect non-Christians to follow us in this example.
It means rejecting another kind of behavior.
At this point I need to
speak to the point -- We are not to judge non-Christians. God has already condemned them for their sin
as he did you and I. We ought to pray
for them, care for them, love them, so that they are no longer our
enemies. The behavior we are to reject
is to be within ourselves. Do you see this in your life?
It means humbling ourselves before the one instructing
you and obeying the command or accepting
the correction whatever the case may be.
Your parents say go to bed
at 10:00 pm
Your teacher says read
through chapter 13.
Your boss tells you to
finish this job by Friday.
Your God says Be Holy for I Am
Holy. (I Peter 1:16)
Humility is accepting instruction.
Humility does not prevent Suffering.
Few of us really understand what this means. Take as an example the movies. Your Mom tells you she does not want or allow
you to go to the movie "Brave
Heart". You might say to
yourself, "O.K., she doesn't want me to be watching such a violent
movie." But what if she told you not to go to the movie "Alice in Wonderland"! It sounds ridiculous!
Would you HUMBLY accept such instruction...or would you
complain, grumble, or even completely disobey her?
Humility is accepting
instruction.
Zephaniah 2:3 says "Seek the LORD, all
you humble of the land, you who do what
he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be
sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger.”
Jesus tells a parable in
Matthew about two brothers, who were asked to work in their fathers’ vineyard.
Matt 21:28 – 32 "But what
do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work
today in the vineyard.' "And he answered and said, 'I will, sir'; and he
did not go. "And he came to the second and said the same thing. But he
answered and said, 'I will not'; yet
he afterward regretted it and went. "Which
of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The latter."
Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax-gatherers and
harlots will get into the kingdom of God before you. "For John came to
you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the
tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even
feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
Take heart -- The son who
said he will not work was the one accepted into the kingdom.
Mark 9 22-24 "And it has
often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if
You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus said to him,
"'If You can!' All things are possible to him who believes." Immediately
the boy's father cried out and began saying,
"I do believe; help my unbelief."
Humility Brings Honor.
Humility does not prevent Suffering.
How is this so?
How is this so when
Proverbs 16:7 says "When a man's ways are pleasing
to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."?
Look at the example of Job:
Job 1:5 And it came about,
when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, that Job would send and
consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for
Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their
hearts." Thus Job did continually.
1:8 And the Lord said to
Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him
on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from
evil."
2:3 And the Lord said to
Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him
on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from
evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against
him, to ruin him without cause."
42:10-12 And the Lord restored
the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all
that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers, and all his sisters, and all who
had known him before, came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house;
and they consoled him and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had
brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of
gold. And the Lord blessed the latter days
of Job more than his beginning, and he had 14,000 sheep, and 6,000 camels, and
1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
In Job's situation Satan
was at work actively, but that is not always the case. There may be situations that Satan simply
cannot be blamed for. What about them?
John 13:14-18 "If I then,
the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's
feet. "For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. "Truly,
truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one
who sent him. "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. "I
do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be
fulfilled, 'He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.'
John 15:19-21, "If you
were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the
world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. "Remember
the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they
persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will
keep yours also. "But all these things they will do to you for My name's
sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
I Peter 3:9b – 12, "for you were called for the very purpose
that you might inherit a blessing. Whoever
would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips
from deceitful speech. He must turn from
evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against
those who do evil."
Humility does not prevent Suffering.
Our Lord suffered
throughout His life and especially in His death on the cross for our sins. He
lived a perfect life of humility, accepting the instruction of God &
parents. He even told us we will
suffer.
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