Let’s start with humility
Please read Luke 14: 1-11 and James 3:13-18 and Romans 12:3: then pray: Gracious God, please give me ears to clearly hear your word, a heart to humbly accept it, and a strong desire to obey it. Amen.
We have reached Romans 12:3 – and what an important instruction this is from the apostle Paul to the Roman Christians and to us as we seek to put into practice the Christian faith.
For by the grace given me I say to everyone of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
We have already learned over the previous two weeks that effectively living the Christian life is based entirely upon a grateful and humble response to the mercy of God – and especially to all the mercy God has shown us through the gift of His own dear Son – Jesus Christ. So, the chapter begins; “In view of God’s mercy.” Everything that you and I seek to do as Christians should naturally spring from the fact that our lives have been transformed by God’s mercy – especially experienced through the death of His Son for us on the cross. As Charles Wesley expresses in his mighty hymn “And can it be:”
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free: for, O my God, it found out me!
God’s mercy to us in Jesus is “why” we seek to live a different way – a way that is then laid out for us in practical terms throughout the rest of this chapter and beyond. But the second question is how do we begin to live the Christian life. Paul’s answer is this: We must offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. We must be willing to have our minds transformed, so that they conform to God’s way and Christ’s example. We must let our wills be aligned to the “good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (2). Living the Christian life means offering everything to God as an act of worship: all that we are, all that we have and do, offered to the God of mercy and grace – our bodies, minds, and wills.
Surely, we are now ready to set off – and get on with living and serving as Christian people! And the answer to that is – yes you are – but – you must step out with and in the right spirit. Your inner spirit and your renewed heart must be controlled and guided by a particular virtue and grace – one which was exemplified in Jesus, practised by the apostle Paul and lies at the very heart of all true Christian living. And that wonderful ‘prince of Christian virtues’ is humility!
Let us start this challenge of Christian living and serving with humility says Paul.
Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
This speaks of the grace of humility – a grace glorified in Jesus who as Paul says in his letter to the Philippians did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (fervently held on to), but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross! The King of all kings humbled himself. And when speaking of himself, Jesus said; “Come to me, all of you, who are weary and burdened (that is a lot of people), and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
I am (The Great “I am”) is gentle and humble in heart.
If we want to live like Jesus, if we want to live out Romans 12 and the Christian life – we need to start off with something very, very significant. We need to be those who are “gentle and humble in heart.” We start with humility. Is that where you start my friend? Is this how you approach all Christian living and serving – with the grace of humility?
The great Augustine of Hippo put it like this; “For those who would learn God’s ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second, humility is the third.” For the Christian – humility is the key guiding principle – and all their walk with God in this world (where pride in oneself is exalted), is undergirded and founded upon being “gentle and humble in heart.” We must start and continue with humility, which is why Paul starts with humility in Romans 12. I am not surprised that the great Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote this: “Humility is the very first letter in the alphabet of Christianity.” And please also note this anonymous quotation; “He who has other graces without humility is like one who carries a box of precious powder without a cover on a windy day.” Let that sink in for a moment.
The Christian always starts with humility – always starts as Jesus did, with the mindset of a servant – we are servants of Jesus – dare I say “slaves of Jesus.” (James 1:1) The example of George Stevens. Many titles but only one that counts – “slave of Jesus Christ.”
The apostle Paul was a very humble man himself, and he was always conscious about how God had shown him tremendous and abundant grace and mercy. God had to bring Paul down off his high horse for he was at one time a vicious and brutal persecutor of Christians. But Paul was eventually captured by God’s grace in Jesus. He was humbled. He drank in copious amounts of God’s mercy as a wretched sinner. (Read 1 Timothy 1:12-15) This is not some kind of false humility – Paul was humbled by God and remained humbled throughout his life of unstinting service and exceptional sacrifice. So, Paul starts Romans 12: 3 by writing about “the grace given to him.” Paul received grace in two ways – so do we. Grace firstly came to humble him and bring him to the foot of the cross. Grace brought him into God’s Kingdom and opened His eyes to see the truth about the glory, uniqueness, and love of Jesus. But secondly, Paul experienced grace to become an apostle. Grace to serve the Christ he once hated in an unprecedented way. He became the apostle to the Gentiles, and this is why he now has the authority to write to the Romans. (1:5)
We too like Paul receive grace to become Christians and then grace to serve Christ with the gifts and the callings which he gives us. We receive the grace which enables lost sinners like you and I to be found, blind beggars like ourselves to see. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. But then we get grace to serve God with gifts, for as Paul states here – every Christian gets a “measure of faith” by which they can serve God practically in this world.
This leads us on to this important point in verse 3 – “everyone of you.” Some have thought this and what follows only refers to Christian leaders – but that is a false interpretation. Paul is urging everyone in the Roman Church and everyone in our Church to action. What I am now going to share is for everyone here today – no exceptions. Paul calls people to have correct thinking about themselves. They must think of themselves with modesty – with sober and right judgment – with true humility.
Remember that last week we learned how Christians – all Christians – undergo transformation of their minds – renewal in their thinking. (2) Christian’s minds are transformed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. (v2) Christians minds come into line with the mind of Christ, the mind behind the Holy Scriptures – the Mind that when incarnated in this world stated that He was “gentle and humble in heart.” So correct thinking is in Pauls thinking here. Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought. Rather think of yourself with sober judgment. Paul is inviting and urging us to view ourselves and estimate ourselves correctly and fairly.
The challenge for us is this – and it works two ways according to Paul. We must not have too high an opinion of ourselves, but we also must not have too low an opinion of ourselves. How does this work – given all that Paul has taught earlier in Romans?
Firstly, do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. Remember, according to verse 2, we are no longer to conformed to the pattern of this world. In the world – you are expected and encouraged to think “very highly of yourself.” In the world the ego is everything and it must be massaged regularly. Egotism. I Myself – and seeing myself as great and good and extremely nice. Virtue signalling is the fashion of our day, (it has always existed), and you must be seen to follow all the virtuous causes that our media elites tell you to embrace. In no way are you encouraged are to see yourself as a sinner in need of the grace and mercy of God. In no way are you encouraged to see that you sin terribly and fall short of the glory of God. But as a Christian, you have come to understand and know that you are a sinner, a moral and spiritual wretch – but amazing grace in Jesus has reached out and saved you.
But you also know that your battle with sin and especially pride continues and you often fall and struggle to stay true to Jesus. Paul speaks about this ongoing struggle with sin in chapter 7: 7-25. Because we are aware of our struggles, our weaknesses, our proneness to fall, the planks in our eyes, we stay humble. We know we are totally reliant on the grace of God to walk with Jesus. We cannot do this in our own strength. We are nothing without Christ and without His Spirit whom God has kindly given us. So, we remain humble – we keep looking to God all the time for grace.
So, in this chapter, which is all about the practical side of living the Christian life consistently and effectively, bearing fruit and bringing glory to God – Paul tells us, that there is an ongoing need to stay humble – looking toward Jesus the Servant King– for grace and strength and power to live and serve. And you will need the humility of Jesus to practise the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and many of the elements of that sermon are repeated here by Paul in Romans 12. Have you ever wondered why the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) starts with “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus started with humility of heart and spirit in his moral teaching. Is it any wonder that Paul does the same in Romans 12? Notice some of the teaching later in this chapter – and see if you can practice it without having too high an opinion of yourself, without humility.
Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (16b)
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. (14)
Honour one another above yourselves (10)
Mourn with those who mourn (15)
Share with God’s people who are in need. Practise hospitality.
Humility is needed for all this and much more. It is needed in the Church community if it is to remain united and powerful and effective through being a united body and army. We will see next week that humility is needed whenever we exercise gifts in love, gifts given by God that must be used to build up the Church, not the ego of those who exercise the gift; gifts that must be used in the service of the weak, not in the interests of those who have too high opinion of themselves and only want to receive pats of the back which bolster their sense of personal importance.
But then we get the second part of Paul’s teaching and this is very important too. And this is seen in these words; Rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you (apportioned to you). You can misunderstand humility. There can be those in the Church who will insist that they are no good, they have nothing to offer, they have no gifts, they cannot contribute much, if anything; they will just come and sit, and then leave. This verse reveals the lie direct to that sort of false humility. God gives grace and gifts to all. He gives everyone in the Church a measure of faith along with gifts to use – so that everyone can serve God and be a blessing to others.
It is important to remember that the faith and the gifts and the graces come from God. Some forget this and start getting proud and thinking too highly of themselves and their “brilliant contribution to the Church,” and forgetting that they are nothing and possess nothing without God and His grace and calling. There is to be no boasting in the Church – unlike the world where blowing your own trumpet is commonplace. But it is also vital to remember that no Christian is forgotten by God. God has a place for all, grace for all, gifts for all, so that everyone can exercise their faith accordingly and serve God. We must avoid too high an estimate of ourselves but equally avoid too low an estimate of ourselves.
What has God given you by way of gifts? And do not dare say – “Nothing.” Do not be guilty of false humility. Having the correct understanding of ourselves means that – yes – we are conscious of our need for grace and mercy every day, but we are also very conscious of the truths stated by Paul in Romans, that we are children of God, specially chosen and called, justified, set apart and glorified; we are vessels of the Holy Spirit, people who know the peace of God, people who are heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus, inheritors of all the wealth and glory of eternal life. God indeed exalts the humble. God gives all His children gifts and a measure of faith to exercise those various beautiful gifts and graces.
How do we remain humble? How do we avoid thinking too highly of ourselves or thinking too lowly of ourselves? How do we maintain sober judgment about ourselves?
- Keep looking at the cross. Looking at the One who humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross. (Philippians 2:8) When I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride. Or as the song writer Matt Redman puts it – “Jesus Christ, I think upon your sacrifice – you became nothing poured out to death” …. and later he writes, “I’m humbled by your mercy and broken inside.”
- We will also stay humble if we take Communion regularly as we shall do today – humble in the right way. For at the Communion table we are conscious that it was our sin that took Christ to the cross, but we are also reminded that we have now been saved by God’s grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the hope of heaven, we are filled with the Spirit, and we have a God to serve with the gifts he has given, along with a special measure of faith which He has personally measured out for each one of us.
- Finally, we stay humble as we soak up the message of the Bible, and as we continually remind ourselves of its teachings. How often did Jesus teach his disciples lessons about humility? All the time! Unless you become like little children. Or that very challenging parable from Luke 14; But when you are invited take the lowest place so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Or what about the teaching on humility in the letter of James – and there is much – and this is one of the most practical Christian manuals ever written. And because it is practical Christianity – it is full of entreaties to be humble. (Read James 3: 13, 17). “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) On two occasions saints are instructed the clothe themselves with humility. (Colossians 3:12, 1 Peter 5:5) We are to be literally kitted out with humility – each one of us – everyday.
I began the service with a call to worship from Psalm 45 – a Psalm about the dignity of a King and ultimately about the glory of the Messiah. There is a King – “A Horse-Rider” – who rides out on behalf of certain causes. I believe, we as disciples and servants are called to ride out with Jesus Christ. Jesus rides out in front leading the battle – we ride faithfully behind him? But what does he ride out for? For what? On behalf of what?
Listen again; In your majesty, ride out victoriously in behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. We ride out behind Him for the sake of His kingdom of righteousness, truth, and humility. At the heart of that Kingdom is something the world considers of no value; Humility. Humility and pride cannot possibly stand together. We follow One who rode on a young donkey into Jerusalem and toward Calvary. We are called to think and act differently. We are called to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8).
Amen.
(Revd Peter J Clarkson 20.7.25)