Confessing my Pride doesn't make me Humble...

When (...not if...) I am confronted with pride in my life...when I recognize it, confess it, and even repent of it, turning from it, I dare not confuse that with true humility. All of that is merely a necessary step in the right direction.  I will never attain to true humility while my eyes are fixed on me.

Rather, true humility begins when I see God for Who He is...when I am confronted with, and recognize Him for Who He is, and then, as a result of having seen Him, I become honestly aware of...reminded of, who I am in light of Who He is...

Therefore, walking in true humility requires that I walk with my eyes continually fixed on Jesus...

Promise, or Process? (update addressing a comment and question posted on Facebook)

ORIGINAL POST
  
“I can do all thing through Him who strengthens me.”

This familiar statement by the Apostle Paul, recorded in Philippians 4:13, is preceded by his statement that “I have LEARNED to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have LEARNED the SECRET of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and of suffering need.”

Paul both establishes the context of the “…ALL THINGS…” he is referring to, and tells us that this ability to “…do all things through Christ…” comes as the RESULT of a PROCESS. The PROCESS is one of LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE to be hungry, as well as to be filled…of having abundance, as well as of suffering need. Paul even refers to it as LEARNING a SECRET…it has the idea of learning a mystery…of an initiation. And, that initiation involves experiencing getting by with “…humble means,” as well as living “…in prosperity…”

So commonly claimed as God's "PROMISE," Paul more properly presents it as a truth he learned...came to realize as a result of his having experienced the Lord's faithfulness through the varied extremes of the PROCESS of His ordained and unfolding plan.


COMMENT AND QUESTION POSTED ON FACEBOOK

 

I agree with this context, but it begs the question, if we can't take this verse to mean that Christ strengthens us to do "ALL" things, then how many things can we apply it to? Only the afore mentioned things in the context? And then we are to do all the "rest" of life's things not mentioned in our own strength because we can't claim it as a promise that Christ will strengthen us to do the tasks that we need to? This week my son asked a non believer; an adult - a doctor - if he could pray for him because this doctor said he was not feeling well. In a room full of unbelievers and office staff, who feel silent, he laid his hand on his arm and prayed in the name of Jesus for this man. I know that was in Christ's strength that he had the courage to do that. I know for me, I MUST claim this as a promise that I can DO everything I need to do each day in Christ, because I KNOW I don't have the strength and ability to do it on my own. I don't want to just "get along" and "endure" - I want to soar on the things I can do in Christ and bring Him glory!

MY RESPONSE POSTED ON FACEBOOK

Thanks…an excellent question.

First, I did see your post about your son praying for that doctor.  As I read it, I smiled…my soul delighted by his loving boldness…a testimony to his relationship with Our Lord, and also to your parental instruction and example.

To your question…  The reality is that when it comes to our walk as believers, Jesus Himself tells us that apart from Him, we can do NOTHING.  As Paul says in Colossians, we are dead, and our very life is hid with Christ in God…He, Who is at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians).  So, with reference to our walk as believers, EVERYTHING we do according to His will and for His glory, we do in His strength.  You are completely correct…none of us has…in ourselves…the strength to live the “Christian life.”  We MUST depend on Him.

The caution with regard to Philippians 4:13 is that it is often, I believe, carelessly taken as a blanket PROMISE that ANY believer can do ANYTHING through Christ, without consideration for the context of Paul’s statements.  In fact, Paul does not appear to be making the statement as a PROMISE for the Philippians to take, but as a testimony of a truth he’s had to learn through observation and experience.

Paul’s statement must first be understood in the context of Philippians 4:10-20, considering his purpose, albeit under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to, on the one hand, thank those who had demonstrated their loving concern for him through their gifts to meet his needs, but on the other hand, to testify to them lessons he learned of the Lord’s faithfulness, in whatever circumstances he found himself.  The Lord was, at one and the same time, working in the Philippians to develop the fruit of Christ-like love; and working in Paul to teach him His sufficiency in all things.  In context, Paul is speaking of the Lord’s faithful provision in ALL THINGS that He calls Paul to experience, as opposed to ANYTHING that Paul might himself choose to undertake…even something involving his ministry for Christ.

In Acts 16, we have just such an example:

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night:  a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

(Acts 16:6-10 ESV)

The “ANYTHING” that Paul would have chosen, was a “good thing,” as far as he understood…spreading the Gospel in Asia…but, far from providing for him in that desire, the Holy Spirit was forbidding them to speak…the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go and speak.

Again, it’s absolutely true that we MUST depend on Christ, and His strength, for ALL we do for Him.  And, there is certainly ample Scriptural warrant (as cited above) for depending on the fact that He will indeed provide that strength.  However, that doesn’t mean that this specific statement by Paul can properly be taken (out of its context) to support a perceived PROMISE that ANY believer can do ANYTHING (without exception) with the confidence that Christ will provide the strength to accomplish it.  Unfortunately, that’s the way it is sometimes taken.

He is faithful, and He will provide for every need of His children…and, that’s a PROMISE we can, and must count on.

Thanks…

By His Grace, and for His Glory…

Three Reasons Christians Need to Read and Meditate on Old Testament Scriptures

Reason #1:  We find a necessary revelation of Our Lord, Jesus Christ:
(Jesus…speaking to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, following His resurrection…)

“…beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27 ESV)

“…Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…” (Luke 24:44-45 ESV)

(Jesus…speaking to those who were questioning His healing on the Sabbath...)

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…” (John 5:39 ESV)

Reason #2:  We find necessary encouragement:
(The Apostle Paul…writing to the Church at Rome…demonstrating the importance of knowing and following the example of Jesus Christ, that they might have both endurance and encouragement in their efforts to properly relate to one another…)

“…whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 ESV)

Reason #3:  We find necessary warnings:
(The Apostle Paul…warning the Church at Corinth against idolatry by recalling the Scriptural account of Moses, as he led God’s people through the wilderness…towards the promised land…)

“…these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. (1 Corinthians 10:6 ESV)

“…these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11 ESV)

Can there be any doubt?

…with His stripes, I am healed…stripes I alone deserved for sins past, present and future...

Can there be any doubt but that the lashes that caused Him the greatest pain are not those borne for sins I committed while walking in darkness, but rather, for those I commit today, while, supposedly, walking in the light?

…a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…

Can there be any doubt but that He is most grieved not by the past rebellion of a heart of stone, but by the present resistance to His Spirit’s promptings towards holiness seeking to stir a heart of flesh, purchased at such a great cost?

…His mercies are new, every morning…

Can there be any doubt?

How dreadful our shame…How awesome Your Love…

The only One Who ever knew the full depth and beauty of the joyous satisfaction…even satiation…experienced in perfect communion with You, Father, and Your Blessed Holy Spirit, shuttered…wept…even sweat, as it were, great drops of blood in the Garden as He faced…in prolonged and measured, horrifying contemplation, the loss of that blessed relationship…all He had ever known from before time began…solely for the sake of those He came to save.  Repeatedly He pleaded…imploring from the depths of His Holy Soul, that if there were any other way…this dreadful cup might pass from Him…yet, still, entrusting Himself to You, and Your Perfect and Holy Will in loving obedience.

How dreadfully shameful that we…who have so gained, and that, only by virtue of His great loss…should ever fail to employ in its fullness…worse, that we should dare to carelessly ignore…that precious and indescribable gift of blessed communion…even union with the Divine Trinity…purchased at such a great cost…the very life of Your only Son…Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

How awesome Your Love, that continues to patiently invite us into that place of blessed communion, continues to call us to come boldly before Your Throne, that we might receive Your mercy, and Your find Your matchless grace, in time of need, through our Great High Priest…till that promised day when we shall, at last, be blessed to know You, in all Your Glory, as we see our Savior, face to face, and begin to enjoy, with Him, and in Him, that beauty…that joyous satisfaction…that satiation…of perfect relationship with You, for all eternity.