The Test of Humility...Pastor Peter Tan
Fatherly Talk 6.08 The test of humility
Dearly Beloved
God does allow certain tests to distinguish between those whose hearts truly follow the Lord from those who don’t. These tests are always designed in the area of love and humility. God tested Abraham’s love towards him in Genesis 22:1 and spoke of the ten trials (tests) which He brought the Israelites through (Deuteronomy 8:16; Numbers 14:22). Every Christian has a wilderness to go through just like Jesus. The key is not to stay too long in the wilderness beyond God’s perfect timing. It was God’s perfect Will to take the Israelites through the wilderness (optimum time about one year) but through their disobedience it ended up as forty years with the older generation all except for Caleb and Joshua dying there.
The wilderness is a time of pruning and training. It is when we learn to overcome our weaknesses and demonic influences over our lives. The way out through the wilderness is the road of humility. Those who have not been through the wilderness do not know true humility. We learn to be yielded, broken and contrite in the wilderness. It was his forty years in the wilderness that turned the proud Moses, prince of Egypt, into the humble Moses, servant of God. He was skilled in all the arts of eloquence and wisdom of Egypt (Josephus the Jewish historian spoke of the battles Moses fought and won) and became one speechless before God (Acts 7:22; Exodus 4:10). After forty years in the back parts of the wilderness and experiencing God, Moses became the humblest man in Egypt (Numbers 12:3). The real test of the wilderness is not just the physical place, it is a spiritual place of testing whether we are humble before the Lord or not. Every one enters the wilderness at some time in their lives. Only those who are humble get out; those who don’t actually die in the wilderness without seeing the perfect Will of God done in their lives. It is of utmost importance then that we learn the art of humility before our God.
Before honour is given by God, humility must be present (Proverbs 15:33).
Destruction will always come to the proud and before honour is humility (Proverbs 18:12).
The only way to riches, honour and long abundant life is the fear of the Lord and humility (Proverbs 22:4)
The grace of God is only activated by those who are humble before God (1 Peter 5:5).
The only true and sure path to success both in this life and in the next life is the path of humility. Those who don’t learn it early in life will have to face the consequences of their pride the rest of their lives. Every one of us will be tested in this life and the secret to passing the test is to learn to walk in true humility before God and before man. The Lord’s purpose for testing us is not to harm us or to do evil, rather He seeks to bless us and do good to us. However, He needs to test us and prove us to ensure that we can handle all the goodness and blessings that He desires to pour upon our lives. He desires that we always remain humble in Him and use all our resources for the good of all. Thus He seeks out the humble among us and rewards mightily (Deuteronomy 8:16). The greater the reward and blessings that God wants to bless us with, the greater the test. We must have the humility to handle the power and authority that God wants to manifest through our lives otherwise we will be turning every stone into bread for our own use.
Many Christians wonder why they should go through tests since Jesus has already paid every price for us. Jesus did die on the cross for our atonement but we still need to learn to apply the redemption and promises of Jesus into our lives. Even Jesus expected us to learn to abide in the vine and obey His word (John 15:1-5). Jesus cannot make us abide in the vine or obey the word, it is an experiential thing to actually learn how to do it. He gave us the right and authority to be a branch in Him but we must do the abiding by our own free will. We must learn to allow Him to prune and purify us through His word (John 15:2). The branch cannot bear fruit until it abides in Him; neither can we unless we learn to abide in Him (John 15:4). Jesus might have open the channel right to God’s throne, but we still must learn to pray and enter the throne room (Hebrews 4:11-16). Diligence and faith are still required to separate those who truly love God from those who don’t (Hebrews 4:11; 11:6). The reward is given to those who diligently seek Him and not to the lazy (Hebrews 11:6).
We do not learn patience and faith without tribulations and trials. The testing of our faith produces patience and we should count it all joy when we are tested for the reward would be great (James 1:2-4). There is no shortcut to patience and humility, the path to true patience and humility is the path of trials and testing of our faith and love in God (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). The very passage that speaks about us standing in the grace of God (Romans 5:2) speaks about us entering into trials and tribulations so that we can receive glory and patience and the character it produces (Romans 5:2-5). Indeed it is only when we are persecuted that the Spirit of glory rests upon us and that our reward in heaven is great (1 Peter 4:14; Luke 6:22-23). The God of all grace, who has called us into eternal glory, will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us after we have suffered (been tested) a while (1 Peter 5:10).
There is also a false humility (outward) and a true humility (inward) (Colossians 2:18; 23). False humility may look religious but it is actually hidden pride. The Pharisees loved to make themselves look religious and make known their prayers and false spirituality and humility: they love to be seen by men in their religious prayer, they make vain repetitions in order to be heard by men and not by God, they disfigure their faces when they fast to look spiritual, etc. (Matthew 6:5-18). Humility does have outward demonstation but it is primarily the inward humility of the heart that matters. Only God can see the heart and we must not mistake false outward religiosity for humility. It is the hidden person of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a meek, quiet and gentle spirit – that is true humility (1 Peter 3:4). Humility gives one the ability to submit to authority (1 Peter 5:5). Humility respects the weak and helpless and does not oppress or take advantage of them.
May we learn true humility from our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. He is the meekest and most humble of all souls on earth. We as His followers must learn to walk in humility as He has done so. The path to greatness and riches and honour is the path of humility.
Let us all prosper through walking in this path.
In Christ Jesus
Ps Peter Tan
Dearly Beloved
God does allow certain tests to distinguish between those whose hearts truly follow the Lord from those who don’t. These tests are always designed in the area of love and humility. God tested Abraham’s love towards him in Genesis 22:1 and spoke of the ten trials (tests) which He brought the Israelites through (Deuteronomy 8:16; Numbers 14:22). Every Christian has a wilderness to go through just like Jesus. The key is not to stay too long in the wilderness beyond God’s perfect timing. It was God’s perfect Will to take the Israelites through the wilderness (optimum time about one year) but through their disobedience it ended up as forty years with the older generation all except for Caleb and Joshua dying there.
The wilderness is a time of pruning and training. It is when we learn to overcome our weaknesses and demonic influences over our lives. The way out through the wilderness is the road of humility. Those who have not been through the wilderness do not know true humility. We learn to be yielded, broken and contrite in the wilderness. It was his forty years in the wilderness that turned the proud Moses, prince of Egypt, into the humble Moses, servant of God. He was skilled in all the arts of eloquence and wisdom of Egypt (Josephus the Jewish historian spoke of the battles Moses fought and won) and became one speechless before God (Acts 7:22; Exodus 4:10). After forty years in the back parts of the wilderness and experiencing God, Moses became the humblest man in Egypt (Numbers 12:3). The real test of the wilderness is not just the physical place, it is a spiritual place of testing whether we are humble before the Lord or not. Every one enters the wilderness at some time in their lives. Only those who are humble get out; those who don’t actually die in the wilderness without seeing the perfect Will of God done in their lives. It is of utmost importance then that we learn the art of humility before our God.
Before honour is given by God, humility must be present (Proverbs 15:33).
Destruction will always come to the proud and before honour is humility (Proverbs 18:12).
The only way to riches, honour and long abundant life is the fear of the Lord and humility (Proverbs 22:4)
The grace of God is only activated by those who are humble before God (1 Peter 5:5).
The only true and sure path to success both in this life and in the next life is the path of humility. Those who don’t learn it early in life will have to face the consequences of their pride the rest of their lives. Every one of us will be tested in this life and the secret to passing the test is to learn to walk in true humility before God and before man. The Lord’s purpose for testing us is not to harm us or to do evil, rather He seeks to bless us and do good to us. However, He needs to test us and prove us to ensure that we can handle all the goodness and blessings that He desires to pour upon our lives. He desires that we always remain humble in Him and use all our resources for the good of all. Thus He seeks out the humble among us and rewards mightily (Deuteronomy 8:16). The greater the reward and blessings that God wants to bless us with, the greater the test. We must have the humility to handle the power and authority that God wants to manifest through our lives otherwise we will be turning every stone into bread for our own use.
Many Christians wonder why they should go through tests since Jesus has already paid every price for us. Jesus did die on the cross for our atonement but we still need to learn to apply the redemption and promises of Jesus into our lives. Even Jesus expected us to learn to abide in the vine and obey His word (John 15:1-5). Jesus cannot make us abide in the vine or obey the word, it is an experiential thing to actually learn how to do it. He gave us the right and authority to be a branch in Him but we must do the abiding by our own free will. We must learn to allow Him to prune and purify us through His word (John 15:2). The branch cannot bear fruit until it abides in Him; neither can we unless we learn to abide in Him (John 15:4). Jesus might have open the channel right to God’s throne, but we still must learn to pray and enter the throne room (Hebrews 4:11-16). Diligence and faith are still required to separate those who truly love God from those who don’t (Hebrews 4:11; 11:6). The reward is given to those who diligently seek Him and not to the lazy (Hebrews 11:6).
We do not learn patience and faith without tribulations and trials. The testing of our faith produces patience and we should count it all joy when we are tested for the reward would be great (James 1:2-4). There is no shortcut to patience and humility, the path to true patience and humility is the path of trials and testing of our faith and love in God (Romans 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). The very passage that speaks about us standing in the grace of God (Romans 5:2) speaks about us entering into trials and tribulations so that we can receive glory and patience and the character it produces (Romans 5:2-5). Indeed it is only when we are persecuted that the Spirit of glory rests upon us and that our reward in heaven is great (1 Peter 4:14; Luke 6:22-23). The God of all grace, who has called us into eternal glory, will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us after we have suffered (been tested) a while (1 Peter 5:10).
There is also a false humility (outward) and a true humility (inward) (Colossians 2:18; 23). False humility may look religious but it is actually hidden pride. The Pharisees loved to make themselves look religious and make known their prayers and false spirituality and humility: they love to be seen by men in their religious prayer, they make vain repetitions in order to be heard by men and not by God, they disfigure their faces when they fast to look spiritual, etc. (Matthew 6:5-18). Humility does have outward demonstation but it is primarily the inward humility of the heart that matters. Only God can see the heart and we must not mistake false outward religiosity for humility. It is the hidden person of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a meek, quiet and gentle spirit – that is true humility (1 Peter 3:4). Humility gives one the ability to submit to authority (1 Peter 5:5). Humility respects the weak and helpless and does not oppress or take advantage of them.
May we learn true humility from our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. He is the meekest and most humble of all souls on earth. We as His followers must learn to walk in humility as He has done so. The path to greatness and riches and honour is the path of humility.
Let us all prosper through walking in this path.
In Christ Jesus
Ps Peter Tan
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