The Ever Present Need for Humility

By Dan Richardson

"Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).

There are few things more repulsive to me than arrogance. Such is not to suggest that I've never had to deal with this problem within myself - I have. I recall times in my life, especially when much younger, even as a "young preacher" (a designation I can no longer claim), when with reference to pride, my "slip” was showing as an older generation with nothing but good intentions sought to give me much needed advice or correction. I certainly appreciate it now, and am thankful to God for those who loved me and were concerned enough about me to give their counsel. However, in my youth, my ego caused me to be less receptive to it then. Every Christian must guard against pride, and from what I hear and observe, the sin of pride remains, yes, even among God's people. Pride is a most useful tool of Satan, and because of it, many are hindered from obedience to the truth, and faithful service to God and others. The above scripture rings out crystal clear regarding what God expects of us in this area, and not one of us is excluded. To sense no need for such in one's life is all the more evidence of the problem.

The young and old need humility. The so-called "generation gap" between the young and old is, in my opinion, caused primarily by pride on one or both sides. Both groups need to acknowledge the value of the other; God's word teaches us the value of both: "The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the hoary (gray or white, DR) head" (Prov. 20:29). The older generation cannot arrogantly look with disdain upon our younger generation, as if to suggest they are incapable of faithfully serving and obeying God in their youth. Too much Bible instruction and examples are given to show otherwise (Eccles. 11:9 - 12:1; Acts 16:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:14-15; cf. Joseph, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Timothy, etc.). But neither should the younger view the aged with contempt, as if they are out of touch with reality and unable to give valued instruction and sound wisdom from God's truth or personal experience (they were once young too). Children should respect, honor and obey their parents (Eph. 6:1-3), and show a general respect for all their elders - a quality sadly lacking today: "Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder..." (1 Pet. 5:5a). There's room for humility in both!

Preachers need humility. I have been made aware of what seems to be an increasing problem of arrogance on the part of we preachers. While preachers, blessed with more time for Bible study, may have more knowledge than many, such doesn't eliminate the need for humility. To the contrary, it demands more because "knowledge puffeth up, but love edifleth. If any man thinketh he knoweth anything, he knoweth not yet as he ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:2-3). Paul instructed the younger preacher Timothy to "let no man despise thy youth" (1 Tim. 4:12), but such doesn't give license for young preachers to arrogantly refuse instruction and correction from others. Instead, it is warning that he not behave in such a way so as to bring reproach on himself (like by being arrogant). Having preached the gospel for 30 years, I feel a little more qualified to say something about this to the younger men who preach, so here it is (my advice to young preachers): Preaching isn't about show nor reputation, but rather serving God and others with humility and love in the labor of saving souls! Humility is a part of the wisdom from above bearing the fruits of righteousness sown in peace, but arrogance is "earthly, sensual, devilish,” resulting in jealousy, faction, confusion and every vile deed (Jas. 4:13-18). Fellow preachers, both young and old, don't make the mistake of letting your knowledge and ability give you the "big head"!  Your academic knowledge of the scriptures doesn't make you wise. Practicing what you preach does!

Elders need humility. Their charge to shepherd the flock (Acts 20:28), doesn't suggest arrogance, but demands humility. Paul's first charge to the elders from Ephesus was "take heed unto yourselves" (vs. 28), and later he reminded them of his example to them "...to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (vs. 35). Peter also instructed elders, who "tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight" not to be guilty of "lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock" (1 Pet. 5:2-3).

Husbands and wives need humility. Arrogance in the marriage relationship is a major contributor to many marital problems. True, wives are to be in submission to their husbands and husbands are the head of their wives (Eph. 5:22-23), but such does not suggest slaves nor tyrants. Husbands "love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it" (vs. 25). Christ showed His love for the church by humble service and sacrifice on the cross. He did not come to be served, but to humbly serve others, as exemplified when He washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:12-17). Men, the best qualification of a good husband is to be Christ-like. Also, wives are commanded to love their husbands and children (Titus 2:4). True love, as husbands and wives are to have for each other, "vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own" (I Cor. 13:5-6). Being "joint-heirs of the grace of life" (1 Pet. 3:7), husbands and wives must show humility toward each other in the marriage relationship.

All Christians need humility. Any one of us, following the example of Diotrephes, who "loveth to have the preeminence" (3 John 9-11), falls under the same condemnation he did. Many of the "church problems" today would disappear if every Christian would 'not think of himself more highly than he ought to think" (Rom. 12:3), and would "in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others" (Phil. 2:3-4). But the question remains, "Do we have enough humility to receive and obey these commands?" &  

(Via Search, Vol.15, Number 3; June, 2008)

The Four Causes of Man

By C. C. Crawford

According to Aristotle, there are four "causes" (explanations, ways of defining) anything; that is, four factors which combine to effectuate the constitution of any created thing. These are as follows; the material cause (the stuff of which a thing is made: the cause of which); the formal cause (that which gives to the matter the precise form or specificity it has, that which puts it into the class to which it belongs: the cause according to which); the efficient cause (that agent or power which unites the form and the matter, to give the object concrete existence: the cause by which); and the final cause (the end or function to be served by the object: the foreseen final cause that precedes all other causes: that which is first in purpose or motive, even though last in realization: the cause for which). Take for example, a statue: the material cause is wood, bronze; stone, marble, etc.; the formal cause is the idea embodied in the matter, a likeness of Washington, or of Lincoln, or of Venus of Milo, or of Athena Parthenos, etc., the efficient cause is the sculptor; and the final cause, ornamentation, commemoration, or it could be simply art for art's sake; in any case, it is that which motivates the sculptor. For another example, consider a human being: the material cause is the complex of living cells that make up the body; the formal cause is the soul (mind, power of thought, reason, etc.,) which informs the body and thus specifies man as man; the efficient cause is the Creative Intelligence and Power (First Principle, First Cause, God) which gave man concrete existence as homo sapiens, a mind-body unity; and the final cause, the natural and proper intrinsic and extrinsic ends to which man is divinely ordained, as indicated by the impulses of his nature, namely, Perfect Happiness in Union with God, to be achieved by the living of the Spiritual Life. (No human being ever sets out to make himself ultimately and permanently miserable). (Cf. Matt. 22:35-40; Gal. 5:16-25.) &

(Genesis: The Book of the Beginnings, Volume One, pages 131-132)