Humble Yourselves You’re Nothing 1 Pet 5: 6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In 1 Pet 5:6 Peter said, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”  The way to be exalted, then, is not to lift yourself up and promote your good qualities, but to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.  “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble,” [1 Pet 5:5].  He’ll exalt you in DUE time.

In Dr. Jim Binney’s book, Holding Up Holy Hands, copyright 2018, Faithful Life Publishers, North Fort Myers, FL, Dr. Binney gives a wonderful three-point outline on humbling ourselves in the sight of God [p.155-156].  The best way to humble yourself is to remember that:

I am nothing, without God – In 1 Cor 3:6-7, Paul said that he planted but that “neither is he that planteth anything.”  It’s “God that giveth the increase.”  Paul was nothing, though he planted.  Apollos was nothing, though he watered.  God is everything.  In Mk 10:27, Jesus said, concerning the impossibility of a rich man who trusts his riches to enter the kingdom of God, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.”  Therefore, Paul said in 1 Cor 15:9-10, “I am the least of the apostles,” and yet “by the grace of God I am what I am.”  Comparing his labor to that of the other apostles, he said, “I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Your ability to do something fruitful for the Lord is not about you and your talent, intellect, money, personality, strength, stature, oratory skills, teaching ability, or whatever.  Your ability to do something fruitful for the Lord rests solely with God. You are nothing. But God is everything.   You can attempt to be someone great for God.  But he would much rather be great through you for his glory.

I can do nothing, without Christ – Jn 15:5 – in the description of the vine and the branches in Jn 15:1-8, Jesus said, “without me ye can do nothing.”  That statement is absolutely true.  You can do many things with your abilities, gifts, talents, brains, brawn, and bank account.  But you can’t bear fruit on that vine by any of those means.  Unless Christ is bringing forth the fruit in you, it’s not fruit.  It’s man’s production, not God’s.  However, once Jesus Christ is the source of your strength, then Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” [Phil 4:13]. You will kill yourself and alienate God trying to do God’s will in your strength.  Humble yourself and let Jesus Christ do through you what you could never do for him.

I have nothing, without the Holy Spirit – Lk 11:6, 13 – In the parable of the importunate man seeking loaves for his friend, the man said, “I have nothing to set before him.”  The Lord applies this parable to us asking the Father for the Holy Spirit.  We follow the examples of the apostles when we do [Acts 4:31].  Despite the fact that you are a good speaker, businessman, teacher, director, worker, soul winner, or preacher, you have nothing to give people to whom you minister without the Holy Spirit.  

However, when you are filled with the Spirit, then you have the power to preach [1 Cor 2:4], the power to witness [Acts 1:8], the power to be free [Rom 8:2], the power to mortify the deeds of your body [Rom 8:13], the power to follow [Rom 8:14], and so forth.  Through the Holy Spirit in you, you have the power to be anything the Lord wants you to be and do everything the Lord wants you to do.  You have something to give them.  Without him, you have nothing, no matter how much you think you have to offer.

Conclusion: Too often today, people get lifted up in the work of the Lord because what they do is more about them than it is about the Lord.  Don’t do that.  Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and remember that you are nothing without God, you can do nothing without Jesus Christ, and you have nothing without the Holy Spirit.