In a culture which celebrates self-promotion and self-congratulation, it can be difficult for the grace of humility to flourish. Even in the church there is a resistance to self-questioning and pride can manifest itself in subtle ways in our opinions and self-opinion. Comparing the greatness of our holy God with how small and sinful we are, the only wise response is to accept that pride has no place in our relationship with God, or indeed with each other. But it would be a mistake to think that we attain humility by harshly running ourselves down, or that true humility rejects the possibility of getting restoration and dignity from our kind Saviour. Instead humility has the wisdom to see things just the way that God sees them. William Guthrie was on the alert against various forms of warped thinking among the people he pastored. In the following updated extract from his preaching, William Guthrie shows that humility is wiser than to let itself be scared away from God, but that humbling ourselves to see things as God sees them has various advantages.

The wisdom of humility

Discerns God’s ways

Although humility is prepared to come down very low and is very compliant with God’s will, yet it is most wise and sagacious in how it interprets all that God says or does to His people. Humility discerns that whatever God is doing, it is intended to save and not destroy His people. It discerns that all that God does is in order to bring them to Himself, and not to chase them away from Him.

Reads the Bible sensitively

True humility is wise to distinguish between spiritual truths and what are called “canonical” truths. [Humility does not read the Bible and latch on to isolated words that seem to be discouraging.] Every word of Scripture taken by itself is not “canonical,” as we can see from how God said one place, “I will deliver you no more,” whereas He delivered them many a time after that. Another time Jesus said, “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Can statements like these literally be called canonical? They must agree with other Scriptures, and with the analogy of faith. Every place of Scripture, taken by itself, cannot be called canonical, until it is compared with other Scriptures and the analogy of faith.

Recognises sin for what it really is

True humility is most wise in recognising sin as the worst thing in the world.

It is also most charitable towards God in all His procedure, but most uncharitable to itself. True humility puts a good construction on all God does or says. If it cannot extricate itself by one particular truth, it will run to another that relates to the sovereignty of God. It still “deviseth liberally” of God (Isa. 32:8). What if I cannot see a consistency between such and such a promise, and what He seems to say in such and such a detail? What if I cannot see how such and such a particular work shall be brought about? Well, in this case, humility runs to some particular truth that is absolute, such as, “Marvelous in our eyes,” yet not marvellous with Him. Let Him do what pleases Him; for it is in His power.

Then, true humility still has true faith going along with it. It dares not question whether God will go to the bother of doing all these things, down to every last thing He has said in His word. He says, “In all the afflictions of his people, he is afflicted.” And yet all the world cannot tell how it is so. He has said that He “will save his people in due time.” He has said that He “will be a helper to them, and that right early.” True humility dares not question these things, since He has said it shall be so, even though in the meantime He is breaking them in the place of dragons (Psa. 44:19), and they see the wicked “flourish as a green bay-tree.”

Takes the utmost care to do what God wants

True humility is almost pedantically scrupulous, for it dares not dispute any of the commands of Him whose will is law (a prerogative that belongs to no sovereign power on earth). If God commands in His own name that any who see their need should believe in His Son, true humility must do it. He commands the man who brings his idols this day to be slain by the death of Christ, to take communion as a seal of the pardon of his sins and a seal of all the promises that He has ever spoken. Those who are truly humble know that it belongs to them to perform duties, and not to debate commanded duty.

Then true humility will weather out many blasts, and ward off many assaults. It sees a reason why it does not get this or that thing it wants at such and such a time; and why God deals this way, and not another way, with His people. It sees a reason for all these things.

Then true humility will not be wiser than God; for it knows He sees a way to glorify Himself more in pardoning and saving the person by believing, than by letting him die or rot in the prison of sin through unbelief. He will never have so much glory in that way; for He is more glorified by you believing in Christ, than He would be if you burned in hell to eternity.

The advantages of humility

Leads to growth in grace

Therefore, you can see the advantages of true humility. Whoever has it, their condition is most promising for growth in grace, for “He giveth grace unto the humble.” He giveth more grace to the one who does not strive with Him, but keeps on taking and waiting for more.

If the Lord is giving out anything to His people, the humble one is the most likely to get something. He is the one who gets the quickest dispatches from heaven of any. For He hears the desire of the humble. In fact, even if it only comes to a desire, it will be answered. That is a great advantage! If one who has true humility happens to fall or make a slip, that man or woman has a promise of being raised and restored again. “To this man will I look, that is of a humble or contrite heart.”

Gets God’s guidance

Then this humble frame has a great advantage in this respect, that God will let those who have it know what way to go in a dark and cloudy day sooner than anyone else, Indeed, and they will keep to the way when many others run wrong. Here it is: “The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way.” Even supposing in other ways this person is a fool, he is assured (and this is worth a great deal in an evil day) that nothing will make him stumble.

The integrity of humility

Let me then exhort you to beware of false humility. Don’t argue with God. Don’t put yourself lower than where He would have you. Don’t say, as if it was something very humble, that you won’t come back to Him again with reiterated guilt, and faults that you have done over and over again, and confessed very often before Him There is no other way for you to go — no other way to get your case helped.

Don’t turn up your nose at crumbs, but remember that in true humility lies your best frame of spirit and most sure way of deliverance. Get to grips with all your sins, and commit to doing all that God charges you with as to sin and corruption, and yet cleave closely to Him. Any bit that falls to your share, take it, and keep weeping and seeking for more.

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