PRÉCIS ON TURNING AWAY FROM SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS: A PERSONAL STUDY OF HUMILITY – (WITH VIDEO)

SCRIPTURE. “But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives

[the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].’ So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.” – JAMES 4:6-7, AMP

KEY TERM: “HUMBLE.” ‘Tapeinos’ [ταπεινοῖς]: “Humiliated (in circumstances or disposition); base, cast down, of low degree (estate); lowly, not high, particularly of attitude and social position or condition; of the mind, meaning modest, including the idea of affliction, ‘brought low with grief and depression of mind;’ deferring servilely to others with an accompanying idea of piety toward God.”

QUOTATION. “‘Pride must die in you, or nothing of Heaven can live in you’ … Here is the Path to the Higher Life: Down, lower down! Just as water always seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds men abased and empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.” ― ANDREW MURRAY, Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness, 2001; edited

COMMENENTARY. “‘But He — God, ‘giveth more grace’ — To all those who, while they shun those tempers, sincerely and earnestly pray for it. ‘Wherefore He saith’[see the margins] ‘God, resisteth the proud’ — The Unhumbled; those that think highly of themselves, and put confidence in their own wisdom, power, or holiness, and who seek the praise of men rather than the praise of God; against these ‘God sets Himself in battle array,’as it is expressed, Proverbs 3:24. He rejects them, and will not allow them access to, or communion with Himself. He thwarts their undertakings, and renders their schemes abortive. ‘But giveth grace unto the humble’ — Unto those that are Humbled under a sense of their ignorance and weakness, their guilt and depravity, and therefore have no confidence in any thing they are or have.

‘Submit yourselves’ — Or ‘Be subject,’ as υποταγητε 

signifies, ‘therefore to God’— Pursue your lusts no longer, but yield an humble obedience to God in all things. ‘Resist’— With faith and steadfastness; ‘the devil’ — The Father of pride and envy; ‘and he will flee from you’ — And your progress in Religion will become greater, and your victory over your spiritual enemies more easy and evident day by day. ‘Draw nigh to God’ — In faith and prayer; ‘and He will draw nigh unto you’— By his grace and blessing; which that nothing may hinder.

‘Cleanse your hands’ — From doing evil; ‘and purify your hearts’— From all spiritual idolatry, from all vile affections and corrupt inclinations, from the love of the world in all its branches; be no more ‘double-minded’ — Vainly endeavouring to serve both God and Mammon.

‘Be afflicted’ — On account of your past sins, especially your ingratitude to God, your abuse of His blessings, and unfaithfulness to His grace; ‘and mourn and weep’ — For the miseries to which you have exposed yourselves. ‘Let your laughter be turned into mourning’— Because of the heavy judgments that hang over you; ‘Humble yourselves in the sight’and presence ‘of the Lord, and he shall lift you up’ — Comfort you with a sense of his pardoning mercy.” – JOSEPH BENSON, Notes on the Holy Bible, 5 vols., 1811-1818; edited

DK’S TAKE. Well now, folks: Good News and Bad News here as it applies to this old writer.

• THE GOOD. I believe the Lord has been gracious to me over the last four years or so to lead me toward: ‘Fresh Insights into His Word,’that give us clearer understanding of the Current Crisis in America and her Church.

• THE BAD. In my zeal for the ‘Righteousness of God’ I have sometimes moved from righteous indignation to ‘Self-righteousness,’ for which I am now paying a steep price through the loss of some precious friends and associates in our Fellowship. Despite repeated apologies and contrition, I was not always able to heal all the woundings.

• THE UGLY. Starting with myself, if we cannot respond obediently to the Lord’s Chastening, the Peloton Confessing Fellowship could well be, very sadly, on the way from the Divine Woodshed to the Divine Woodpile.

THE PROMISE. Yet just yesterday morning did the Lord in His perfect timing and graciousness encourage me with a Scripture that I had never read before, to my best recollection.

“He has given food and provision to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever and imprint it [on His mind].” – PSALM 111:5, AMPC

I then spent a couple hours just yesterday morning constructing a small Précis around that passage, and found this rich interpretation from English Baptist theologian JOHN GILL of “The Faithfulness of God to Those Who Fear Him:”

“‘God is faithful to all His Promises, nor can He fail, or deceive.’ He is all wise and foreknowing of everything that comes to pass; He never changes His mind, nor forgets His Word; and He is able to perform, and is the God of Truth, and cannot lie; nor has He ever failed in any one of His Promises, nor will He suffer [allow] His faithfulness to fail; and this is a strong argument to hold fast a profession of faith.” – JOHN GILL, Author, The Cause of God and Truth, 1735-1738; edited

CODA. All therefore is now in the hands of a Just God and you all, in that order. I believe the King is bringing all His children into His Fiery Crucible for the Discipline we shall require in order to move into the Storms ahead cleaner and stronger than before. May our prayers and support for this work draw each of us into His Strong Tower from whence we can share His Light with all those still in Darkness.

‘As God would instruct us.’ SELAH.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/K_h81T3txsU