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XII.
Christian Growth and Experience
Chapter 134
:
Meekness and Humility
1. WHAT promise is made
to the meek?
"Blessed are the meek: for they
shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5.
Meek:
"Mild of temper; not easily provoked
or irritated; forbearing; submissive; humble."-
Webster.
2. What did Christ say
of His own character?
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of
Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and
ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matt.
11:29.
3. What is said of the
character of Moses?
"Now, the man Moses was very meek,
above all the men which were upon the face
of the earth." Num. 12:3.
4. Whom has God
promised to guide in judgment?
"The meek will He guide in
judgment: and the meek will He teach His
way." Ps. 25:9.
5. Of what is meekness
a fruit?
"But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law." Gal. 5:22,23.
6. What does Christ say
of those who exalt themselves?
"For whosoever exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted." Luke 14:11.
NOTE.-The spirit of self-exaltation is of
Satan. See Isa. 14:12-14; Eze. 28:17. Christ
humbled Himself, made Himself of no
reputation, and became obedient even to the
death on the cross. See Phil. 2:5-8.
7. By what means did
Jesus illustrate true humility?
"And Jesus called a little child
unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, and
said, . . . Whosoever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child, the same is
greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matt.
18:2-.4.
NOTES.-Humility is "freedom from pride and
arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest
estimate of one's own worth."It implies a
sense of one's own unworthiness through
imperfection and sinfulness, and consists in
rating our claims low, in being
willing to waive our rights, and to
take a lower place than might be our due.
It does not require that we under-rate
ourselves or our life-work. The humility of
Christ was perfect, yet He had a true sense
of the importance of His life and mission,
"Humility is like a tree, whose root when it
sets deepest in the earth, rises higher, and
spreads fairer, and stands surer, and lasts
longer, and every step of its descent is
like a rib of iron."- Bishop Taylor.
8. How will humility
lead us to esteem others?
"Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves."
Phil. 2:3.
9. With whom does God
dwell?
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble> and
to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isa.
57:15.
10. When asked a reason
for our hope, in what spirit should we answer?
"But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope
that is in you with meekness and fear." 1
Peter 3:15.
11. Who should labor
for one overtaken in a fault, and in what
spirit?
"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
Gal. 6:1.
12. With what should
Christian women adorn themselves?
"Whose adorning let it not be that
outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in
that which is not corruptible, even the
ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in
the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter
3:3,4.
NOTE.-The instruction given here, in
principle applies with equal force to
men professing godliness. It is the needless
display of apparel and outward adornment
that is here condemned. God desires the
ornaments within, displayed in the heart and
life rather than those without, simply to be
seen of men. Needless outward adornment,
therefore, may generally be taken as an
indication that the inward adornment, so
precious in the sight of God, is lacking.
Neatness in dress is not here discouraged.
13. Why are we exhorted
to humble ourselves?
"Humble yourselves therefore under
the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you
in due time." 1 Peter 5:6.
NOTE.-"The higher a man is in grace, the
lower he will be in his own esteem."-
Spurgeon.
14. With what has the
Lord promised to beautify the meek?
"For the Lord taketh pleasure in His
people: He will beautify the meek with
salvation." Ps. 149:4.
15. What are the meek
exhorted to seek?
"Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the
earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek
righteousness, seek meekness: it may be
ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger."
Zeph. 2:3.
NOTE.-The fact that the meek are exhorted to
seek meekness, is evidence that the meek
themselves should cherish and cultivate
meekness, and that sanctification, or the
development of a perfect character, is a
progressive work.
16. What inheritance is
promised the meek?
"For yet a little while, and the
wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently
consider his place, and it shall not be. But
the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall
delight themselves in the abundance of peace."
Ps. 37:10,11.
I
COUNT this thing to be grandly true:
That a noble deed is a step toward God,
Lifting the soul from the common clod
To a purer air and a broader view.
We
rise by the things that are under our feet;
By what we have mastered of good and gain;
By the pride deposed and the passion slain,
And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet.
J.
G. HOLLAND. |
