Welcome to the Pew, this week we continue on this road of the good way we look at humility and you can’t think about humility without remembering John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a Jewish prophet, Jesus’ cousin, who preached repentance and baptized people in the Jordan River, famously baptizing Jesus and proclaiming Him the Messiah before being imprisoned and beheaded by King Herod Antipas at the request of Herodias and her daughter Salome, fulfilling prophecies as the forerunner of Christ. Jesus honored the prophet with these words truly, I tell you among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist. As we read on through Matthew, we read in Matthew 3:13–14 where John acknowledges that he did not see himself as worthy enough to baptize Jesus and in Matthew 3:11 to even carry his sandals. He being a reference to John the Baptist. John has one job to do, announce the coming of the Messiah. John had one other distinction that we will mention here before moving along. God chose him to break that 430 years of divine silence that had existed since the prophet Malachi and it has been written that John built the bridge from the old to the New Testament. John was Spirit anointed, Spirit driven, and Spirit, faithful.

Now let’s take the time to share Biblical Humility. Humility in the Bible is defined as a heart attitude of loneliness, weakness, and   selfishness, characterized by a dependence on God rather than self exaltation. There are key scriptures like Philippians 2:3–8 that highlighted Jesus as the ultimate example, it’s commanding believers to value others above themselves and to act without selfish ambition. That’s examined for characteristics or keys or however, you want to put it for things about humility. There are key Bible verses on humanity. We find them in Philippians 2:3–4 about selfish ambition or conceit. Put those aside but help people with humility, count others more significant than yourself. In James 4:6 God does not look with approving eyes upon the proud, but he’s always willing to give grace to the humble. In proverbs 22:4, we read of the reward of humility and the fear of the Lord they are the riches of honor and life. First Peter 5:5–6 reminds us to clothe ourselves with humility towards one another we all remember, blessed are the meek for they will inherit the Earth, that’s from Matthew 5:5. Micah 6:8 encourages walking humbly with God and doing justice and loving mercy. God wants us to show humility, and he has specific ways in which he wishes for us to do just that. By submitting to God, recognizing our limitations and relying on God’s grace to get us through rather than just human strength. God requires obedience, absolute unquestioning obedience to the word of God. And of course there’s always arrogance not thinking of oneself more highly than necessary. There are certain characteristics of biblical humility, maintenance, honesty, gratitude, and poor in spirit, recognizing one’s total spiritual bankruptcy and need for salvation. First and foremost, God, promises to give grace to the humble and the Bible tells us that those who humble themselves will be exalted in due time. The path of humility leads to riches, honor, and life. Within humility, we will find wisdom and guidance. God teaches and guides the humble to what is right. Humility is presented as a crucial voluntary and daily practice for followers of Christ leading to a deeper connection with God.

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