Humility And Faith

Pride is the only thing hindering humility from being ours. True faith and humility have the same root therefore, one can only embrace humility if they have true faith. This chapter explains the synergy between true faith and humility, and their importance in the life of a believer.

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" John 5:44.

In an address I recently heard, the speaker said that the blessings of the higher Christian life were often like the objects exposed in a shop window, one could see them clearly and yet could not reach them. If told to stretch out his hand and take, a man would answer, I cannot. There is a thick pane of plate-glass between me and them. And even so, Christians may see clearly the blessed promises of perfect peace and rest, of overflowing love and joy, of abiding communion and fruitfulness, and yet feel that there is something between hindering the true possession. The promises made to faith are so free and sure, the invitations and encouragements so strong, the mighty power of God on which it may count is so near and free. Therefore, pride is the only thing that hinders faith and the blessing being ours.

In the text, Jesus unveils to us that it is indeed pride that makes faith impossible. John 5:44 says: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another" As we see how in their very nature pride and faith are irreconcilably at variance, we shall learn that faith and humility are at the root of one and that we can never have more true faith than we have of true humility. We shall see that we may indeed have strong intellectual conviction and assurance of the truth while pride is kept in the heart, but it makes the living faith, which has power with God an impossibility.

We only need to think for a moment about what faith is. Is it not the confession of nothingness and helplessness, the surrender and the waiting to let God work? Is it not in itself the most humbling thing there can be, the acceptance of our place as dependents, who can claim or get or do nothing but what grace bestows? Humility is the disposition that prepares the soul for living on trust. Even the most secret breathing of pride, in self-seeking, self-will, self-confidence, or selfexaltation, is just the strengthening of that self which cannot enter or possess the things of the kingdom, because it refuses to allow God to be what He is and must be the All in All. Faith is the organ or sense for the perception and apprehension of the heavenly world and its blessings. Faith seeks the glory that comes from God, and it only comes where God is all.

As long as we take glory from one another, seek, love, and jealously guard the glory of this life, the honour and reputation that comes from men, we do not seek, and cannot receive the glory that comes from God. Pride renders faith impossible. Salvation comes through a cross and a crucified Christ. Salvation is the fellowship with the crucified Christ in the Spirit of His cross. Salvation is union with and delight in God; salvation is participation in the humility of Jesus. Is it a wonder that our faith is so feeble when pride still reigns so much, and we have scarcely learnt even for too long or pray for humility as the most needful and blessed part of salvation?

Humility and faith are more allied in Scripture than many know. See it in the life of Christ. There are two cases in which He spoke of great faith. Had not the centurion, at whose faith He marvelled, saying, "I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith." spoken, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof" And had not the mother to whom He spoke, "O woman, great is your faith!" (Matthew 15:28) accepted the name of God, and said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs'? (Matthew 15:27) It is the humility that brings a soul to be nothing before God that also removes every hindrance to faith and makes it only fear lest it should dishonour Him by not trusting Him wholly.

Brother, have we not here the cause of failure in the pursuit of holiness? Is it not this, though we knew it not, that made our consecration and our faith so superficial and so short-lived? We had no idea to what extent pride and self were still secretly working within us, and how alone God, by His incoming and His mighty power, could cast them out. We didn’t understand how nothing but the new and divine nature, taking entirely the place of the old self, could make us really humble.

We knew not that absolute, unceasing, universal humility must be the root disposition of every prayer and every approach to God as well as of every dealing with man; and that we might as well attempt to see without eyes, or live without breath, as believe or draw nigh to God or dwell in His love, without an all-pervading humility and lowliness of heart.

Brother, have we not been making a mistake in taking so much trouble to believe, while all the time there was the old self in its pride seeking to possess itself of God's blessing and riches? No wonder we could not believe it. Let us change our course. Let us seek first of all to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God: He will exalt us. The cross, death, and the grave, into which Jesus humbled Himself, were His path to the glory of God.

Let our one desire and our fervent prayer be, to be humbled with Him and like Him; let us accept gladly whatever can humble us before God or men; this alone is the path to the glory of God. You perhaps feel inclined to ask a question. I have spoken of some who have blessed experiences, or are the means of bringing blessing to others, and yet are lacking in humility. You ask whether these do not prove that they have true, even strong faith, though they show too clearly that they still seek too much honour that comes from men. There is more than one answer that can be given.

But the principal answer in our present connection is this: they indeed have a measure of faith, in proportion to which, with the special gifts bestowed upon them, is the blessing they bring to others.

But in that very blessing, the work of their faith is hindered by the lack of humility. The blessing is often superficial or transitory because they do not open the way for God to be all. A deeper humility would, without doubt, bring a deeper and fuller blessing. The Holy Spirit not only works in them as a Spirit of power, but dwells in them in the fullness of His grace, and especially that of humility, would through them communicate Himself to these converts for a life of power and holiness and steadfastness now all too little seen.

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another" (John 5:44), Brother! Nothing can cure you of the desire to receive glory from men, or of the sensitiveness and pain and anger that come when it is not given, but giving yourself to seek only the glory that comes from God.

Let the glory of the All-glorious God be everything to you. You will be freed from the glory of men and of self, and be content and glad to be nothing. Out of this nothingness, you will grow strong in faith, giving glory to God, and you will find that the deeper you sink in humility before Him, the nearer He is to fulfilling every desire of your Faith.