Humility and Men

Submission means humility. And humility is the opposite of pride. The warning of Scripture is "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; see also Proverbs 3:34). A humble, submissive spirit seems a particular challenge for most men. The male ego does exist, and many men are driven by it. I saw once again how this works in the case of Brent. "I've read warfare books, prayed steps to freedom, and I am trying to live the Christian life. What's wrong?" I sensed Brent's tremendous pride and knew what was at stake. We prayed together, and as I talked to the Lord, he said that the Spirit brought to his mind a "soul tie" he had with a married woman in his church. He had taken inappropriate sexual liberties with her. It did not lead to adultery, but he had truly "lusted after her in his heart," which Jesus called adultery in the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:27-28). In my presence, Brent repented of this sin. I then turned him to the pride issue. Brent was an attractive man and was always flattered when women gave him attention. Moreover, his own wife would become jealous of the attention, and this in some way brought Brent even more pleasure. I showed him through several Scriptures how this pride had hurt him and his marriage. Brent immediately confessed this entire sordid thing to the Lord as vain and asked for freedom from such pride. I watched as he humbled himself, even with tears. Today, he continues to confess the pride problem on nearly a daily basis. "The battle of self is not an easy one," he says, "for I have learned that I am my own worst enemy." This had made Brent feel distant from God. He now sees what had happened. "The Bible, says, 'the Lord resists the proud,' and I think God was resisting me," Brent said "When the Lord resist us, we have no power to live the Christian life. That gave the enemy an opportunity to offer his substitutes: lust, pride, money, et cetera. To day I am thankful to be walking in fellowship with Jesus because He gives me all the grace I need to live for Him successfully." Something else happened when Brent humbled himself. When he first visited me, his initial complaint was "There is something in my head telling me I will never be free; the voice keeps telling me it owns me. "What happened to that voice assuring him he would never become free? It is gone. When truth showed up, it had no debating points left. It simply left the field. How are your choices going this week? Spend some time each day talking to God about the choices you've made and the ones you have to make. He will give you insight and genuine help if you seek Him honestly.

A Study in Humility

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). Notice Jesus didn't say "Blessed are those," but "Blessed are you." Jesus takes His teaching on non retaliation to its logical outcome. Not only should we not strike back, but we are to rejoice when we are persecuted. Wow you might say, how do we do that? Well, our trust in God's promise of reward comes into play. The prophets suffered likewise (II Chron. 36:15-16). For you see our role as a disciple of Jesus Christ is greater than that of an Old Testament prophet. I can almost hear you saying lets have some proof of that. All right, take out your Bibles and look up Matthew 10:41-42; 23:34 and 11:9, 11, 13:17 and see for yourself. Thus we can identify with prophetic leaders like Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel. Here is why we are given a greater honor than being prophets; God summons us to bear the name of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:27; 20:28). Please note the characteristics of our Savior, He is lowly in heart, mourns over the unrepentant, shows mercy and He is a peacemaker. How much more so must be His disciples who are to imitate His ways. A Christian is a little Christ. Contrast the attitude of a real disciple to those in the world who receive honor among men. I recently heard a pastor say "The church is like an old prize fighter who has lost his punch." We lose our punch when we stop being like Jesus. Our Lord told us "The greatest among you is servant of all." In the Christian life the way up is down. We are told to learn from Jesus who is "Meek and humble of heart." We are never so much like the devil as when we are proud. We learn from James to "Humble ourselves under the mightily hand of God and He will lift us up." We are taught by Peter that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." This could be a good time to learn a lesson in humility, its a requirement for discipleship. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Let's Accept Each Other

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). The Lord is in infinite wisdom allows Christian liberty not for our enjoyment but for His glory. In His earthly ministry Christ's life was one of self-denial. I believe it takes a measure of humility and self-denial on our behalf to accept one-another. Part of acceptance includes bearing the failings of one another. The end result of our accepting one another is the glorification of our Lord. The Holy Spirit that indwells each of us is in agreement with Himself. We can have unity among diversity as we yield to the Lord and each other. Then we who agree in Christ can begin to agree among ourselves. Have you noticed how God makes everything out of the same simple elements but they are always different. Each of us has a nose, two ears, a mouth, a forehead, some hair (more or less), a chin and with these God makes faces. However no two are quite alike. Though we all share the character of Christ, salvation is not a mold that stamps out the same being over and over again. In the body of Christ there is an infinite variety of expression of the beauty and character of our Lord. This is His plan and He began it in eternity past and He won't end it until eternity future. When we focus on the marvelous work the Lord is doing in each of our lives it becomes a lot easier to accept (welcome) one another. We are like the weaver who weaves cloth, and, working from the wrong side of the garment sees a tangle of threads that seems to make no sense at all. But when the process is finished, one can look on the other side, and there is the pattern beautifully worked out. That's what each of our lives are like. When we begin to see each other through His eyes, it becomes a whole lot easier to accept each other. This brings praise to the Lord. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Treasure This

Do you really want to be wise? James asks a penetrating question that we would do well to ponder. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (James 3:13). In regard to the nature of wisdom, first the impact of the question in the above verse must be faced: "Who is wise and understanding among you"? For it seems that in any group there are those who do not really care about true wisdom but they only desire the prestige and status that comes from being thought wise. This question becomes a special challenge to them because the answer will expose them for what they are. On the other hand there are those who honestly aspire to being wise, for them the question becomes an invitation. The answer will show them the way to attain their aspirations. James is saying, "I am about to tell you the nature of true wisdom. James is calling us to examine our own hearts before reading beyond the question posed. Do we really want to be wise? Should the answer to this question be yes, then we must submit to James' answer about the requirement of true wisdom. James says "Should a person claim to be wise" then "Let him show it by his good life." The term "The good life" in our culture has taken on the connotation of a prosperous, pleasurable life. James, defines the "Good life" quite differently, he is talking about moral goodness. This phrase means, "good conduct" or "good behavior." Then James says "Let him show it...by deeds." Genuine wisdom, like faith, is a practical matter; it shows up in how one lives. Wisdom, then, is not something I will merely possess in my head; if I am wise at all, it is something I will demonstrate in my conduct. Everyone lives out their belief system. God says "Keep your heart with all wisdom, for out of the heart comes the issues of Life. Humility is the character trait that underlies Christian behavior for the wise deeds will be done in humility. This is the trait to cultivate if we would take James' teaching deeply into our life. James would have approved of what Calvin wrote quoting Augustine, "When a certain rhetorician was asked what was the chief rule in eloquence, he replied, `Delivery'; what was the second rule, `Delivery'; what was the third rule, `Delivery'; so if you ask me concerning the precepts of the Christian religion, first, second, third, and always I would answer, `Humility' " (Institutes 2. 2. 11). When we begin to live a humble life before God and others we will live at peace with each other. The opposite of humility is an unwillingness to learn and a refusal to yield. Should we refuse to humble ourselves, our lives will produce the fruit of bitter envy and selfish ambition that results in disorder. For James, humility is a yielding of oneself in being teachable and responsive to God's word, resulting in an unselfish life of peace with other people. James is addressing the problem of arrogance, which can be present even when correct doctrine is being taught. We can teach the right things in the wrong way. Should our attitude reflect "Superiority of knowledge," our lack of humility would negate our message. Paul tells us that "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up." We are exhorted to "Speak the truth in love." Love and truth balance each other. Truth without love can be brutality, love without truth may result in compromise and sentimentality." Since true wisdom comes from outside ourselves, we have to examine where our reliance is placed. It makes sense of what James has already prescribed for a life of faith. It requires that we cultivate an active prayer life--to ask for wisdom. It requires a conscious dependence on God--in the humility prescribed in our verse today. True wisdom can be had only by people who live in active reliance on God. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Dark Night of the Soul

"The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" (James 1:9). Have you ever been to the place where the bottom fell out of everything? You felt so low that you could walk under a snakes belly without ducking. You were in a place where everything you touched fell apart. A trial like this is designed to accomplish something only the process from the place of "Humble circumstances" can do. Job learned that "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). Job's trials allowed him to learn things about God, himself and his friends that we all needed to know as well. He assumed things about God that he had to recant: "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know" (Job 42:3). David learned how to be a King from the humble circumstances of herding sheep. Joseph learned how to be a ruler from the humble circumstances of prison. The Apostle Peter learned how to be a follower of Jesus from the humble circumstances surrounding his denial of Jesus. The Lord will take you to the dark places of circumstances and there He will reveal something He wants you and others to know. He has sent you ahead to learn these things so that you and others will benefit from your unique experience. Remember in Act 2: how Peter was able to say "The Lord whom you denied." According to James God views this place where you receive these truths as a "High position". The world views it as a place to be shunned at all costs. Have you hit bottom? Are you sick, broke, depressed, despised, lonely, feeling hopeless. or a combination of the above? The fact is your lowly state is considered a high position by God, this is His preparation soil for revealing deep things from the dark places that He desires you to learn. The writers of old would refer often to the "Dark night of the soul." Every believer I know has experienced this very place. What should we do in the place of humble circumstances? We must listen for the still small voice of God. He will show up, we dare not miss Him. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences and local church meetings.

Walking Humbly with God

In Micah 6:8 our Lord says "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do Justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." the subject of humility is a difficult one in our world where personal pride rules the day. This outline is taken from Chuck Swindoll's book a life well lived. I would highly recommend this book. You may purchase it for just over $10.00 by going to www.amazon.com. The final chapter closes on this note, "A life well lived honors the Lord and inspires others, but it also produces rewards for the one who lives it. He then lists six of the rewards: -The sustained cultivation of exemplary character -The continued relief of a clear conscience -The personal delight of intimacy with the Almighty -The high privilege of being a mentor -The crowning reward of finishing well -A priceless, lingering legacy for those we love. I am going to attempt to expand each of these rewards. 1. The sustained cultivation of exemplary character. We are daily building what we are becoming. Someone said "We are not human beings as much as human becomings." We will be forever what we are becoming today. Each choice we make builds our character. Our walk with the Lord, is a huge factor, in considering what we will become. We are to become like Jesus.2. The continued relief of a clear conscience. Learning to ask forgiveness. Being quick to forgive. Bitterness grows in the soil of an unforgiving heart. Strive to quickly make things right with everyone you wrong. Being careful with the use of your tongue, check to be sure your attitude would glorify Jesus. Keep very short accounts with God. 3. The personal delight of intimacy with the Almighty. God created us that we might "Glorify Him and enjoy Him forever." Someone said that we glorify Him by enjoying Him forever. To walk in fellowship with the Lord is the greatest privilege we will ever have. I personally enjoy fellowship. My father is in his late 80's and if I call him and fail to visit with him at least an hour it, in his mind, doesn't really qualify as a call. Our Father in Heaven loves us and delights in our fellowship. He has His plan for our lives all worked out. He has never made a mistake and he never will. My personal experience has been that the closer I get the the Lord the greater the attack from the enemy. However, we are given strength in the time of attack, and there is no better place to remain than in fellowship with our Father.4. The high privilege of being a mentor. When we walk with the Lord others around us will follow. That is what discipleship is all about. We make disciples by teaching other to follow Christ. We teach them to obey all that Christ taught. Others use us as an example to follow. Paul said "Be followers of me, as I am a follower of Christ." Who is following you? How well are you doing as you seek to follow Christ? 5. The crowing reward of finishing well. Not all who begin the race well, finish well. I remember a young man in Bible College who bragged to all who would listen that he was going to be the next great evangelist of our time. He didn't last a full semester. Many go up like a rocket and come down like a rock. How often are we prone to distraction or discouragement. I have seen believers just plain quit because something in their life fell apart or didn't go the way they told God it should go. Let's determine that we will run and finish well. The words "Well done, good and faithful servant" coming from the lips of Jesus will more that make it worth while. Actually it's worth it all right now. 6. A priceless, lingering legacy for those we love. What are you leaving for those you love? Do those close to you delight in what the Lord has passed to them through you? I believe every family has a "Hush". There are things in all of our pasts that we would rather not be there. However God's grace is far greater than our past. Ask the Apostle Paul, the former Christian killer, about God's grace. His Epistles are full of writtings about the grace of God. What are you going to leave for others, that will help build lives, and the kingdom of God? What does the Lord want you to do today? Is there anything in your life He wants to help you change? Let's all strive to finish with a life well lived. Dr. Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Staying Clean in a Dirty World

The old hymn writer asked "What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus..." James says "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." James 1:21. The story is told of a man living in a place where the soil was salty and nothing would grow in it. Yet one day outside his kitchen window beautiful flowers sprang up and bloomed. Upon investigation it was learned that he threw his dish water out the window each day. In time the water washed the salt out of the soil. He received a gift of flower seed and placed the packet on the window. a wind blew through the house and cause to seed to tumble to the ground outside the window. The daily soaking from the dishwater opened the packed and planted the seeds. In time with the proper soil, rain and sunshine the seeds grew. The flowers came up in an "Impossible" place and put forth their fragrance. This brings us to our verse. How do we get clean and stay clean in a dirty world. The answer is to humbly accept the Word that is planted in us. How does the Word become planted in our hearts? By daily sowing, as we read the Word, the Word becomes planted. What type of soil do the Word grow best in? The soil of humility, we are to humbly accept the Word which is planted in us. This is why Jesus said "You are clean through the Words I have spoken to you." Are you allowing the Word to grow in your heart? Do you daily wash your soul with the "Water of the Word?" Are you becoming the Christian God has called you to be. Let God cleanse your heart that you might grow into His likeness.

Self Promotion

The Scriptures are quite explicit concerning self promotion. "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth, someone else, and not your own lips." Prov. 27;2. We inherited from Adam the desire to promote ourselves. The consequences of self promotion is getting ahead of God's desire for our lives. Public recognition may be part of God's will for our lives, however when it comes through self promotion we will suffer the consequences. Promotion is to come from the Lord and not from ourselves. Many a "Self made Man" ends up worshiping his creator. King David never promoted himself. He did fall into sin more than once in his life, but he would always repent and turn back to the Lord. His life was marked by an absence of idols. Self promotion and self worship go hand in hand. When one worships self, that person has become an idol worshipers. When we worship the Lord and Him only we will be empowered by the one "...Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us." Eph. 3:20. Who are you worshiping (promoting) today?