Daily Reading: (1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-7):
“In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
“God resists the proud”, we see this over and over again with Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees. It isn’t that God doesn’t love the Pharisees, but that the resistance provides the opportunity for the proud to be humbled, and to consider a better way in which they might receive grace.
Pride is what will hinder you from receiving the grace that God wants to give you (1 Peter 5:5) because you believe that you don’t need it or will try to work to earn it. God is not impressed with your sacrifice, especially when you are not impressed with His.
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8).
C.S. Lewis said,“humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” It is being compassionate and loving to one another as Peter wrote.Pride looks at self-efforts, humility says look at what Christ has done for me.
On the Mount of Transfiguration after the voice of God came from heaven and told the three disciples “listen only to My Son” this is what Jesus had to say to them in Matthew 17:7: “Arise and do not be afraid.” What Jesus is telling His disciples is to “allow yourself to be lifted by God.” True humility is when you allow the voice of grace to lift you up (Matthew 17:7, 1 Peter 5:6). “God shows favor to the humble.” Because the humble are those who have received His Son. And when you are lifted by allowing Jesus’ finished work to do this for you (humility), you realize that you stand on equal ground with Him because you have been given His righteousness. Everything God desires to give us, it is available through Jesus. Pride says, “no thanks, I’m good, I got this.” God opposes this attitude. This shuts down the pipeline of His special grace unto us, the grace that grows us and makes us more and more like His Son.
James writes in 4:6-7: “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Both men quoted from Proverbs 3:34 to show how important this is.
Leading up to these verses James is going to hammer home the point of how destructive and dangerous pride is. Pride brings with it strife, division, and war. Pride leads to wars and fights, lust, and murder but God gives abundant grace. You can choose to be proud or you can choose to receive abundant grace. The principle of grace is supply, while the principle of the law is demand. The reason pride is a grace killer is that pride will take our focus off of our supply, Jesus Christ, and it will only focus on the demand placed upon us. Our part is just to exercise faith by receiving from God, His supply of grace, and this is living a life of humility that blesses others out of the abundant grace we have received.
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