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Be
Clothed With Humility
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be
clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud and
giveth grace to the humble." I Peter 5:5. "Put
on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering." Colossians 3:12.
These texts teach that we can put
on this beautiful garment of grace, by which we are made
presentable in the hand of God to represent Christ before
men. He provides the garment; we must put it on and wear
it. When a citizen enlists to become a soldier, he is
provided with a uniform, furnished by the government. If
he will be a soldier, he must expect to wear a soldier's
uniform. God provides His soldiers, not with any
particular shaped or colored literal garment, but with the
garment of humility; that is the very best adapted to our
needs. Nothing else can possibly cover the nakedness of
the self, or soul life, and render us fully acceptable
before Him. It is not only our most beautiful adornment in
His sight, but when once we become perfectly adjusted to
it, it becomes the most comfortable, convenient,
delightful, and healthful article of apparel to our
spiritual being that we ever wore, and above all it proves
to be to us, in the time of battle, an impenetrable coat
of mail. No sword, spear, nor missile of the enemy has
ever pierced it. Therefore we all should be the more eager
to put it on, and keep it on; for it is indispensable to
our safety and protection.
I have seen some specimens of
ancient coats of mail that were exceedingly bunglesome and
heavy, which must have rendered the warrior very weak in
everything but the defensive; but the beautiful garment of
humility is easy and light (Matt. 11:29, 30), and is
equally helpful in the offensive and defensive. Without it
we are both helpless and useless in our Christian warfare.
Let us remember that this Bible
humility cannot be made by human effort. It is divine, and
furnished us as freely as salvation. In his epistle to the
Colossians the apostle speaks of a
Voluntary Humility
which we are warned against. This is the
counterfeit and has the appearance of the genuine in many
respects. In the text (Col. 2:18) it will be noticed that
this false humility is associated with the fleshly mind.
Instead of it being a true humiliation, is a vain puffing
up and exaltation. It has a form of will worship, but it
is generated by a spirit of self-pride, and finds a
productive soil in the hearts of the unsanctified. Some of
the very proudest hearts are covered up with this false
humility, making much of forms and exterior appearance,
but lacking the true humility of heart.
Dear reader, let us be sure first
that we have a clean heart; then put on the true Bible
humility, which can only be found under the mighty hand of
God.
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