Humbled to Death

Confessing sins of pornography is humbling. I was enslaved to it for about 8 years (that and sexual immorality too). But the Lord humbled me from a place of pride, of theological knowledge, of dead works, and of ignorance to serve his people.

I need Christ now more than ever, and I say these things from a low position for I am merely a cleansed sheep. I know what I was and how wretched my flesh is, even as it still tries to quench itself. This should be a very bad time for me, knowing that I lost my fiancee. My sin offended the Lord and her so much, that he separated us for good. The Lord wanted me for his purposes, and one of those is to be humbled before Him. And in this I enjoy of the grace of God through His work.

So, what the Word say about humbling ourselves?

Psa 25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
Psa 34:2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
Psa 55:19 God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God.
Psa 69:32 When the humble see it they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
Psa 147:6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

We see that the Lord responds to the humble. The Lord fills the humble and they will be glad. The Lord lifts up the humble and also destroys the wicked. Read Psalm 51 too.

It was humiliating to have to tell all those people about my lost fiancee. It was awful to confess to my close friends that I was enslaved to pornography and lust for over 8 years. But the Lord saw my humility (which he gave me even that!) and rescued me to lift up my Spirits for his purposes.

Here are some more verses:

Pro 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.
Deu 8:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
2Ch 33:23 And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more.

We see in these verses that pride leads to disgrace, but the Lord blesses the humble with wisdom. Also, refusing a humbling spirit leads to increased guilt. Friends, I totally identify with this position. I was respected in my church, knew a lot of theology, thought myself wise, and accrued so much guilt that I stopped trying. The guilt was such a burden even though my life looked great with a good job and a beautiful fiancee. But the Lord humbled me by taking away what I loved most, and drew me to Him.

How does the Lord address humility in the New Testament? With Jesus. No question about it.

Mat 21:5 "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
Php 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus, THE Son of God, humbled himself to save us! Don't miss this for it is so profound. The Lord came down from Heaven and "became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross." Wow, how can I be self-exalting when the Lord was humble to the Father?

Here's my prayer: "Lord, make me low, very low before You, the Creator. Make me in awe of your grace and Jesus's decent on Earth. And not just that He came, but He also gave his life for us! How many times have I wanted to go serve somewhere, but not get my hands and knees dirty? Lord, I look to You, receiving the grace you give me. Thank you for your perfect sacrifice! Humble me before you!"

Here is how Paul was humbled:

2Co 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

And hear the voice of Jesus:

Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

I am weak in my flesh, yet the Lord gives me new desires for Him. Humility, yes, but not keeping focus on myself. I look to Jesus and press forward, in nothing else but His grace, for it is not I who is doing these things, but the Lord. Humble yourself before the Lord. Get on your knees!