Reveration Blog
8/6/1998 0 Comments HumilityThe Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 1:15-17 that Jesus: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. The word “firstborn” in the Greek language in which Colossians was written, does not mean first-created. Rather, it means that Jesus is preeminent. Cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses have wrongly used the word firstborn to teach that Jesus was like us, a created being. Such could not be further from the truth. The Bible emphatically supports the deity of Christ, teaches us that He is the Creator and proclaims He exists with no beginning or end.
Meditation Philippians 2:5-11--Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. If we contrast the two passages of Scripture noted above, how can we not be astounded! The omnipotent Son of God willingly chose to become the suffering Son of Man. Imagine if you as a brilliant human were able to create a whole new species we’ll call the Dorkins. You the creator, the clever designer, became painfully bruised by the aberrant behavior of these Dorkins who with the freedom you gave them rejected your guidance, to go their own way. You could easily have eliminated these misfits and started over but you loved them so deeply you willingly humbled yourself and through a complex operation became a Dorkin to save them from their hopeless rebellion. You did all this knowing in advance these creatures’ temperament and nature would lead most of them to reject and ultimately murder you. Would you set aside your absolute power, abandon your unequaled prestige to stoop so low as to become a Dork? Could it be that the hardest concept to grasp for humanity is the place of humility? The harder we push to have our own way, to become great, to achieve what our egos insist we deserve, the further we push ourselves away from the Messiah who did just the opposite. Those who are humble do not draw attention to their humility for that would be false-pride. Those who are humble identify with Christ and seek to be like Him. “But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:6,7,10). Something to think about . . . in reveration. Inspiration If humility were put up as an ideal it would serve only to increase pride. Humility is not an ideal; it is the unconscious result of the life being rightly related to God and centered in Him.—Oswald Chambers in Biblical Psychology ©1998 Daniel York ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause. If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice. Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB)
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles