Humility-A Biblical Study and Proposed Action of Humility ....... part 1 of 7
Humility -A Pattern of Sanctification and Spritual Renewal based on II Chronicles 7:14
As you start this study, you may want to look at the letter meaning of the Hebrew Word for Humble as found in II Chronicles 7:14. The Hebrew letters have meaning and can help on understanding the meanings of the words they spell. Language meaning change over time, and the study of the meaning of Humble may help with the possible original meaning. Here is the link: http://wheatlandministries.blogspot.com/2011/11/defining-word-humble-found-in-ii.html
By Lewis Turner
In studying this paper on Humility - take time to look up all the scripture. God's word brings life and humility leads us to God's word.
Part 1 Purpose of Humility and Introduction to the Phases of Humility
This is the first of seven parts of this study. Our prayer at Wheatland Ministries is that God will use this study to help many grow in their love for Jesus. As you take time to study the referenced scriptures, this study should become alive to you. God's word is alive and brings life to us.
II Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
©2004 Lewis Turner, P. O. Box 697, Walkersville, MD 21793
Purpose: To
return to our first love for Christ, and to exalt Christ in our lives.
We are commended to return to
our first love for Christ in Rev 2:4-5.
Why is this important? I John 4:8
says God is Love. God wants us to be ambassadors for Him, II
Cor 5:20, and demonstrate His love to others.
John 13:35 says By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Showing God's love is how we
can lift Christ up in our daily life. John
12:32 says: And I,
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. That is what reviving our first love for
Christ will do. God does not want any to
perish, but that all come to repentance. II Peter 3:9 says The
Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all
should come to repentance. I believe
that this will happen when we have a true heart revival.
How do we return to our first
love? Love is a heart emotion and
starting with it gives opportunity for the heart to return to our first love.
Principle Scripture: II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called
by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.
It is through prayerful study and diligence that we
learn how to present ourselves to God. Through
out the Bible, we are encouraged to put the Word of God in our heart, and to
humble ourselves before Him, so we can hear His voice when we pray, and to obey
Him with the help of the Holy Spirit.
One Scripture frequently quoted concerning study of God’s Word is II
Timothy 2:15. Using a number of
translations, we find that the reference to diligence, or making every effort,
would imply study of God’s Word. Listed
below are a number of translations of II Timothy 2:15. Read them carefully. I believe that diligent
study is consistently implied, an important first step in learning to show
yourself approved unto God. That is how
we will begin this period of following II Chronicles 7:14, to gain an
understanding of what humbling really means.
--
King James[1]
2
Timothy 2:15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
--
American Standard[2]
2 Timothy 2:15: Give
diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.
--
Living Bible[3]
2 Timothy 2:15: Work
hard so God can say to you, ``Well done.'' Be a good workman, one who does not
need to be ashamed when God examines your work. Know what his Word says and
means.
--
Revised Standard[4]
2 Timothy 2:15:
Do your best to present yourself
to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly
handling the word of truth.
--
Simple English[5]
2 Timothy 2:15: Do your
best to present yourself to God as one who has passed the test. Be a worker who
has nothing to be ashamed of. Interpret the message of truth in the proper way.
--
New Jerusalem with Apocrypha[6]
2 Timothy 2:15: Make
every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who has no need
to be ashamed, but who keeps the message of truth on a straight path.
--
Young's Bible[7]
2 Timothy 2:15: Be
diligent to present thyself approved to God - a workman irreproachable, rightly
dividing the word of the truth;
--
Darby's Bible[8]
2 Timothy 2:15:
Strive diligently to present
thyself approved to God, a workman that has not to be ashamed, cutting in a
straight line the word of truth.
-- Weymouth's New Testament[9]
2 Timothy 2:15: Earnestly
seek to commend yourself to God as a servant who, because of his
straightforward dealing with the word of truth, has no reason to feel any
shame.
--
Webster's Bible[10]
2 Timothy 2:15
Study to show thyself approved to God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
The Lord
wants humility to be a way of life for us, not just a one time action. The Apostle Peter writes in I Peter 5: 5 ..be
clothed with humility.
As we move
forward in learning what humility is and learning to walk in humility, it is my
prayer that our first love for Christ will return, and with it the restoration
of the Joy of our Salvation.
Phases of Humility in Action
Phase I. Preparation & Learning Biblical
Definition of Humility
Phase II. Removing
Past and Current Sin & Understanding Our Position in Christ
and Learning to Wait on the Lord.
Phase III. Establishing Prayer & Building Up Each
Other and Learning to Wait on
the Lord
Phase IV. Obedience
of Love & Working Together in Service Action
Starting Point
Our relationship with the Lord
is dependent on a personal relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This is the starting place. It involves believing in Jesus, confessing
Him as Lord and Savior, and allowing Him to be the Lord of our life. It involves turning away from our sinful
ways.
If you do not know Jesus as
your Lord and Savior, now is the time to place your faith in Him. I encourage you to pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I
recognize that I have sinned and I cannot change unless you forgive me and come
into my life and change me. I ask
forgiveness for my sin and I will turn and follow your ways. I ask you to be my Lord and Savior.
The goal of humbling before our
Lord and Savior, Jesus, is to return to our first love for Him. If we follow the directions of Proverbs 2:
4-5, seeking for that which is precious, which our first love for Christ
is. In so doing, it will remove blocks
to understanding, and establish us with that first love. And through prayer (communication with God)
and obedience we will have a close relationship with God.
Note to leaders: There are Biblical skills that are needed
which are vital to our Christian walk and learning. A few of these are:
1. Conduction of Biblical studies
2. Hearing God's voice (This
would include writing down what you hear from the Lord God or Journaling)
2. Being willing to thoroughly and completely
repent of sins, dead works, etc., from
the heart.
3. Allowing the Spirit of God to bring life,
the abundant life promised by Christ to us. John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
To have this we must be free in Christ and allow the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ to operate.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
4. Taking a definite stand against sin in
one's own life.
[1] King
James Version, Oak
Harbor: WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996.
[2] American
Standard Version, Oak Harbor,
WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.
[4] Revised
Standard Version, Cedar Rapids: Parsons Technology, Inc., 1971.
[5] Simple
English Bible, New Testament, International Bible Translators, 1981.
[6] New
Jerusalem Bible, New York: Doubleday Publishers, 1985.
[8] Darby,
John Nelson. Darby Translation of the
New Testament, The Ages Digital Library, Version 8, 2000.
[9] Weymouth’s New Testament
in Modern Speech, The Ages Digital Library, Version 8, 2000.
[10]
Webster’s Bible, BibleDataBase, 2002.
The next part of Phase I will be posted covering the following:
Introduction to Humility
What is Humility? - Definition
Nature of Humility
To go to part 2 click here
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