Scripture: Revelation 3:17

The Problem of Pride

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” —Revelation 3:17 (NKJV)

When we look at the Bible with a wide-angle lens, when we pull back and view the running narrative from Genesis to Revelation, we come to the following conclusion: We’re our own worst enemy.

We do have a formidable foe in the form of Satan, who is identified as our accuser (Revelation 12:10) and adversary (1 Peter 5:8). But God’s Word tells us that his effectiveness as our enemy is predicated on a problem deep within the human heart, the problem of pride.

We’re not talking about the kind of pride that’s healthy, which is when we esteem someone or something with honor. What we’re talking about is esteeming ourselvesas superior despite the realities revealed to us in God’s Word. In reality, all of us are born into a sinful condition and are in desperate need of God’s forgiveness, mercy, and grace. There’s no place for boasting in ourselves or living under the false premise that we are self-sufficient or fine apart from Him. Any notion to the contrary is pride, and it will destroy us quicker than anything else.

Scripture is filled with sad examples of this, particularly when we read the letter Jesus sent to the church of Laodicea in the Book of Revelation. This church was on the verge of collapse because it had collectively succumbed to spiritual pride. They believed they had “arrived” to the point of self-sufficiency. But Jesus tells us in the passage above they were actually, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Pride had blinded the Laodiceans to their condition, which is why it’s so lethal. It warps our ability to see truth, which sets us free. In fact, when Jesus told the Jewish leaders that the truth would set them free, they demonstrated how prideful they were by declaring, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone” (John 8:33 NKJV). If you know anything about Jewish history, you know that they had been in bondage many times. Pride blinded them to the reality everyone else could clearly see.

We’re no different; pride will turn us into our own worst enemy if we let it. May we stay close to Jesus, who reminds us of our unending need for Him and whose very presence protects us from the power of pride.  

Scripture: Genesis 39:6-20

The Poison of Pride

By Danny Saavedra

“Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused . . . One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house. When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. ‘Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.’ . . . When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me,’ he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.”—Genesis 39:6–20 (NIV)

Have you ever heard the expression, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”? It comes from William Congreve’s The Mourning Bride. But if you really think about it . . . I’d say the inspiration comes from Genesis 39! 

In today’s passage, we see the sinful wrath of a woman who’d been rejected. To be clear, women aren’t more prone to vengefulness than men. Sinful behaviors have nothing to do with gender and everything to do with pride, a universal human issue and the root cause of all sin! 

Think about it: Pride led Adam and Eve to their disobedience, Cain to Abel’s murder, and Joseph’s brothers to selling him into slavery. And here, the hurt pride of Potiphar’s wife led her to falsely accuse Joseph, ruin his reputation, and get him thrown in prison. 

Friends, pride is the ugliest thing on earth. Pride deifies self while dehumanizing everyone else. It’s the complete opposite of who God is! How do we know this? Because Jesus, “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6–8 NIV). 

And it’s the opposite of who God created us to be, because we were made in His image and therefore were created to reflect His character, qualities, and nature. Pride is the root perversion of all godliness; it’s “the lamp of the wicked” (Proverbs 21:4 ESV). 

Now, if the rightful punishment for Joseph was death, why did Potiphar send him to prison? It’s believed he was lenient because, as MacLaren puts it, “He did not quite believe his wife’s story, and thought it best to hush up a scandal. The transfer of Joseph from the house to the adjoining prison would be quietly managed, and then no more need be said about an ugly business.” Why would he think it best to hush up the scandal? Pride! He didn’t want anyone to see him or his family or his personal life as anything other than perfect. He was living the Instagram highlight reel life long before we were! 

And what about Joseph? Well, he was clothed in humility throughout this entire ordeal! He didn’t let pride lead him to sinning against God, himself, his master, and his master’s wife. Instead, he fled from sin, remained humble and obedient to God, and loyal to the man God had put in authority over him. And even though he was sent to prison, God honored his humility and obedience—he wasn’t put to death and God prospered him and saved many through him.

Scripture: Proverbs 18:12

The First Will Be Last

By Danny Saavedra

“Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.”— Proverbs 18:12 (NLT)

Did you ever watch Marvel Studios’ Thor? It’s a story about a prince from the fictional realm of Asgard who is stripped of his powers, cast out of Asgard, and sent to earth because his father, King Odin, believed he was an arrogant prince, unworthy of being king—he decided this after Thor basically started a war due to his pride. So he sent him to earth in order to learn humility and be worthy of his title and power.

I’ve said it before, but I love comic books because there are so many powerful truths beneath the capes, cowls, and magical hammers. The story of Thor is almost like an illustrated version of today’s verse. The word for haughtiness in the Hebrew is gabahh, which in the context used by Solomon here means to exalt yourself, to make yourself higher, to lift yourself up. It’s an act of pride, whereby one puts himself above everybody else. Proverbs is full of statements like this one (11:2, 15:33, 16:18, 29:23). I like to think Solomon would totally get Thor.

A heart full of pride reaps destruction. It reaps isolation, pain, and humiliation. Why? Because when you elevate yourself above others and put yourself on a high platform, everyone sees you fall! But when you lower yourself, when you put others first, when you become poor in spirit, honor will come to you . . . because a heart full of humility reaps glory and honor.

We see this principle in Thor’s story. When he finally learned to humbly sacrifice himself for the good of others, he became worthy of his title and power. We also find this in the teachings of Jesus. From “the last will be first, and the first will be last,” to “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted,” to “whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he (John the Baptist),” we can clearly see that humility is the distinguishing mark of the citizens of God’s kingdom.

I have written on this topic a lot in the past. And the reason is because it is something I constantly need to remind myself of! I have always struggled with this, and still do! I want to be worthy of the title “child of God,” which means I need to learn to put on the humility of Christ every single day. As Andrew Murray said, “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”

Scripture: 1 John 2:15-16

What Does This World Have to Offer?

By Danny Saavedra

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”—1 John 2:15–16 (NLT)

I was born in Miami and am a diehard Dolphins fan. Through winning seasons and terrible losing seasons, I love my team. As a born and bred Dolphins fan, I am programmed to dislike the New York Jets. There is simply no way I could ever harbor anything but rivalry toward them. If anyone loves the Jets, they’re clearly not really from Miami.

In today’s verse, the apostle John implores us to not love the world. He takes it a step further and makes it clear that, just like there is no way I can be a Jets fan since I’m from Miami, if the love of God is in me, there is no way I can love this world or the things it offers me. 

When I read this, I began to ask myself, What does the world have to offer? In that moment, I was immediately transported to the wilderness with Jesus (Matthew 4:1–11). I imagined “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory,” and then my mind started to drift to wild fantasies of what the world could offer me. I imagined everything I could ever want . . . riches, power, fame, adoration, a perfect Herculean physique, the finest meats and cheeses known to man, a house full of sneakers and caps, video games, and the latest and greatest pieces of tech. 

And then I realized that my greatest earthly desires, which all stem from pride, keep me from glorifying the Lord and living and walking like Jesus. In fact, they make me an enemy of the cross of Christ! That’s not where I want to be. As Paul tells us, “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:19 NIV). That is what the world offers. That is what love for the world leads to: destruction. 

The world deceives me into making an idol of myself and my desires—to self-glorification and self-gratification. It feeds me a constant drip of the poison of pride. But like a car dealer who sells you a lemon disguised like a Lamborghini, what you’ll come to find out (too late) is that the things of this world will leave you high and dry, broken down, and empty on the side of the road. These things won’t satisfy or bring rest, peace, purpose, or meaning to life. Only a relationship with Jesus can do that! If we truly love God, we will seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. We’ll not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, nor will we lift our souls to another, even if all the kingdoms of this world are promised to us.

Scripture: Matthew 18:4

Who Is the Greatest In the Kingdom?

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 18:4 (NKJV)

Jesus is the ultimate script flipper. We’re our own self-certified experts on life until Jesus enters the scene and shows us that what we thought was right was really wrong; what we believed to be up was actually down.

The gospels are studded with these pivot points where our perspective is rotated and recalibrated . . . and we see one here in Matthew 18:4. In context, the disciples—who’d been living shoulder-to-shoulder with Jesus for months—start debating which of them will be greatest in God’s Kingdom. If we’re honest, we can identify with that. Whether it’s in the boardroom, on the playing field, in the classroom, or maybe even at church, the urge to be better than the rest is there.

Undoubtedly, the disciples had an image of what “better” looked like . . . an image based on the values the world around them had conditioned them to accept. So Jesus flips the script on them by bringing a little child before them and basically saying, “This is what greatness looks like in My Kingdom.” You can hear the pin drop as their minds swirled.

What was Jesus saying here? What is it about a child that’s so great?

Ironically, it’s what a child doesn’t have that makes them great. They don’t have the baggage of self-sufficiency and pride that we tend to acquire over time. The original Greek text indicates this child was between the age of an infant and a toddler. A child of that age doesn’t have any allusions of self-sufficiency and isn’t prideful. It has nothing to boast about because it fully understands it needs mom and dad for everything!

Jesus was telling these calloused men that they needed to grow young again. To be great in God’s Kingdom, they had to be totally dependent on Him for everything! No boasting, no bragging; but to be completely humbled by the reality that they were utterly helpless without their Heavenly Father.

The same is true for us. Our greatness in God’s Kingdom is measured by our humility. We too need to grow young—to walk in child-like humility by letting go of all sense of self-sufficiency and taking hold of our Heavenly Father’s hand.

Scripture: Matthew 23:[14]

Humble Pie

By Lisa Supp

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”—Matthew 23:14 (NKJV)

A young woman joined her first prayer group. She was nervous, her palms damp. She had been raised in an environment where group prayer meant saying “grace” at meal time, and in her experience, people prayed for one another, not with one another. 

She took her seat at a table filled with three women, all veterans of group prayer meetings. Suddenly, like a racehorse set free from the gate, one woman charged forth. Minutes ticked by and by and by. The young woman sat stone-faced as she listened to the flowery phrases and archaic language of the prayer veteran. Once the dust settled, the newcomer offered her own prayer, which to her sounded terribly stiff and awkward compared to the one before. When the meeting ended, she was escorted to her car by the older woman. The young lady confided about her uneasiness with praying aloud. The woman smiled back at her and said, “Don’t worry. One day, your prayers will be as strong as mine. See you next time.”

Sadly, there wasn’t a next time. The young woman did not return.

While the older woman’s prayer language was impressive, her conversation later was much less so. Her patronizing comments lacked love and encouragement. Rather than follow God’s command to “be holy as I am holy,” she imparted more of a “holier than thou” demeanor. 

Jesus warned against this sanctimonious attitude in today’s verse and in His Sermon on the Mount. There He cautioned, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get” (Matthew 6:5 NLT). 

In other words, our prayers should not aim for earthly rewards (impressing people), but heavenly ones (pleasing God). Not only does “showboating” prayer invite a greater judgment from God, but we potentially damage our witness by alienating others. However, God wants us to pray together and encourage one another, because group prayer welcomes the Holy Spirit in amazing ways, such as healings and revival. 

So, rather than use your prayers to show what you know, allow the Spirit room to help you grow. Join or create a prayer group. As you speak, pray the promises of God and pray your heart. It will be to God a joyful sound, and His house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples (Isaiah 56:7).

Scripture: Galatians 6:3

See Him as Something

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”—Galatians 6:3 (NKJV)

Nothing will derail a person’s spiritual growth more than an attitude of self-righteous pride. The moment we think we are superior to anyone else, when we presume we are valued more than others; we do something to ourselves that all the combined forces of spiritual darkness could never do to us: We put ourselves in a position that God cannot and will not bless.

God has made it clear that He opposes the proud in Psalm 138:6 and Proverbs 3:34. Just in case we’re tempted to think, But that’s all Old Testament language, He repeats it twice for us in the New Testament (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). And if there’s any trace of belief that we have a special “something” within us to boast about, Jesus settles the issue once and for all by declaring we can do “nothing” apart from Him (John 15:5).

If one thing is clear in this life, it’s this: Pride has no place among God’s people! And when or if we think otherwise, we are simply dwelling in a state of self-deception. Again, this attitude acts as a sort of spiritual prison, bringing an abrupt halt to our freedom to grow in God. 

Now, if your heart works anything like mine, you might be thinking, Good thing I’m not guilty of pride like so many other people! Wait! Do you see what’s happening? Can you see how insidiously invasive pride can be? It’s lurking and ready to lunge at us from so many different directions. We can even be prideful about not being proud!

Yet as formidable a foe as pride is, we can’t dwell in the valley of defeat. We need to understand the Lord is greater than pride’s power, and He’s for us overcoming it. It’s a battle we can win; God wouldn’t command us to be victorious if it wasn’t possible!

So how do we win the war with pride? By having the proper perspective, by looking at the right things. If we focus on other people, and measure ourselves against them, we start to see ourselves as “something.” But as we focus on the sinless Son of God, who suffered and died on account of our guilt before God, we will see Him as “something” and ourselves as “nothing” in comparison. 

Don’t get distracted. Keep your spiritual eyes fixed on Jesus, and you will see both Him and you as you should.

Scripture: Philippians 2:1-2

The Bridge of Humility

By Danny Saavedra

”Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”—Philippians 2: 1-2 (NKJV)

If the heart of these two verses could be summarized into just a few words, it would have to be: humility unites, pride divides. 

In these verses, Paul essentially tells the Philippians that if they have received anything from being Christ-followers, if there has been any life change and transformation in them, then it should be demonstrated through their unity. And true unity, the kind Paul 

is referring to here—-one love, one accord, one mind–leaves no room for pride, because pride doesn’t bring people together … it tears them apart. 

Humility builds bridges and connects people; it creates and maintains relationships and it unites people. But pride burns bridges; it sabotages relationships and it divides people. 

So Paul, who as we remember was in chains, told this group of people whom he loved very much to be united-to not put themselves or their needs above the needs of others, to strive towards the same goals, to help each other out, being real and genuine brothers and sisters.They were to watch out for each other and love each other; to live in harmony. 

You see, in order to have unity and harmony in the church, we as the body of Christ, as the Church, need to understand that it’s all about Jesus. When Paul talked about one accord, unity, one heart … this is what he was saying! It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about pointing people to Him. It’s all about His love. It’s not about us. 

One of the problems in the modern church is that we believe the church is here for us.This is incorrect!We are the church, and we are here for Jesus and for others. 

In Romans 12, Paul compares the Church to a human body. And like the body, the Church operates at its highest capacity when each member or part of the body is properly fulfilling its role. When a part of the body is unable to perform its role, other parts have to work to compensate, which puts a strain on the body. The same can be said of us. But when each person humbly operates in their gifts, serving and loving with the same heart and the same mind of Christ, that’s when the Church works best! 

The lesson here for us is that we need to have a spirit of unity with one another, because we’re called to glorify God, follow Jesus, and serve others. If Christ’s love and the power of His Spirit in us has truly changed and produced fruit in our lives, then our relationship with one another should reflect this! 

Scripture: Philippians 2:3

The Posture of Humility

By Danny Saavedra

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”—Philippians 2:3 (NKJV) 

As Paul’s thought process continues to come together in his advice and instructions to the Philippians, today’s verse builds off of the previous set of verses and takes the idea even deeper. If as believers, we’ve truly been impacted and changed by Christ, not only will we be united with our brothers and sisters, but we’ll also put others first! In no uncertain terms, he is saying that pride puts self first, but humility puts God and others first. 

For humans, this is a foreign, unnatural concept. Consider how a parent doesn’t have to teach a baby to be selfish. It comes along very naturally! One of the first words a baby learns and repeats a lot is “mine!” They learn that word so easily, and they know exactly what it means and when to use it. On the other hand, children have to be taught to share, be considerate, and think of others first. 

This inclination has been part of our DNA since man first sinned. You see, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve put themselves first. It was all about what they wanted. They wanted to be like God. They wanted to have knowledge they didn’t have. In that moment, they didn’t consider the possible consequences of disobeying God, even though they were clearly told that they would die. 

Pride puts your needs and your wants above anyone else’s. Adam and Eve’s decision was based on, as Paul called it here in Philippians, selfish ambition. It was conceit, which means excessive pride, vanity, arrogance, egotism. 

Adam and Eve wanted to be like God, and that is a good thing. But eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil didn’t make them more like God. And that’s Satan’s great deception-to take something good and twist it. He told them that they would be like God if they ate from the tree, but what they forgot was that they were already like God.They were made in His image and likeness. And that’s what pride does. It gives us tunnel vision. It’s short sighted, it’s all consuming, and sadly, it devours everything in its path. 

So, what’s the solution? “In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. This sounds hard, especially because it’s not natural for us . . . and that’s the key. Humility isn’t natural; it’s supernatural.Andrew Murray once said, “Humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all:’ It’s a work that the Spirit does in us. So, today, and every day, ask for a fresh dose of humility as the Lord Jesus takes center stage in your heart and life. 

Scripture: Philippians 2:4

The Scope of Humility

By Danny Saavedra

“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”—Philippians 2:4 (NKJV)

Like verse 3, Philippians 2:4 continues to build upon the idea set forth by Paul in the first two verses, describing the positive effects that “being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” can have on the believer. 

Here, the apostle tells us to “look out:’The Greek word is skopeó, where we get our English word scope. And as we know, to scope something out is to investigate, scan, or look at carefully. It implies seeking out and searching. It’s equivalent to fixing one’s (mind’s) eye on or directing one’s attention to. So when Paul says to “look out” here, he is telling the Philippians to seek (similar to Philippians 2:21 ). He’s instructing us to not only put others first in moments when a situation arises, but to intentionally, at all times, seek to put the good of others first, not just our own good. It speaks of a self-forgetting love, lifestyle, and mindset. 

One thing that should also be noted is the structure of Paul’s instruction:”Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also” (emphasis added). By his phrasing here, and the use of “also;• we see that Paul did not outlaw or rail against all self-consciousness or self-love, nor did he call the believer selfish for looking out for their own needs. Paul understood that man has basic, fundamental needs that must be tended to, that man is both an individual being as well as a social one; he can consider his own needs lower than the needs of others, but he can’t ignore them. 

This is an important lesson for us. In his book, Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You, John Ortberg wrote, “A paradox of the soul is that it is incapable of satisfying itself, but it is also incapable of living without satisfaction.You were made for soul-satisfaction, but you will only ever find it in God:’ 

Always remember, as you look out for the needs of others, as you seek to humble yourself, don’t neglect your need for God or your relationship with Him. Do life with God, receive from His Word and His Spirit. This will actually enable you to be humble and put others first. It will enable you to care for others, because the Lord has taken care of you! 

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-7

The Mind of Humility, Part 1

By Danny Saavedra

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”—Philippians 2:5–7 (NKJV)

The next four days will cover one of the most powerful passages as well as one the most beautiful descriptions of the character and heart of Jesus Christ that you will find in the entire Bible. Here, the apostle Paul shows us how Christ is the ultimate example for the way to lead a life of purpose and substance, a life that honors the Father. And what’s the quality He hones in on? Humility! 

He starts by imploring us to allow the mind of Christ to be within us.The Greek word for this phrase (phroneó) implies a personal opinion fleshing itself out in action. According to the HELPS Bible word study lexicon, “This idea is difficult to translate into English because it combines the visceral and cognitive aspects of thinking.” Thus, the idea is that this mind of Christ, the same humble, others-centered way of thinking, should become both an intellectual knowledge and a deeply instinctual thing. 

How do we perceive this way of thinking on a practical level? Jesus, being the Son of God, stepped out of heaven into a barn. He slept in a place where animals ate out of. He worked with His hands and lived a humble, poor life as a carpenter.Jesus showed us how to be humble. He, being God, came to serve. He said, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28 ESV). God put us first! He died for us. He showed us what pleases God, what blesses God’s heart, what glorifies God. He showed us how to be more like God. 

Calvary Chapel Albuquerque Pastor Skip Heitzig once said, “You’re never more like Jesus than when you humble yourself.” So, if Christ, who is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians I: 15 NIV), was willing to lower Himself from His heavenly throne to become a man and take on the role of a servant to save us, then we are also called to walk in humility, lifting up the name of Jesus and living to serve others. 

Of Note:  The “form” (morphe) of God is not  a physical form. Jesus shares God’s nature; He isn’t another god. Before the incarnation, Jesus existed in the form of God. But in the incarnation, Jesus took on “the form of a bondservant:’ God served us in humility. He became human surrendering access to His divine privileges and willingly died a shameful death. And thus, when it says He “made Himself of no reputation,” this self­-emptying (kenósis) does not imply a loss of Christ’s deity or His divine attributes, because God cannot become anything less than God. At no point did Jesus cease to be God. Instead, it speaks of a surrendering of His divine privileges by taking on the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of man. 

Scripture: Philippians 2:8

The Mind of Humility, Part 2

By Danny Saavedra

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”—Philippians 2:8 (NKJV) 

Do you know what the most shameful and abhorrent kind of death was in Jesus’ day? Crucifixion. It was the kind of death that was reserved for the worst of people; those who were cursed. In Galatians 3: 13 (NLT), we see this spelled out clearly: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 

But Jesus, God in the flesh, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, humbled Himself. And not just by taking on the form of man or arriving on the scene as a poor carpenter from Nazareth . . . He allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, spit on, insulted and mocked, and whipped. He had a crown of thorns placed on His head, He was nailed to a cross reserved for a criminal, and He died the most vile and cursed death. He took upon Himself the weakness and evil of humanity and obediently carried out the will and plan of the Father. 

According to theologian Dr. James Mac Knight, “The reasoning in this passage is beautiful. The Son of God did not proudly continue in his high station, but descended from it for a while, and placed Himself in the lowest condition among men, serving everyone with the humility and assiduity of a servant, or bondman, as doulossignifies. Then, in obedience to His Father (John 6:38), He finished His services by suffering the painful and ignominious death of the cross as a malefactor, for the salvation of the world. 

“Having this great example of humility and benevolence set before them by their Master, His disciples, who are above their brethren in station, should not on every occasion behave as their superiors; but, laying aside their dignity, they should cheerfully perform in person to their inferiors those offices of kindness and humanity which their distress requires; especially when the assistance wanted by their inferiors is of such an urgent nature that it admits of no delay.” 

Jesus’ example shows us with such vibrant clarity that no one should consider himself or herself above any person or any work No job is beneath us if it is Spirit-led, no person is beneath us. In fact, we should go out of our way to put people first and lay aside our pride to serve the Lord’s will and purposes. 

Scripture: Philippians 2:9

The Mind of Humility, Part 3

By Danny Saavedra

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.”—Philippians 2:9 (NKJV) 

As we see here,Jesus-who humbled Himself, was obedient to the Father, and suffered the ultimate humiliation and death ­was in turn highly exalted above all others. God bestowed upon Him a title above all titles: the honor and majesty of being the Savior of the human race. More specifically, the name of Jesus becomes “the name which is above every name.”

If there is one thing we can glean with certainty from the above verse, it’s that God exalts the humble. The word exalt (huperupsoó, which is the only occurrence of this word in the entire New Testament) speaks of being elevated beyond and put exceedingly to the highest possible level. 

Why does God exalt the humble? Because God loves humility and hates pride. He wants us to be humble, to follow the example set by His Son. The problem is that pride constantly gets in the way. Augustine of Hippo once said, “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.” 

Pride and selfishness, self-ambition, separates us from God. Our moments of pride and selfishness are the moments we are furthest from the Lord. It hides God’s image in us and brings out ugliness. It directly led to the fall of mankind. 

Consider Jesus’ dealings with the Pharisees, who indignantly put themselves above others. The reason Jesus spoke so sternly to these men is because God does not stand for pride, He opposes it! In fact, in Romans 2:8 (NLT) we read, “But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves .. :• James 4:6 (NLT) says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble:• 

In today’s verse, Paul tells us that God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name that is above every name because Jesus humbled Himself and put humanity first.The lesson Paul is teaching the Philippians is that when you follow the example of Jesus and esteem others above yourself, God sees it and blesses you for it. You may not experience the rewards in the present­—remember Jesus was exalted above all after ascending to heaven—but in the end, your humility and servant-heartedness will reap a harvest. And on the other side of the spectrum, in the end, the prideful will be humbled at their judgment. 

Scripture: Philippians 2:10-11

The Mind of Humility, Part 4

By Danny Saavedra

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:10–11 (NKJV) 

An interesting thing to note here is the translation of the phrase “at the name of Jesus:” The most proper translation of this phrasing in the Greek would actually be “in the name of Jesus.” This picture is one of ancient significance. It harkens back to passages in the Old Testament that refer to God and are here applied in the New Testament to Jesus. “In the name” is a phrase that is constantly used for the worship of God. And the idea of the bowing of the knee actually expresses paying homage, respect, and adoration. 

So, in the name of Jesus, or as theologian John Gill put it, “in and by reason of the power, authority, and dignity of Jesus, as exalted at God’s right hand, every creature is to be subject to him . . . ” The meaning here is that Jesus Christ was so exalted and lifted up by God there is a time soon coming where all people, all being on earth, in heaven, and even those beneath would acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. 

It’s interesting that Paul mentions “those under the earth” (Romans 14:9–11; Ephesians 4:9-10; Revelation 5:13), among whom Jesus was once numbered. Many scholars also believe that this phrase is meant to also include demons and the lost, as all will one day acknowledge that Jesus is Lord-though the homage given by this group is not one of love, but of fear as seen in Mark 3:11 and Luke 8:31. 

The grand point Paul was making here was that the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the firstborn over all creation, God in the flesh humbled Himself and gave up His divine privileges to live among us, accomplish the perfection of life we never could, take upon Himself our punishment, achieve victory over sin, and conquer death. And because of this humility, God gave Him the title of Savior, and at His name all will bow. Thus, humility is of high value to the Lord. It is the quality that most closely brings us to His throne and the thing that most clearly reflects His heart in us.