Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Fruitful Vine



    This is a story of growing good grapes in a vineyard and producing good wine. Sun light is the most important catalyst for fruit bearing vines and vineyards become a fruitful one. Very often shades limit the ability of vine to bud and it is possible for flowering buds to fall on the ground. This is a huge concern for the vineyard keeper or the owner in general so the choice of location where there is plenty of sunlight is very important for the vines to bear fruit. Location has an important influence for the success of wine grape growing.

    If we have huge trees with wide spread roots these can bring in a host of problems like shade and can invite birds, raccoons, rabbits, rodents, deer and mice around them and trees could rob the moisture form the soil. The vineyard has to be fertile and the soil that drains thoroughly helps in producing fine grapes.  Degree of sunlight, surrounding flora and fauna, the types of soil, choosing the right variety of grapes and the varying climate play a huge role in growing vine grapes. In general we can say that technology does not necessarily produce good grapes and wines, but the vineyard and how it is tended! Now we can understand why Jesus brought the relationship between growing grapes and spiritual fruit.
     1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
     What is pruning?
    The Greek word translated 'bear' in 'bears no fruit' is the word phero, and the Greek word translated 'fruit' is karpos. Both are used in the Parable of the Sower. 'It came up, grew and produced a crop [karpos: fruit, crop, harvest] multiplying [phero: bearing] thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.' (Mar 4:8).1

    [Pruning is performed in the early spring while the vine is still dormant. This is done in February, March, or early April depending upon when the grapevines generally come out of dormancy and bud out. Pruning the grapevine and training the vine go hand-in-hand. You must decide the way you want to train the vine in order to prune it correctly. Vines that "droop" should be trained to a top wire of about 6 feet. Canes are then pruned and trained outward from the middle on each side of the trunk. As the new shoots grow, they droop on each side of this high pruned wire, naturally, taking in account of their habit of growth. Concord, and other Native American varieties are typical of those varieties that droop downward naturally.]2

      Sin in its entire format has its origin in the heart of man. As I have explained in my previous article on ‘Heart and mind connection’ what we sow in our minds can descend into our hearts and the heart begins to yield its crop bountifully.  20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mk: 7:20-23. When we sing and cry out to God “purify my heart” that means a lot to a believer. Because God the Father starts to work in the heart of an individual by pruning and cleansing.
     As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 17 These things I command you, that ye love one another; Jn: 15:1-17.
     Are we chosen to bear fruit? Has God given us His Spirit so that one day we may have eternal life? 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you; Jn:15:16. The Greek word translated appoints means to place some one in that position and here the position is as a believer in Christ. That position was given to us so that we bear fruit to God the Father. 
    What is a true vine? I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman; Jn 15:1. The Greek translation for true means real, genuine and not a counterfeit. When we look around we find there are many counterfeit teachings and many follow those teachers who give counterfeit teachings. They seem to be very attractive and many follow that broad path. When we read this passage we understand Jesus is genuine truth and He is the true vine and the Father is the gardener. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me; Jn: 14:6.

    What happens to fruitless branches? Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit; Jn: 15:2. Cut off means to take away or remove. From the above verse it is very obvious that God the Father will remove or take away from the person any branch that does not yield its fruit in the season. When we say abide in Christ means ‘born again believers;’ 1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; Rom: 8:1. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new; 2 Cori: 5:17. The following verse confirms many believers who were in Christ and who bear fruit for God the Father; Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me; Rom: 16:7.

    How do we remain in Jesus? Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing; Jn 15:4-5. These verses definitely imply that if we do not abide or remain in Jesus he will not abide in us ad we will not bear fruit. Remain means to abide or dwell; But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you; Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; Rom: 8:9. The consequences of not abiding in Jesus are huge; and that is we can not bear fruit; and we can never glorify the Father if we do not abide in Jesus.
    What will happen to the vine branches which do not abide in Jesus? If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples; Jn: 15:6-8. This is serious and Jesus is comparing us to the vine branches because He wants us to bear fruit to God the Father and also Jesus knows we can never bear fruit on our own.
    Jerusalem, a Useless Vine 1The word of the LORD came to me:  2"Son of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch on any of the trees in the forest?  3Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang things on?  4And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?  5If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred? 6 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem; Ez:15:1-6.
    In general a barren tree is a waste of space and it is better it is cut down and another tree with a possibility of bearing fruit is worth planting. He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down; Lk:13:6-9. It is important that we bear fruit by not only hearing God’s word but practicing it daily in our lives.
    How do we remain in His love and glorify God?As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full; Jn 15:9-11. If we remain in the unconditional love of Christ we will allow Him to cleanse us and refine us, and if our hearts does not condemn us we have the confidence before God in our prayer life. Obedience to God and His commandments adds more power in our prayer life. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples; Jn 15:9-8. In other words glorifying the Father means to reveal some one as being great, important, magnificent, awesome and excellent in our lives.

    What is a true fruit? In general when we talk about fruit people tend to believe the number of people they bring to Christ and His love. When we read Galatians chapter 5, we get a different view of the fruit we are talking about. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

    22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; Gal 5:19-23. When one try to be in God, and God dwells in that person, then the fruit what the Galatians is talking about becomes very evident in their lives. The spiritual fruit is produced in our lives by the indwelling Spirit of Christ working in and through the person transforming that person in the image and likeness of Christ.

    What is real Christian maturity? The Greek word translates maturity as bringing to perfection or ripeness. Perfection does not mean how many people one brings to Christ, or how many people one preaches the Gospel. It definitely has to do with the quality of fruit we bear for God the Father and the image we bear as believers. The quality of fruit we produce is directly proportional to how much of us we yield to God. Are we allowing God to transform us into His image? Such fruit takes time to grow and to ripen in our lives. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; Gal: 5:22-23. This is the fruit that will last and remain as we continue to abide in Christ and His love because they were produced by God. That means we are allowing Jesus to live in us, and being part of us in our decision making process in our lives and we are glorifying the Father in heaven and showing the world that we are the true disciples of Jesus Christ.

      Please visit the following website to understand the effort it takes to bring forth fruit in a vineyard. It has different seasons like bud break, flowering, fruit set, veraison and what the farmer does after harvest. This is very much related to our spiritual lives what the Lord calls us to abide in Him to bear much fruit. This is a process, and also our spiritual lives have different seasons and the garden has to be watered, tilled, weeded, and must be taken care off.  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_growth_cycle_of_grapevines
The vines begins to divert some of its energy production into its reserves in preparation for its next growth cycle. After harvest . See also: Harvest (wine)

End notes:
The vine and the branches 'I am the true vine, ... while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful
2
Prune Your Grapes - Pruning the Backyard Grapevine
http://www.whatprice.co.uk

Website and References:

        1. List of Greek words with English derivatives - Wikipedia ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_words_with_English_derivatives
This is an incomplete list of Greek words with derivatives in English. There are many English words of Greek origin, with a variety of histories: vernacular borrowing ...

      2. Images of vineyard and grape clusters

bing.com/images

        3. How To Grow A Vineyard - YouTube

Learn tips from a Napa Valley grape grower on how to set up a vineyard. From the Southwest Yard &   Garden series.

       4.Starting a grape vineyard?, about grape vines and ...

winerackshop.com/vineyard.htm
Sign up to receive deals, discounts, and ... Starting A Grape Vineyard ... Grape vines will certainly grow in shaded areas but sunlight is the catalyst for fruit ... 

For further reading:

1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House: 1983-85. 
2. R.T. Kendall. Understanding Theology, Developing a Healthy Church in the 21st Century. 1996.
3. Jay E. Adams. A Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.
4. Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
5.  Robert P Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986.
6. Charles Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, 1999.
7.  A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1907.
8.  Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
9. Steven W. Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo: Westcliffe Press, 2007
10. John Theodore Muller, Th.D. Christian Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen.  St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 1934.  
11. Prayers To Move Your Mountains. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.
12. John White. Parables, the Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois: Inter varsity Press, 1988, 1999.
13. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, Illinois: Publishing ministry of Good News publishers, 2008.
14. The Matthew Henry Study Bible. King James Version. Iowa falls: World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1990.

 

Saturday, May 10, 2014

A Tribute to Mothers from my heart..


    No other Book in the Bible is so right for this very special day and that is Mother’s Day’. As we read the 31st chapter of the Book of Proverbs this speaks so much about a woman who genuinely fears the Lord. The one who gives godly wisdom, and guides her children in the genuine path of righteousness and truth. There is a world of difference between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom. Let us mediate how this part of God’s Word is applicable for women and especially for mothers on this day. No one’s word can speak so rightly and aptly for any season, circumstances and situations with so much authority.
The words of King Lemuel’s mother
    31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.  What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
The virtuous wife
    10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. 15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

    16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. 17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

      23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates; Prov: 31.

      Well may we pause to pay honour to her who after Jesus Christ is God's best gift to men, mother. It was she who shared her life with us when as yet our members were unformed, into the valley of the shadow of death she walked that we might have the light of life. In her arms was the garner of our food and the soft couch for our repose. There we nestled in the hour of pain; there was the playground of our infant glee. Those same arms later became our refuge and stronghold. It was she who taught our baby feet to go and lifted us up over the rough places. Her blessed hands plied the needle by day and by night to make our clothes. She put the book under our arm and started us off for school. But best of all, she taught our baby lips to lisp the name of Jesus and told us first the wondrous story of a Saviour’s love1. On motherhood by a man named W. L. Caldwell written back in 1928.  

    Devotion to God: Her love for God becomes her top priority and she will be able to prioritize her activities in the right way. A woman’s God given nature to nurture surpasses all her fears about her household. She willingly allows her to serve God, not only in her home front but very much in the work place. 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet; Prov31:21. She always wants to plan for rainy days and for changing seasons in life. This is applicable both figuratively and literally. When her trust is in the Lord, she fully focuses all her energy, anxieties towards God in prayer; Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things; Phil 4:6-8.

    Devotion to her husband: 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land; Prov 31:23. She is a woman who values relationship and she is wired that way. Apart from having a deep personal relationship with God, she values her relationship not only with her children but also with her husband. When the relationship with our spouse is strong, it helps the children to learn the fundamental lessons of life like love, sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sympathy, compassion, understanding, honesty and forgiveness. It also helps to unlearn the unholy principles we may carry which could be parted easily to our offspring. This helps to focus tremendously in the first Divine institution that is marriage in this earth which is related to Christ and Church which now is being torn apart in various wrong directions.

   Devotion to her home and community: 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.prov:31:19-22. 24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness; Prov:31: 24-26. Apart from working for her family and nurturing her family her kindness is touching others around her. The above verses tell us very strongly that she gives to the poor, and she is kind and she influences the community in her gentleness to bring forth her Creator in whom her trust is.

    Godly mothers train up the children in the fear of the Lord: There are so many godly mothers in Scriptures like Hannah, Mary the mother of Jesus, the mother of Timothy who was brought up in a godly heritage and many others. Apostle Paul fondly mentions about Timothy and his faith in Lord Jesus Christ and gave the gentle reminder that such faith was found first in his grand mother Lois and his mother Eunice. The implication in the passage Acts 16: 1; is that Timothy’s faith in Christ is pre-dated by the faith of his mother and grand mother even though Timothy’s father was a non-believer. 16 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek; Acts 16:1. This should encourage some godly women to encourage and bring up children in the fear of the Lord, even if they are married to a non-believer by a random chance. 14But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus; 2 Tim 3:14-15.

    One can be proud of our mothers for the following reasons based on the above passage. Her devotion to God, her husband, her children, to her home, and for her community as a virtuous person are something a child can be proud about their mother. 29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates; Prov: 31. These verses speak for itself; everything under the sun is in vain and a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. When one genuinely fears the Lord, they would not think evil for others and will not despise and look down on the unfortunate.

    The most important quality which needs to be adorned by a mother would be genuine faith in Christ which changes the person inside out. This makes a person ‘non-hypocritical’ and they need not have to mask their faith in the public. Having two different types life style public life style which is different from the private life style is not genuine faith. The children can see for themselves whether the parents love each other genuinely or they are genuine hypocrites. Genuine faith does not mean perfection but rather loving the Lord genuinely and learning to walk with Him on a day today basis.  When Scripture confronts our wrong behaviour having a genuine remorse and developing godly character qualities like attitude of submission, thankfulness and having a teachable gentle spirit is a sign to show some one wants to be genuine and not be a hypocrite.

    We may think and ponder on this day how much we can influence our families with the God given position as mothers. As I have mentioned in my writings before women are wired differently and the beautiful characteristic quality of Christ is weaved in our thoughts and that is we are nurturers. How can we appropriate and apply this in our family lives to influence our future generation and in our communities? I would even go further to say, the future leaders are in the hands of godly mothers! Mothers indeed can influence their sons and daughters and one of the greatest gifts mothers can give to their sons and daughters would be to be a godly mother.

End notes:

1The Profile of a Godly Mother - Grace to You

Well may we pause to pay honor to her who after Jesus Christ is God's best gift to men, mother. It was she who shared her life with us when as yet our members ...

Website References:
 
31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
Experience the majestic language of the King James Bible skillfully narrated Through the powerful voice of Max McLean. The King James Bible (KJV) was written with ...
www.bartleby.com › … › The Bible › The King James Version › Proverbs
The Holy Bible: King James Version. Proverbs 31 ... but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
biblehub.com/kjv/proverbs/31.htm
The Words of King Lemuel. 1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

6. The Profile of a Godly Mother - Grace to You

Well may we pause to pay honor to her who after Jesus Christ is God's best gift to men, mother. It was she who shared her life with us when as yet our members ...

7. What Is a Godly Mother

A godly mother is one who can be regarded as a virtuous woman, and a strong spiritual leader. Such women are expected to teach their kids how to pray and worship

8. What does a Godly mother look like? | A Heart For the Home

aheartforthehome.com/what-does-a-godly-mother-look-like...
May 13, 2013 ... But if we are truly desiring to be a “Godly Mother” then we need to look to what God says a Godly Mother is. Let's take a look at a few things we ...

For further reading:
 
1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House: 1983-85, p. 947-1002. 
2. R.T. Kendall. Understanding Theology, Developing a Healthy Church in the 21st Century. 1996, p. 357-364.
3. Jay E. Adams. A Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979, p.249-275.
4. Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996, p. 423-450.
5.  Robert P Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986, p.527-544.
6. Charles Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, 1999, p.374-377.
7.  A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1907, p. 869-881.
8.  Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 736-761; 840-850.
9. Steven W. Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo: Westcliffe Press, 2007, p.188-191
10. John Theodore Muller, Th.D. Christian Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen.  St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p.384-386.  
11. Prayers To Move Your Mountains. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.
12. John White. Parables, the Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois: Inter varsity Press, 1988, 1999.
13. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, Illinois: Publishing ministry of Good News publishers, 2008.
14. The Matthew Henry Study Bible. King James Version. Iowa falls: World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1990.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Humility


    Humility (adjectival form: humble) is variously seen as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective, and therefore respect, for one's place in context. In a religious context this can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity or deities, acceptance of one's defects, and submission to divine grace or as a member of an organized, hierarchical religion. Absent a religious context humility can still take on a moral and/or ethical dimension. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions, often in contrast to narcissism, hubris and other forms of pride.1
 
     [Many years ago, one of my university professors mentioned that "windowsill" was voted the most beautiful word in the English language. Being an armchair linguist, this factoid naturally stayed with me. Words have enormous power. They can make us erupt into laughter or bring tears to our eyes. They can influence, inspire, manipulate and shock. They can build and destroy.
     Some words have different effects on different people. One such word is humility. It is one of those words that are seldom in neutral gear. Some, like me, love the word and all it stands for. Some almost fear it and interpret it synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity. The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not believing that you are superior to others. An ancillary definition includes: "Having a lowly opinion of oneself, meekness"].2

     Humility is one of the greatest character exhibited by Christ when He was in His earthly ministry. Why it is so important to be humble? It is commanded unto men, that they should be humble before the Lord; He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?Mich:6:8. We can say reasonably that one can not be submissive, gentle, patient and long suffering without humility.

     It is impossible to enter the Kingdom of God, without genuine and godly humility. The humility what the Bible is talking about is not the false humility; and is not what the world is projecting and expecting us to follow. And said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; Matt: 18:3-4. The Word of God, definitely talks about having a gentle humble spirit like a little child, and not a haughty spirit.

    In the Lord’s Prayer we are asked to forgive our offenders, “forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” To truly forgive our offenders we need to have the humility of Christ. 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; 2 Chro:7:14. This is a call for all to be truly humble before the Lord, for God to hear our prayers for forgiveness and to heal the land.

    Humility is an act of selflessness and this shows gratitude towards God. God’s Spirit is able to lead us in truth and humility. We can say if we are humble, willing, and having a teachable spirit that keeps us from apostasy. In our time on this earth, if we exercise humility, our weakness can become our strength, because we are strong when we are weak according to God’s Word.

     27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. Phil 1:1-18. The passage below is a call to stand firm and to strive together communally with a humble Spirit and lowliness of mind.
Exhortations to a kind, humble spirit and behavior.
     1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others; 2 Phil 2:1-4.
     The above Word of God is an exhortation to like-mindedness and lowly mindedness and we are called to follow the example of Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s school kindness, mercy and love become the important characteristics in which a believer is called to exercise. We are called to be compassionate toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, because Christ showed His compassion to us on Calvary. We are called to model the humility of Christ in ministry, and should be quick to spot our mistakes and faults and this is possible only with a lowliness of mind. 
The example of Christ.
   Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father; 2 Phil 2:5-11.
      We notice the two natures of Christ; the Divine nature and the human nature. In the Divine nature, who in the form of God had not thought it a robbery to be equal with God. Here Jesus Christ became like us in all things except for the sin nature. Of His own will, He stooped from the glory he had with the Father before the world was formed. Humiliation and exaltation are the two states we noticed and He willingly took the form of man and not appearing in splendour and majesty. If we carefully observe the life of Jesus in His earthly ministries it was one of poverty and suffering and always loving and helping and saving humanity. At the same time it was the glory of God the Father to exalt Him above all other names and it is His will that all men should honour the Son, and honour the Father; 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him; Jn: 5:23.
Diligence in the affairs of salvation, and to be examples to the world.
        12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. Phil 2:1-18.
     The Word of God is pointing us to work out our salvation by all means keeping in mind it is God who works in us. There is always a vast difference between the children of God and the children of the world. The world does not know what true humility is. Children of God are called to keep our focus, without quarrelling with others and live peaceably which is possible when we have a lowliness of mind. We compare ourselves with the humble nature of Christ, and we learn continuously that we all fall short. This is a lesson we continuously learn in this earth when we look at the life of Christ.
      The Bible points to us that the true humility leads to wisdom and this needs submitting to God. This is not building up one’s ego which is the false humility and it is not in fully trusting in their capacity to do things in which the primary focus is on self. This is not making oneself looking good and impressive in front of people and not building a relationship with God. When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom; Prov: 11:2. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself; Prov 18:2. The Bible is full of examples of people who are proud and those who are humble. The heart of a man could be so proud before a fall comes and on the other hand honour comes to those who are humble. Pride and humility are opposites and the basic difference is that the pride keeps people focused on themselves whereas humility makes one focuses on God rather than on themselves. 
End Notes:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humility
Humility (adjectival form: humble) is variously seen as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective, and ...
www.mindtools.com › Leadership Skills
What's humility got to do with leadership? Here we look at the benefits of humility as a leadership trait.

Website References:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humility
Humility (adjectival form: humble) is variously seen as the act or posture of lowering oneself in relation to others, or conversely, having a clear perspective, and ...
dictionary.reference.com/browse/humility
noun the quality or condition of being humble ; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc. Origin: 1275–1325; Middle English humilite Latin ...
Full Definition of HUMILITY : the quality or state of being humble See humility defined for English-language learners » See humility defined for kids » Examples of ...
www.mindtools.com › Leadership Skills
What's humility got to do with leadership? Here we look at the benefits of humility as a leadership trait.
en.wikisource.org/wiki/Humility
2012-04-16 · Chapter 1 -- Humility: The Glory of the Creature "They shall cast their crowns before the throne, so saying: Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to ...
hu·mil·i·ty (hyo̅o̅-mĭl′ĭ-tē) n. The quality or condition of being humble. [Middle English humilite , from Old French, from Late Latin humilitās , from ...
www.newadvent.org › Catholic Encyclopedia › H
The word humility signifies lowliness or submissiveness an it is derived from the Latin humilitas or, as St. Thomas says, from humus, i.e. the earth which is beneath us
lds.about.com/od/basicsgospelprinciples/tp/humility.htm
What's so important about humility? The following are ten great reasons why we really need humility.
        9. Humility - EzineArticles
ezinearticles.com › Self Improvement › Inspirational
2006-07-07 · Johnny Cash taught life lessons without ever knowing it. Whether you're a fan of "the man in black" or not, this article exposes some of the greatest ...
        10. Humility - Wikiquote
en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Humility
humility is the defining characteristic of unpretentious or humble people; those who do not behave as if they were more important than others. The terms humility and ...
www.biblestudytools.com › Philippians
Read Philippians 2 commentary using Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). Study the bible online using commentary on Philippians 2 and more!
www.christnotes.org › … › Matthew Henry’s Commentary › Philippians
Bible commentary about Philippians 2 (Matthew Henry’s Commentary). Bible Commentary. Christ Notes. Bible Search ...

For further reading:
1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House: 1983-85, p. 947-1002. 
2. R.T. Kendall. Understanding Theology, Developing a Healthy Church in the 21st Century. 1996, p. 357-364.
3. Jay E. Adams. A Theology of Christian Counseling, More than Redemption. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979, p.249-275.
4. Louis Berkhof. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996, p. 423-450.
5.  Robert P Lightner. Handbook of Evangelical Theology, Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1986, p.527-544.
6. Charles Ryrie. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986, 1999, p.374-377.
7.  A. H. Strong. Systematic Theology. New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Co, 1907, p. 869-881.
8.  Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994, p. 736-761; 840-850.
9. Steven W. Waterhouse. Not By Bread Alone, An Outlined Guide To Bible Doctrine. Amarillo: Westcliffe Press, 2007, p.188-191
10. John Theodore Muller, Th.D. Christian Dogmatics, A handbook of Doctrinal Theology for Pastors, Teachers, and Laymen.  St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p.384-386.  
11. Prayers To Move Your Mountains. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000.
12. John White. Parables, the Greatest Stories ever Told. Illinois: Inter varsity Press, 1988, 1999.
13. ESV Study Bible. English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, Wheaton, Illinois: Publishing ministry of Good News publishers, 2008.
14. The Matthew Henry Study Bible. King James Version. Iowa falls: World Bible Publishers, Inc. 1990.