Bible News: More Grace Through Humility

But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, ” God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:6

It takes a humble heart to learn, to listen and to say “I’m sorry”. This kind of heart is teachable, willing to repent and not too proud to surrender.

One beautiful thing that comes with humility is that one is able to release “more grace”.

Listen friends, grace is not passive, it’s not what we fit in when we are trying to be lazy, for instance, you invite a church member to the evening service, someone who knows he will not be coming for the programme and instead of simply saying he has made up his mind not to be at the programme, he shifts his excuse to grace saying; “let’s see what happens. I will depend on grace”. Rather, such a person is supposed to first have a change of heart and say I will put in my best effort and round off early what I need to do so I can be in church on time and I know His Grace is sufficient”.

This was why Paul was making us understand that he was doing something about the grace upon his life and as he worked it, the grace which made him able to labour more abundantly made him who is supposed to be the least of the apostles, the best of them all. (1 Cor 15:10).

Too many examples in the Bible also points to this, for instant, Jesus said the one who wants to be the leader must be willing to serve to be an effective leader. (Matt 20:26). God further said if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face, He said he will forgive and heal their land. (2 Chro 7:14)

So we see that while we connected ourselves to the grace of God at salvation (it also takes a humble heart to surrender), it will take an effort on our side to keep increasing in grace. This effort is humility.

But if grace is the ability of God to give us better than what we deserve and remove the judgement we truly deserve, what will more grace do to one?

You can have a car parked but until you put the key in the ignition, you might as well seek other alternative means to where you are going. So it is with grace, it may be readily available but until you start working it, you may not come to terms with the souvenirs of the finished work – the abundant life in Christ Jesus. One may think it is the “hustle” that brings accomplishment not knowing it is Grace, as one listen to the specific instruction and diligent observe them. Remember grace gave us better than we deserve and removed the judgement we were supposed to get.

Imagine if the attendants at the wedding where to proud to feel the jars with water when Jesus instructed them saying; “what is all these, why should we be filling water into the jars instead of going to look for where to buy wine.” They would have probably gone from one place to the other and still not be able to get enough wine for the guests.

Thus, 2 Cor 6:1-2 tells us that as co-workers of Grace, we shouldn’t receive grace in vain for we have already been heard and help is on the way. We only have to take the position of service and not puff ourselves up, thereby resisting the opportunity to release greater grace for the abundant life.

It’s so important that humility becomes an active work for a believer, not some passive idea that only pops up in a culture driven mentality. This is because anyone who kneels before God will be able to stand before any man! And the one who lift up his hands before God is surrendering to God but before men, those hands are lifted in victory!

– Written by Alex Amos