Humility - The Recipe For Exaltation

Humility – The Recipe for Exaltation

1 Pet. 5:5b-6.

Bishop David Ibeleme

God gives grace to the humble.

 People are saved and lifted by the grace of God.

 Paul said “I am what I am by the grace of God” – 1 Cor. 15:10.

 Grace = Anointing = Supernatural Ability

 Only those who have received abundance of grace can reign in life – Rom. 5:17.

 There is a strong connection between grace and humility – 1 Pet. 5:5-6; Rom. 12:1-3.

Humility and Faith

 Scriptures teach that only the humble can access the grace of God – 1 Pet. 5:5-6.

 They also teach that the only way to access grace is by faith – Rom. 5:1-2.

 Humility then, is a manifestation of faith – Rom. 12:1-3.

 Only humble people can walk by faith – 1 Pet. 5:6-8.

 Humility can simply be defined as faith in God’s ability – 1 Pet. 5:6.

 This is faith in God’s Word, since pride is simply rejecting the Word of God – 1 Tim. 6:3-4.

Humility and Worry

 We know that Humility is the opposite of Pride.

 Humility = Depending on God’s Ability.

 Hence pride is depending on your own ability – Prov. 3:5ff; Ps. 37:3-7.

 When we depend on our ability we fail in our endeavours because the Christian race is not by our might or power but by the Spirit of God – Zech. 4:6.

 Failure in our endeavours is what produces worry.

 Worry and failure always go together.

 Worry is a product of our inability to see the solution to our problems or challenges.

 Since the foundation for failure is our dependence on our own ability, we can conclude that pride is the root cause of worry.

Pride produces worry; only proud people worry.

 If you had the answer to your problem you won’t worry about it.

 Worry then is a manifestation of pride.

 It is based on the mentality that says, “Since I can’t solve it nobody can.”

 Pride (worry) is a manifestation of faith in oneself whilst humility is a manifestation of faith in God.

 A man who believes God will not worry.

 A man who trusts in God’s ability to work on his behalf or come through for him would not worry – 2 Cor. 3:3ff; Rom. 8:31ff.

Jesus’ perspective;

 Seek God and He’ll put you over – Matt. 6:24-33.

 Go to God if you’re under pressure – Matt. 11:28ff.

 If you walk with God you will know no lack – Lk. 22:35; Ps. 23.

 Once God says it and you believe it nothing can stop it from happening

 Peter walking on water – Matt. 14:23-32

 Disciples crossing to the other side of the river irrespective of the storm – Mk. 6:45-51.

Paul’s Perspective (what he wrote whilst in prison)

 God is working in and with me so I cannot fail – Phil. 2:13; Hebs. 13:20ff; Zech. 4:6.

 My future is bright because I have victory over my past – Phil. 3:13ff.

 Nothing can rule me once I hand it to God in prayer – Phil. 4:6-8.

Humility and Boldness

 Humility produces exaltation or lifting – 1 Pet. 5:6.

 Boldness is a feature of exalted people.

 Once you are exalted you become bold.

 Humility then, is the bedrock for boldness.

 It takes boldness to resist the devil.

 Peter and James say that your humility to God will give you the boldness to resist the devil – 1 Pet. 5:6-8; Jm. 4:7.

 If you are not humble you cannot be bold enough to resist the devil.

 The three Hebrew boys and Daniel were able to withstand the pressure and resist the enemy because they humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God – Dan. 3 & 6.

The Mighty Hand of God

 The ultimate revelation for humility is that God is smarter than we are – Is. 55:8-11.

 Humbling ourselves under His mighty hand means we are relying on His Ability.

 It means we are depending on Him.

 The result is always favourable once we depend on God – Num. 13 & 14; 1 Sam. 17.

 Everyone who depended on God was lifted or exalted.

 If you do not depend on God, you will end up in the deep end.

 God’s will is that we depend on Him; He provides for us so we will do this – Deut. 8.

 Remember the following – Ps. 46:1; 91:1ff; Ecc. 9:11; Is. 41:10; 46:3-4; Rom. 9:16.

Copyright © 2008 by Rev. Dr. David Ibeleme

Victorious Faith Ministries, P.O. Box 4378, St. Ann’s, Trinidad. W.I.

(868) 625-6863 / 625-1449 / 623-1020 (fax)

E-mail : vfmwo@hotmail.com; davidibeleme@hotmail.com

Website : vfmwo.org