Full of Humility
In a chapter entitled, “The Great Sin,” C. S. Lewis calls Pride “the essential vice, the utmost evil.” “It was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind” (Mere Christianity, p. 109). “The virtue opposite to it,” Lewis writes, “is called Humility” (p. 109). Humility is then the complete God state of mind.
Greek and Roman culture disdained humility as weakness of character, valuing the glorification of self and the taking of great pride in one’s civic identity. Paul touches this pulse point in Philippians 1:27 with the verb politeuomai to describe how we should conduct our lives in the public sector. The verb carries the sense of ‘discharging one’s duty as a citizen of a commonwealth.’
For people living in Philippi, this included the civic obligation of worshipping deceased Roman emperors as divinity. But Christians have a higher duty. We are to conduct ourselves in line with the gospel of Jesus Christ. For the Philippians, such public refusal to honor Caesar in this way would make them appear as enemies of the state and Philippine society. The temptation would be to give public lip service to Caesar in an effort to preserve one’s public image and prestige. But this dethrones Christ. It misleadingly gives a Roman emperor status that is true only of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The way forward for all of us, no matter what cultural pressures we may face, is to follow Jesus’ own humble example, as Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:6-8. Jesus willingly set aside his divine glory, taking on the form of a slave and humbling himself even to death on a cross in providing for our eternal well-being. Our way in this world is to walk with Christ. This humble walk will draw others to the cross, for it is the complete God state of mind.
Doug Buckwalter - Attender
Additional Resources:
What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
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