Grace for the Humble

“But He giveth more grace. Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble…Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”  James 4:6,10

God’s grace is unlimited.  He will supply every bit of grace that is needed to live for and obey Him for those with a humble heart.  Humility is necessary to serve God.  A person filled with pride has no room for humility.  Humility is seen by some as being weak and unassertive.  James wrote that God resists the ones who are filled with pride which is demonstrated when people do not believe that they need God or His grace.  Why would He make His grace abundantly available to those who behave as if they don’t need it?  Why would I give $100 to someone who absolutely did not need it?  Wouldn’t it make more sense to give money to someone who did need it, particularly to someone who would accept it in humility and with a thankful heart?  However, we give because of needs, not just to receive a “thank you”.  I have given money to folks who scammed me and to others who acted like they were entitled to it.  Unfortunately, it is those experiences that make me less likely to give money.  We just have to be discerning.

James wrote that God doesn’t just withhold grace from the proud, but that He actually “resists” them.  That means that He “actively opposes or works against” (Webster’s).  I would be mortified if I thought God was actively opposing or working against me, putting obstacles in my path, and allowing me to live my life without His grace.  That certainly would be a hopeless and discouraging life.

James also wrote that we are first to submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and then he will flee from us.  We cannot stand against Satan alone.  He is not nearly as powerful as the Lord, but he certainly is more powerful than a man or woman without the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Satan has been busy convincing folks, through their pride, that they are doing just fine on their own until a crisis erupts, and they find that they do need the grace of God.  However, they have to be willing to humble themselves as a little child (Matthew 18:3-4), repent, and put their trust in Christ.  They then become a candidate for God to demonstrate His mighty grace in their time of trouble.

God will not “draw nigh” to those who have dirty hands, that is, those who have unrepentant sin.  It is not God’s pattern to “hang out” with sinners, that is, to form close relationships with those who do not take their sinful state seriously.  Sin is extremely offensive to the Lord.  Jesus did “hang out” with sinners, but these sinners were listening to His words and making changes in their lives.  It was the self-righteous religious leaders who were not able to form a relationship with Him because of their pride.  He couldn’t draw near to them because they wouldn’t draw near to Him.  James made it clear that clean hands that avoid sin and a pure heart that stays true to God are necessary for a relationship with Him.  One who is double-minded, the one who tries to ride both sides of the fence, is a hypocrite who tries to balance his or her relationship with the Lord and the world.  That will never balance.  One will win out over the other.  God will have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3).

It is just sickening to watch the news and see how sin is celebrated, promoted, encouraged, and openly displayed by those who do not fear God.  Sin is something that should be mourned, wept over, repented of, and turned completely away from.  What was once joyful becomes that which is sorrowful because of the pain it has caused to others and the wall that it built between God and the sinner, this same wall that has hindered the grace of God for the one filled with pride.  But on a good note, James urged his readers to be humble before the Lord, and, in turn, the humble person would be “lifted up” by God.  What does it mean for God to “lift up” a person?  The Greek term for “lift” is “hupsoo” which means “to exalt or elevate”.  I think the closest that I can explain this is to compare it to a family.  The members of your family are special to you.  You give them more honor, privilege, care, concern, and time that you do to others who are not part of your family.  Now I know that some families are extremely dysfunctional, as I wrote previously, and these families do not operate in the realm of how God expects families to operate.  I suppose humility is not one of their better attributes.  However, the families who are humble, love God, and each other are those to whom God gives special favor because they are His family.  Jesus is our example.  He was the first One whom God lifted up both literally and spiritually rewarding Him for His humility and obedience.  And He will also lift up all of those who submit themselves to Him in love and humility.