““For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”” Luke 14:11 ESV
Self-exaltation leads down the road of damnation. Self-accusation leads down the road of salvation.
Self-exaltation leads down the road of damnation. Self-accusation leads down the road of salvation. It is not the work within self-accusation, but the heart. When we are willing to die to self and see how sinful we really are, it is then when God’s grace and love can flood our soul. So long as we refuse to look at ourselves with the same eye that God sees, we will forever be self-deceived. We will believe the lie that “we are not so bad.” We may even flatter our senses with the inclination that we are deserving of Heaven. We will fall prey to false precepts if we do not look at what lingers within our heart and mind.
Those who exalt themselves are amongst the greatest who are deceived. They would rather judge themselves on what is done outwardly than what lingers inwardly.
Those who exalt themselves are amongst the greatest who are deceived. They would rather judge themselves on what is done outwardly than what lingers inwardly. Instead of taking the time to meditate on what lies within, they choose to constantly remain busy or distracted. They cannot handle who they are internally, so they suppress it with the elements of this life. Eventually, the inner life is so suppressed that they no longer can determine what truly lingers within. Rather, they become searchers and doers of right things. These right things, however, are done for self-gain. It is not at all for the Creator of all things in which we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). No, these acts of doing right things ignite the flame of being overly righteous. Those who fall prey to being overly righteous soon begin to judge themselves solely based upon the external. Since the willingness to assess the inner life is dead, they have now fled to temporal assessments of their nature by gift-giving and good speech.
Those who walk in self-exaltation are those who are walking right into the arms of a God-hating Devil.
It is sad that such good and right things are done in vain. It is a tragedy that those who refuse to be accusers of themselves, become those who exalt themselves. Rather than accusing themselves of being a sinner and humbling themselves before Christ, they attempt to exalt themselves to be equal with God. Their blindness has misled them down the path of a false light. When they breathe their last, they will realize that they were following a self-righteousness that possessed a false sense of security. They will be enlightened by the fact that they were walking right into the arms of a God-hating Devil. It is those who exalt themselves who will soon perish. They will be remembered no more. They will be nothing but a vapor.
God loves all, but He can only love into Heaven those who love Him back and humble themselves.
The self-exalters are those who do not believe they are in need of a Savior because they themselves are their own savior. They believe that by ignoring the wicked sinfulness within, they now have permission to excuse themselves by doing good in this life. Good works, good deeds, and good words are the three pillars that hold the tower of damnation of those who live in self-exaltation. Those who live in self-accusation, however, are those whom God loves dearly. God loves all, but He can only love into Heaven those who love Him back and humble themselves.
God uses the heart of those who see nothing in themselves but their sin, weakness and frailty.
“God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29 ESV). The greatest men and women of the Bible were those who possessed humility. They saw nothing in themselves but their sin, weakness and frailty. This is the heart of a man or woman whom God will use. It is those who recognize their deficiencies, and cling to God’s grace and mercies, that will go to live with Christ in eternity.
It is only the self-accuser who places themselves in a position of humility who are able to see God in full and truly understand what Christ has done.
The Holy Spirit can only flow through a man or woman who has denied themselves and realized that they are nothing and can do nothing apart from Christ. Until that point is reached, they will forever remain outside the Lord’s will and work. Those who are willing to accuse themselves, however, will live out a true and genuine repentant life. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17 ESV). It is the self-accuser who is willing to fess up to God when they sin who will stand on heavenly ground in the end. They realize that they are covered by God’s grace and are entirely undeserving of His mercy. They are willing to confess immediately and seek God for the strength to rise again. It is, therefore, only those who are willing to put themselves in such a position of humility who are able to see God in full and truly understand what Christ has done.
If our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to humble Himself to provide a means of salvation, then surely we can humble ourselves, confess and repent of sin.
Let us therefore deny ourselves. Let us refuse the human tendencies of rising above reality and dwelling in deception. God Almighty descended from Infinity in order to dwell amongst us and die for our sins. If our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to humble Himself to provide a means of salvation, then surely we can humble ourselves, confess and repent of sin.
May we live a life of forever hating sin. May we desire a life of forever growing in Him.
May we live a life of forever hating sin. May we desire a life of forever growing in Him.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are Good and Faithful. Reveal to us what lingers within that is not of You, O Lord. Do not allow us to fall prey to self-exaltation. Obliterate it from our being that we may find our full dependency and sufficiency in You. Lord, convict and chastise us as necessary. We desire to know You and grow in You each day. Bring us into Thy loving Grace and Kindness. You alone are the One, True, Triune God. May we submit to Your will and Your ways, in order that we may see better days. Eternity is calling. We long to dwell with You. Keep us on the straight and narrow path. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Lance VanTine
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