Lowliness NOT loneliness (Part 2) – [Video 7]
The purpose, significance, and exaltation from God that comes with Lowliness
Lowliness: The state of being lowly in mind or disposition; freedom from pride; humility.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11: 28 – 30
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12
As I said in my previous video, Lowliness is a disposition that isn’t talked about much and is contrary to human, selfish ambition. It’s a position that reveals itself in a physical capacity as a person possessing a low position in society by human standards, but it’s also a heart orientation where the person is not pursuing selfish ambition, self-preservation, or self-exaltation.
I must stress, most people don’t volunteer for lowliness. It’s usually an involuntary season where an individual is humbled, but brought to a place where they are transformed to possess a lowly heart. Some people refer to these times as “valley moments.”
Lowliness has a purpose. The individual has to be patient with God to exalt them at the specific time of His choosing, therefore revealing to all who witness the exaltation, a certainty of God’s power in the situation. All glory to God. It’s a transformation of the individual to someone of a serving and selfless nature and ultimately, a show to everyone who observes, that God truly is loving and faithful to His children.
In Scripture, we see both voluntary and involuntary lowliness.
During periods of lowliness, we have a choice within. We can take the prideful route, doing something to exalt ourselves to battle against the humbling process or we can gently surrender to God, saying not my will but yours be done in the situation.
I think this verse best expresses the purpose of lowliness and a lowly heart is:
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
Genesis 50:20
The example of Jesus: Lowly life and heart, then lifted up to the right hand of the Father for the sake of our freedom from sin and gift of eternity with Him
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
The example of John the Baptist: Lowly life and heart in order to point the way to the Saviour, Who will save many lives
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
John 3:26
He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30
The example of Peter, a disciple of Christ: Doing things by his own strength until brought to public humiliation and lowliness in denial of Christ to become the first church pastor
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Matthew 16:21 – 23
Peter – a man who walked by his own strength for much of the time he was with Jesus. How do we know this? Several examples. One major example: When Peter boasted of how he would stop Jesus’ death, Jesus rebuked him.
We also see a loving rebuke when Peter said he would go to prison and death with Jesus. Jesus tells him firmly “you will deny me.” This was going to be a hard, indisputable betrayal by Peter and we see this, because three times he denies Our Saviour.
The most tragic part of this scene is Jesus catching Peter’s eyes in the moment of the betrayal.
But there is a moment of transformation in this humbling moment where Peter finds himself in an involuntary lowly place.
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:61 – 62
In this heart-wrenching moment of lowliness, Peter sees everything about his own soul that he’d ever need to see. He sees his deepest weaknesses, but simultaneously, his desperate need for help.
In this point of lowliness he becomes teachable and malleable, because the obstruction of ego has been removed.
In later life, Peter becomes the rock on which Jesus builds his church.
One could call him the first pastor of the church of Christ.
Peter is exalted by God out of this lowliness but this is by God’s timing:
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
Acts 5:11
An example of Peter’s behaviour today could be found in us Christians when we are very loud about our praise for God in church, but when it comes to a situation where the image we desire to be in the public conflicts with what God wants, we suddenly become ashamed of the Gospel. We deny Christ. We don’t speak up about our belief or faith.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
Example of the Apostle Paul: Brought to a constant and active state of lowliness for the saving of many lives
As a man who did live the high life in a position within the Jewish authorities, after his divine encounter with Jesus, the rest of his days he’s taken to a state of lowliness where his exaltation by God is consistent alongside his lowliness.
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.…
2 Cor 12: 8 – 9
We never find out what the weaknesses is specifically, but we know that it was something that sapped his human strength, something of his flesh, bringing him to forego depending on himself and to rely on God.
Paul’s responsible for much of the New Testament so his exaltation by God is clear. The Bible saves many lives.
Example of David: The little Shepard’s boy, the unworthy son, appointed and anointed King
David – book of Samuel – why do you persecute me Saul
All we need to do is turn to the psalms to see how David went through his highs and lows. He knew lowliness and a lowly heart.
Example of Moses: Brought to a constant and active state of lowliness for the saving of many lives
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11: 24 – 27
Example of Joseph: A boastful youth, brought to a state of lowliness to be exalted to the saving of many lives
As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this— to preserve the lives of many people.
Genesis 50:20
Conclusion (I left out Job and Hosea–my two favourite examples–from this list as this video would have taken forever):
As I said in the previous video, lowliness is not exactly an attractive characteristic of Jesus that we pursue in contemporary western society life.
But it has a purpose and it’s for us to be exalted by God at an appointed time, bringing glory to God alone and spreading His name far and wide.
Lowliness has several components to it:
(1) We don’t take the prideful path making us more teachable and able to take on the Christ like mindset, sharing Jesus with people
(2) When the exaltation comes, we know not to take the glory for it but to give thanks to God for everything. This is because we are so low, so weak, brought to such humility, that when we are finally given that good thing, we know and comprehend gratitude and therefore, give thanks to God. There is no mistaking the glory. It all belongs to God
(3) People see the exaltation and are able to see God
My favourite example of this kind of life that stands as an inspiration of Jesus’ transformative power, is George Müller.
If you don’t know who he is, I encourage you to read his autobiography.
Another modern-day example I would suggest researching is Scott Harrison the CEO of the charity Water.
God takes us down into the valley, but it’s not without purpose.
In the end, by His timing, His choosing, we are exalted and it’s not just for our blessing, but to the benefit of many lives.
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