It states in:
GALATIANS 5:13-14
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Meekness is lowliness, it’s having yourself under control, it’s esteeming others more highly than yourself. Being recipients of the grace of GOD, we have been made free from sin, we have obtained liberty by which we have opportunity to love and serve the LORD, and others.
Aside from saving our souls from the just condemnation of our holy GOD and Judge, saving us from eternal punishment, and saving us for the kingdom of GOD as its holy citizens and a blessed relationship with the LORD – we are also redeemed so that we can serve one another and make an impact in this world for the glory of GOD!
PROVERBS 25:20
Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, and like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
We have to be mindful of how we deal with people who feel dejected, anxious, troubled, depressed, those who are grieving and sorrowful. There is a time for encouragement, but there is also a time for empathy.
When all of the tragedy that befell Job was heard by his friends, they visited this bewildered saint and simply sat with him, silently, for seven days, not offering any Ten Step Program To Overcome Depression, or explaining spiritual principles in handling trials.
They simply sat with Job, making their presence known and by staying at his side, proved that they cared.
The last thing a person wants in cold weather is to have their jacket taken; that’s only going to make them uncomfortable. There are those with the best of intentions who want to take the sorrow and burdens off of someone by attempting to cheer them up. In certain times and situations, a person just wants to express their brokenness, to vent to someone who has a sympathetic ear and an understanding heart.
There will be a time for an encouraging word, and a biblical exhortation, as we read last time in PROVERBS 25:
PROVERBS 25:11
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
…but such things must be ministered to the broken at the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom He brings!
PROVERBS 25:21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.
And I bet you thought this was original with the apostle Paul, right? He quotes this proverb in ROMANS 12:20.
Remember, Love Incarnate hung on the Cross, brutally beaten and tortured by those that counted themselves His enemies, and His response was “Father forgive them, they know not what they do!”
Adam Clarke, 19th century theologian and minister had this to say:
The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
We’ve had enough experience with gravity to know that “What goes up, must come down.” Cause and effect. In my native city of Syracuse, surrounded by the Great Lakes Ontario and Erie, any north by north-west wind will bring rain – or snow, depending on the time of year.
Just so, a backbiter that gossips and slanders is met with the effect of a rebuke and an angry countenance. Gossip is a destructive force that in one way, is more potent than murder – you can only murder a person once.
But gossip from the lips of one can spread in a ripple effect to the ears of countless others, who then spread it even further.
Like feathers recklessly scattered in a strong wind, it would be just as impossible to retract all that gossip as it would be to retrieve all those feathers. Such gossip, slander, rumor and inuendo can come back to haunt a person years, or even decades after the first offender opens their mouth, and cause just as much pain as the first time the victim hears it.
It is better to dwell on the corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Everyone loves harmony and cooperation with mutual love and respect (at least, everyone should!). When a person is contentious, like a pain in the body, this indicates that something’s wrong in the soul. Sometimes a contentious person feels as though they’ve been victimized or treated unfairly. Sometimes they react to not getting what they want. When all is said and done, a contentious person is all about themselves – their feelings, their offenses, their grievances.
Then there are those who simply won’t be happy unless they have something to gripe about; they’ll always see the bad in any situation, never appreciating the good.
Such people are not pleasant to be around; their contentiousness can be contagious, and the need to pull away and cover some distance from them is often our knee-jerk reaction. So, we end up on the corner of a rooftop, so to speak.
How do we deal with such people? With merciful gentleness, patience and long suffering. We need to be slow to speak, slow to wrath, quick to hear (JAMES 1:19).
“If anyone is going to have the last word on this matter, it’s going to be ME!”
When I try to make my point, which from my perspective seems legitimate enough to even have a conversation, and I fail to get my point across, or the person I’m speaking with simply disagrees – and it seems the conversation is going nowhere, that’s when I try to bow out, and retreat to my prayer closet and say,
“LORD, I tried – and failed. I’m leaving it up to You now. If I’m wrong, correct me. If they are, correct them. And if we’re both wrong, correct us!”
PROVERBS 25:25
As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.
Nothing satisfies thirst better than cold water. Iced tea tastes great, and soda pop can be icy cold and bubbly – but caffeine and sugar can’t quench thirst – it would make it worse!
The average human being is composed of about 60% water. But dehydration is a very common issue with people. In fact, upon waking up this morning, you lost overnight about 2% of your total body weight in water. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you weigh 150 lbs., that means that overnight you lose around 3 lbs. of water!
Then you get up and grab that first cup of coffee, which is a diuretic, and lose more water, and lose more water still with that second cup. Additional cups of coffee and, or tea throughout the day, along with soda and sugary fruit juices can create a cycle of dehydration that will inevitably lead to poor health.
Just as your body requires simple, clean, refreshing water for good health, so your soul needs the water of life found exclusively in Jesus Christ and the Good News – the Gospel that He brings from that “far country” – the eternal heavens where He came from and to which we will one day go and worship at the very throne of GOD!
In 1945, WW 2 was officially declared over on May 8th in Europe when Germany surrendered. It wasn’t until Sept. 2nd of that year that Japan surrendered as its officials signed the papers on the USS Missouri.
Newspapers across the world and America in huge bold print (People my age can remember seeing a copy, carefully preserved in their parent’s photo albums) The WAR IS OVER! That was good news from far away Europe, and far away Japan.
But from the far away and hallowed halls of heaven, the Father declares to all who have surrendered their lives to Christ, proclaiming Jesus as LORD, The WAR IS OVER! You are no longer an enemy of GOD, no longer under Divine Judgment for sin, no longer destined for the eternal domain of hellish destruction.
PROVERBS 25:26
A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.
Conversely, where cold water is of benefit to us, a murky (corrupt, foul) spring or a polluted (spoiled, contaminated) fountain or well is of no benefit whatsoever. It cannot satisfy, it cannot rejuvenate or invigorate.
The same thing can be said for a righteous man, who should stand for righteousness, who should stand for truth and justice – but if they bow down to and submit before some wicked person (or a wicked society); they aren’t doing what they should. They aren’t having the effect in a society that they are ordained by GOD for. They most certainly are not being “salt and light”, nor are they allowing any transformation of the mind effect society.
Rather, they are being conformed to this GOD-rejecting, Christ-dishonoring world. They’re being pressured by external, evil forces to blend in, don’t stick your neck out, don’t make waves. Don’t testify of Christ and proclaim the Gospel.
Stephen (in ACTS 7) was a righteous man who didn’t conform to the wishes of the Sanhedrin, and though he was innocent concerning any crime, still he was condemned to die by stoning. Yet this young man of faith didn’t falter before those wicked, whitewashed sepulchers. He stood his ground and declared truth, welcome or not.
Apostle Peter (in ACTS 4), who previously caved into the pressure by Roman and Religious authorities, once he witnessed the resurrected Christ and was baptized in the Spirit got in the faces of the Sanhedrin and condemned their actions in denying the Messiah!
In today’s world being a popular Christian is being an unbiblical Christian. Being a biblical Christian guarantees being an unpopular Christian.
PROVERBS 25:27
It is not good to eat much honey; so, to seek one's own glory is not glory.
It’s been said, “He who praises himself sits in a congregation of one” The Scripture tells us:
They can be thankful for those gifts – they should be, but they can’t glory in those things as if they gave themselves those gifts!
That was Lucifer’s grave error – he attributed his beauty and intellect to himself, glorified self instead of his Creator! Then look what happened to him!
JEREMIAH 9:23-24
23 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
Sadly, sometimes even pastors, when they reach a certain level of success in the ministry, begin to look at themselves as the reason for such blessings. They believe that GOD has blessed them more than the pastor who ministers down the street because, “…after all, look at all that I’m doing for the LORD!”
The same LORD that raised them up, and brought blessing to them, can and will be the same One Who will lay them low if they give in to spiritual pride.
This is why we need to stay close to the Cross of Christ. Under its shadow, we see our hearts, who we really are; and GOD’s heart and Who GOD really is! There is no room for pride at the Cross, only humble gratitude for all that the LORD has done for us!
1 PETER 5:6
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Have you ever wondered why GOD exalts the humble? If they are truly humble, wouldn’t they be better off staying in that lowly place? Why exalt them and risk tempting them with pride?
Because the truly humble are made that way by the Spirit of GOD in their life. They become a beautiful picture that GOD wants others to see. Just like you hang a painting on a wall to be admired by others, GOD wants to show us what He esteems, what He sees as beautiful:
PROVERBS 25:28
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.
Self-control is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit: which is love (GAL 5:23). One can use self to control self, but the problem with that is our self is flawed with sin nature, and therefore not just imperfect, but not sufficient in the long term.
There are people who control their urge to overeat and have overcome that tendency, but overeating is then replaced with some other craving or addiction – because gluttony isn’t the core issue, it’s sin nature that must be brought under control.
Humanity has had 6,000 years to prove itself, and we have proven ourselves – to be incapable of conquering sin nature. This is why we need the grace of GOD, through the Spirit of GOD, Who indwells us by the sacrifice of the Son of GOD on Calvary.
Without the Spirit of GOD abiding in us, and His Word abiding in our hearts, we are vulnerable to the onslaught of our enemies: Satan, our own sin nature and the spirit of this world (one could say, the collective sin nature and willful sin of the human race).
The only means of having “rule over [our] own spirit” is first of all, by making the intentional decision to obey GOD, declaring the truth as disciples of Christ who take up their cross daily, who are indwelt by “the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead” (ROM 8:11) that we are “dead to sin” (ROM 6:2) and petition the LORD for His empowering grace (HEB 4:16) which alone enables us to obey his holy command.
When we allow the Spirit of GOD to rule over us, by submitting to His rule as LORD over our lives, we find that His protection over us is impenetrable. It’s true – that when we are “in Christ” and walking in the Spirit – that is, living life by the power of the Spirit, following the LORD Jesus – that we are just as safe from the attacks of our enemies as a knight is in his armor. It doesn’t mean we won’t be attacked, but we will be protected!
Because when we are “in Christ” we are in “the [very] armor of GOD! We are then just as invulnerable to attack as the LORD Jesus Christ was when He faced off Satan in the wilderness, who failed to bring the Son of Man down with his three temptations. The LORD left that arena of battle and returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit”.
GALATIANS 5:13-14
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Meekness is lowliness, it’s having yourself under control, it’s esteeming others more highly than yourself. Being recipients of the grace of GOD, we have been made free from sin, we have obtained liberty by which we have opportunity to love and serve the LORD, and others.
Aside from saving our souls from the just condemnation of our holy GOD and Judge, saving us from eternal punishment, and saving us for the kingdom of GOD as its holy citizens and a blessed relationship with the LORD – we are also redeemed so that we can serve one another and make an impact in this world for the glory of GOD!
PROVERBS 25:20
Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, and like vinegar on soda, Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
We have to be mindful of how we deal with people who feel dejected, anxious, troubled, depressed, those who are grieving and sorrowful. There is a time for encouragement, but there is also a time for empathy.
When all of the tragedy that befell Job was heard by his friends, they visited this bewildered saint and simply sat with him, silently, for seven days, not offering any Ten Step Program To Overcome Depression, or explaining spiritual principles in handling trials.
They simply sat with Job, making their presence known and by staying at his side, proved that they cared.
The last thing a person wants in cold weather is to have their jacket taken; that’s only going to make them uncomfortable. There are those with the best of intentions who want to take the sorrow and burdens off of someone by attempting to cheer them up. In certain times and situations, a person just wants to express their brokenness, to vent to someone who has a sympathetic ear and an understanding heart.
ROMANS 12:15Anyone who has poured vinegar on baking soda understands that it produced a frothy, bubbly reaction of little substance. A “cheer up!” admonition to someone experiencing trauma and a broken heart will only do more harm than good. It won’t have any substance to bring about a turn around.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Every time I read this verse, I am reminded of a little boy who sat on his front porch with his Mommy. They saw a recent widower come out to sit on his own porch, and the mother encouraged her boy to go and sit with him for a while.
The boy scrambled over to the old man’s porch, climbed up on his lap while the boy’s mother looked on from a distance. After a time, the old man and boy hugged each other, and the boy returned to his mother.
“What did you say to him, honey” she asked as she saw tears on the boy’s chubby cheeks.
“I didn’t say anything to him, Mommy. I just helped him cry.”
There will be a time for an encouraging word, and a biblical exhortation, as we read last time in PROVERBS 25:
PROVERBS 25:11
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.
…but such things must be ministered to the broken at the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom He brings!
PROVERBS 25:21-22
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you.
And I bet you thought this was original with the apostle Paul, right? He quotes this proverb in ROMANS 12:20.
MATTHEW 5:43-48As GOD’s children our conduct should be in contrast with those of this world. Our heart should be governed by love, even loving our enemies – even if it kills us, which, hopefully it will – that is to say, dying to our sin nature. It’s only as we die to self, and allow the Spirit of GOD to dominate us, which brings such spiritual maturity that we can genuinely love those who hate us.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Remember, Love Incarnate hung on the Cross, brutally beaten and tortured by those that counted themselves His enemies, and His response was “Father forgive them, they know not what they do!”
Adam Clarke, 19th century theologian and minister had this to say:
“Do not withhold from any man … mercy and kindness; you have been God's enemy, and yet God fed, clothed, and preserved you alive: do to your enemy as God has done to you… And has not a sense of [GOD’s] goodness and long-suffering towards you been a means of melting down your heart [to … gratitude and repentance], and love towards Him? How [do you know] that a similar conduct towards your enemy may not have the same gracious influence on him towards you? Your kindness may be the means of [instilling] in him a sense of his guilt [those burning coals heaped on his head]; and, from being your fell enemy, he may become your real friend!”PROVERBS 25:23
The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.
We’ve had enough experience with gravity to know that “What goes up, must come down.” Cause and effect. In my native city of Syracuse, surrounded by the Great Lakes Ontario and Erie, any north by north-west wind will bring rain – or snow, depending on the time of year.
Just so, a backbiter that gossips and slanders is met with the effect of a rebuke and an angry countenance. Gossip is a destructive force that in one way, is more potent than murder – you can only murder a person once.
But gossip from the lips of one can spread in a ripple effect to the ears of countless others, who then spread it even further.
Like feathers recklessly scattered in a strong wind, it would be just as impossible to retract all that gossip as it would be to retrieve all those feathers. Such gossip, slander, rumor and inuendo can come back to haunt a person years, or even decades after the first offender opens their mouth, and cause just as much pain as the first time the victim hears it.
PROVERBS 6:12,14-15PROVERBS 25:24
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; 14 perversity is in his heart, he devises evil continually, he sows discord. 15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.
MATTHEW 12:36-37
36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."
ECCLESIASTES 5:2
Do not be rash with your mouth and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore, let your words be few.
It is better to dwell on the corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Everyone loves harmony and cooperation with mutual love and respect (at least, everyone should!). When a person is contentious, like a pain in the body, this indicates that something’s wrong in the soul. Sometimes a contentious person feels as though they’ve been victimized or treated unfairly. Sometimes they react to not getting what they want. When all is said and done, a contentious person is all about themselves – their feelings, their offenses, their grievances.
Then there are those who simply won’t be happy unless they have something to gripe about; they’ll always see the bad in any situation, never appreciating the good.
Such people are not pleasant to be around; their contentiousness can be contagious, and the need to pull away and cover some distance from them is often our knee-jerk reaction. So, we end up on the corner of a rooftop, so to speak.
How do we deal with such people? With merciful gentleness, patience and long suffering. We need to be slow to speak, slow to wrath, quick to hear (JAMES 1:19).
PROVERBS 26:20-21What’s the attitude that keeps contention going?
20 Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. 21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
“If anyone is going to have the last word on this matter, it’s going to be ME!”
When I try to make my point, which from my perspective seems legitimate enough to even have a conversation, and I fail to get my point across, or the person I’m speaking with simply disagrees – and it seems the conversation is going nowhere, that’s when I try to bow out, and retreat to my prayer closet and say,
“LORD, I tried – and failed. I’m leaving it up to You now. If I’m wrong, correct me. If they are, correct them. And if we’re both wrong, correct us!”
PROVERBS 25:25
As cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a far country.
Nothing satisfies thirst better than cold water. Iced tea tastes great, and soda pop can be icy cold and bubbly – but caffeine and sugar can’t quench thirst – it would make it worse!
The average human being is composed of about 60% water. But dehydration is a very common issue with people. In fact, upon waking up this morning, you lost overnight about 2% of your total body weight in water. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you weigh 150 lbs., that means that overnight you lose around 3 lbs. of water!
Then you get up and grab that first cup of coffee, which is a diuretic, and lose more water, and lose more water still with that second cup. Additional cups of coffee and, or tea throughout the day, along with soda and sugary fruit juices can create a cycle of dehydration that will inevitably lead to poor health.
Just as your body requires simple, clean, refreshing water for good health, so your soul needs the water of life found exclusively in Jesus Christ and the Good News – the Gospel that He brings from that “far country” – the eternal heavens where He came from and to which we will one day go and worship at the very throne of GOD!
In 1945, WW 2 was officially declared over on May 8th in Europe when Germany surrendered. It wasn’t until Sept. 2nd of that year that Japan surrendered as its officials signed the papers on the USS Missouri.
Newspapers across the world and America in huge bold print (People my age can remember seeing a copy, carefully preserved in their parent’s photo albums) The WAR IS OVER! That was good news from far away Europe, and far away Japan.
But from the far away and hallowed halls of heaven, the Father declares to all who have surrendered their lives to Christ, proclaiming Jesus as LORD, The WAR IS OVER! You are no longer an enemy of GOD, no longer under Divine Judgment for sin, no longer destined for the eternal domain of hellish destruction.
COLOSSIANS 2:13-14The LORD through the apostle Paul speaks to us and says, “stand firmly, securely in the liberty, the freedom granted to us through Christ” (GAL 5:1).
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
ROMANS 8:1-2
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
PROVERBS 25:26
A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.
Conversely, where cold water is of benefit to us, a murky (corrupt, foul) spring or a polluted (spoiled, contaminated) fountain or well is of no benefit whatsoever. It cannot satisfy, it cannot rejuvenate or invigorate.
The same thing can be said for a righteous man, who should stand for righteousness, who should stand for truth and justice – but if they bow down to and submit before some wicked person (or a wicked society); they aren’t doing what they should. They aren’t having the effect in a society that they are ordained by GOD for. They most certainly are not being “salt and light”, nor are they allowing any transformation of the mind effect society.
Rather, they are being conformed to this GOD-rejecting, Christ-dishonoring world. They’re being pressured by external, evil forces to blend in, don’t stick your neck out, don’t make waves. Don’t testify of Christ and proclaim the Gospel.
Stephen (in ACTS 7) was a righteous man who didn’t conform to the wishes of the Sanhedrin, and though he was innocent concerning any crime, still he was condemned to die by stoning. Yet this young man of faith didn’t falter before those wicked, whitewashed sepulchers. He stood his ground and declared truth, welcome or not.
Apostle Peter (in ACTS 4), who previously caved into the pressure by Roman and Religious authorities, once he witnessed the resurrected Christ and was baptized in the Spirit got in the faces of the Sanhedrin and condemned their actions in denying the Messiah!
In today’s world being a popular Christian is being an unbiblical Christian. Being a biblical Christian guarantees being an unpopular Christian.
PROVERBS 25:27
It is not good to eat much honey; so, to seek one's own glory is not glory.
It’s been said, “He who praises himself sits in a congregation of one” The Scripture tells us:
PROVEREBS 27:2This world is full of self-glorifiers, who will exalt themselves, push their way to the front of the crowd, who genuinely believe that “it’s all about me”. It’s because all they really have in this life is themselves, and nothing else – what else is there to glory in? But even who they are, and what they possess: some are extraordinarily handsome or beautiful; others have a staggering intellect; still others have a certain talent for writing, for music, for building things, for amassing wealth. But they really can’t even boast about those things! Those are natural gifts given by GOD!
Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.
They can be thankful for those gifts – they should be, but they can’t glory in those things as if they gave themselves those gifts!
That was Lucifer’s grave error – he attributed his beauty and intellect to himself, glorified self instead of his Creator! Then look what happened to him!
JEREMIAH 9:23-24
23 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
Sadly, sometimes even pastors, when they reach a certain level of success in the ministry, begin to look at themselves as the reason for such blessings. They believe that GOD has blessed them more than the pastor who ministers down the street because, “…after all, look at all that I’m doing for the LORD!”
The same LORD that raised them up, and brought blessing to them, can and will be the same One Who will lay them low if they give in to spiritual pride.
This is why we need to stay close to the Cross of Christ. Under its shadow, we see our hearts, who we really are; and GOD’s heart and Who GOD really is! There is no room for pride at the Cross, only humble gratitude for all that the LORD has done for us!
1 PETER 5:6
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Have you ever wondered why GOD exalts the humble? If they are truly humble, wouldn’t they be better off staying in that lowly place? Why exalt them and risk tempting them with pride?
Because the truly humble are made that way by the Spirit of GOD in their life. They become a beautiful picture that GOD wants others to see. Just like you hang a painting on a wall to be admired by others, GOD wants to show us what He esteems, what He sees as beautiful:
PROVERBS 15:33Of course, the greatest example of humility is JESUS Who came to do the Father’s will and see Him glorified! We understand that it’s because Christ humbled Himself to die on the Cross, that GOD has exalted Him above every name, and He will forever sit on His throne to be loved, worshiped, admired and reverenced for Who He is! (PHIL 2)
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.
PROVERBS 25:28
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.
Self-control is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit: which is love (GAL 5:23). One can use self to control self, but the problem with that is our self is flawed with sin nature, and therefore not just imperfect, but not sufficient in the long term.
There are people who control their urge to overeat and have overcome that tendency, but overeating is then replaced with some other craving or addiction – because gluttony isn’t the core issue, it’s sin nature that must be brought under control.
Humanity has had 6,000 years to prove itself, and we have proven ourselves – to be incapable of conquering sin nature. This is why we need the grace of GOD, through the Spirit of GOD, Who indwells us by the sacrifice of the Son of GOD on Calvary.
Without the Spirit of GOD abiding in us, and His Word abiding in our hearts, we are vulnerable to the onslaught of our enemies: Satan, our own sin nature and the spirit of this world (one could say, the collective sin nature and willful sin of the human race).
The only means of having “rule over [our] own spirit” is first of all, by making the intentional decision to obey GOD, declaring the truth as disciples of Christ who take up their cross daily, who are indwelt by “the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead” (ROM 8:11) that we are “dead to sin” (ROM 6:2) and petition the LORD for His empowering grace (HEB 4:16) which alone enables us to obey his holy command.
When we allow the Spirit of GOD to rule over us, by submitting to His rule as LORD over our lives, we find that His protection over us is impenetrable. It’s true – that when we are “in Christ” and walking in the Spirit – that is, living life by the power of the Spirit, following the LORD Jesus – that we are just as safe from the attacks of our enemies as a knight is in his armor. It doesn’t mean we won’t be attacked, but we will be protected!
Because when we are “in Christ” we are in “the [very] armor of GOD! We are then just as invulnerable to attack as the LORD Jesus Christ was when He faced off Satan in the wilderness, who failed to bring the Son of Man down with his three temptations. The LORD left that arena of battle and returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit”.
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