ullness, in which He can exhibit His life, His goodness, His
power, and His love. A vessel must be empty if it is to be filled, and if
we are to be filled with the life of God we must be utterly empty of
self. This is the glory of God, that He is to fill all things, and more
especially His redeemed people. And as this is the glory of the creature,
so this is the only redemption, and the only glory of every redeemed soul,
to be empty and as nothing before God; to wait upon Him, and to let God be
all in all.
Humility has a prominent place in almost every epistle of the New
Testament. Paul says: "Walk with all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The nearer you get to God, and
the fuller of God, the lowlier you will be; and equally before God and man,
you will love to bow very low. We know of Peter's early self-confidence;
but in his epistles what a different language he speaks! He wrote there:
"Let the younger be subject to the elder, and all of you be subject one to
another; humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you in His own time." He understood, and he dared to preach, humility to
all. It is indeed the salvation we need. What is it that prevents people
from coming to that entire surrender that we speak of? Simply that they
dare not abandon themselves, and trust themselves, to God; that they are
not willing to be nothing, to give up their wishes, and their will, and
their honor to Christ. Shall we not accept the salvation that Jesus
offers? He gave up His own will; He gave up His own honor; He gave up any
confidence in Himself; He lived dependent upon God as a servant whom the
Father had sent. There is the salvation we need, the Spirit of humility
that was in Christ.
What is it that often disturbs our hearts, and our peace? It is pride
seeking to be something. And God's decree is irreversible, "God resisteth
the proud; He gives grace only to the humble." How often Jesus had to speak
to his disciples about it! You will find repeatedly in the Gospel those
simple words: "He that humbleth Himself shall be exalted; he that exalteth
himself shall be humbled." He taught His disciples: "He that would be
chiefest among you, let him be the servant of all." This should be our one
cry before God: "Let the power of the Holy Ghost come upon me, with the
humility of Jesus, that I may take the place t
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