As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Read Part 1.
Why the “fear and trembling” in Philippians 2:12? In the three verses that come before, it says,
Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Php 2:9-11, LSB)
In Philippians 2, there is an overarching theme of unity the church with the more specific application of obedience that points toward our need for humility. But humility is a slippery thing. When you say you have it, you do not.
In this article, I want to turn our attention to our need to follow the model the Lord Jesus Christ laid out. We need to be humble, and this is shown when we humble ourselves in obedience before the Lord Jesus. Concerning this and the danger of false humility, Charles Spurgeon has written:
“Once a year on Thanksgiving, we set aside a specific day to voice our gratitude. But what about the other 364 days of the year? Even as believers, we can be tempted to envy, grumbling, and discontentment in our lives.” - Ligonier
“This article isn’t meant to be a discussion about mental illness or its treatment, but I’d like to consider what ordered anxiety might look and feel like in the life of a follower of Jesus.” - TGC
“God intends for the beauty of brokenheartedness to mingle with the beauty of boldness so that a new reality emerges even more beautiful than the sum of both—a new reality called brokenhearted boldness. It is one of God’s most beautiful works. And it is one of the most needed in our day.” - Eternal Perspective
“God wants us to understand our anger by speaking to our souls, by contemplating the anger in silence, and then by doing the next right thing. And this will demonstrate by our acts that we trust in Yahweh, and not in our own devises.” - TGC
“In today’s digital world—and especially in an election year—it’s heartbreaking to see God’s people become a bickering, angry mob.” - Randy Alcorn
“Regardless of our circumstances, we must rejoice in the Lord: ‘Though the fig tree should not blossom … yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab. 3:17–18)’” - Ligonier
“First, let’s examine what humility is. In Matthew 19:30, Jesus said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” - Lifeway
Colin Hansen talks with Irwyn Ince, author of Hope Ain’t a Hustle: Persevering by Faith in a Wearying World (IVP). - TGC
Discussion