Posted on 10/27/2020 7:01:59 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress
“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips” (Proverbs 27:2 KJV).
The greatest man that ever walked on this planet was likely thinking of this very verse in Proverbs when He said: “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true” (John 5:31 KJV). Jesus Himself was not interested in saying good things about Himself, He was content to let others praise the things that He did.
“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory” (Proverbs 25:27 KJV).
The Bible tells us that Jesus cloaked His glory and hid it from sight. We see this in Paul’s letter to the Philippians and it is a theological truth referred to as the “kenosis.”
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8 KJV).
Do you see the astounding truth of these verses? Jesus Christ, Who is very God of very God “limited” Himself in order to become a man like you and me. He took His Deity (godhood), as it were, and placed it upon a shelf in His celestial realm and was born in a manger in swaddling clothes. He, for thirty-three years, relied on only His understanding of the Scriptures and not his omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent attributes and made the Word of God His source of understanding and wisdom. He was tempted like you and me. He did not sin and took His place on the Cross as the holy and undefiled Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
Paul reminded us to have the mind of Christ again in Romans.
“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:16 KJV).
As a Christian, I am not interested in telling people how wonderful I am (as if I could) for that defeats the purpose of everything that Jesus lived and died as our example. But imagine how it must have touched John Mark’s heart when Paul had this to say about him: “he is profitable to me for the ministry” (II Timothy 4:11). If any know the history between Paul and John Mark, you know that this was the last thing you would think to hear Paul say.
As a sinner saved by grace, as well as one that is “scarcely saved” (I Peter 4:18), how lovely it will one day be to hear the Saviour Himself say the following words while looking at us: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21, KJV). There are simply no words! And it is all because of grace.
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Another truism.
Pilgrim,
I want to remind you again that we appreciate what you do. Whether you know it or not a lot of us here, I am certain, are helped by your Proverbs posts and commentaries.
Thank you.
F B
You are most welcome. It is truly a labor of love to serve up some daily meat from the Word.
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