They cannot forget that they owe all they have and hope for to free grace, and this keeps them lowly. They are brands plucked from the fire, —debtors who could not pay for themselves,—captives who must have remained in prison for ever, but for undeserved mercy,—wandering sheep who were ready to perish when the shepherd found them,—and what right then have they to be proud? I do not deny that there are proud saints. But this I do say, they are of all God’s creatures the most inconsistent,—and of all God’s children, the most likely to stumble and pierce themselves with many sorrows. Forgiveness more often produces the spirit of Jacob :—’I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant ;’ (Gen. 32:10.) and of Hezekiah, ‘I shall go softly all my years ;’ (Isaiah 38:15.) and of the apostle Paul, ‘I am less than the least of all saints,—chief of sinners’ (Eph. 3:8 ;—1 Tim. 1:15.) Ah! brethren, when you and I have nothing we can call our own but sin and weakness, there is surely no garment that becomes us so well as humility.”
- J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) Consider Your Ways: Being a Pastor’s Address to His Flock. 10th Thousand, Revised and Adapted to All Seasons, 1849.
There is no grace which should distinguish the Christian so much as humility. He that would be great in the eyes of Christ, must aim at a totally different mark from that of the Pharisees. His aim must be, not so much to rule, as to serve the Church. The desire of the Pharisee was to receive honor, and to be called “master.” The desire of the Christian must be to do good, and to give himself, and all that he has to the service of others. Truly this is a high standard, but a lower one must never content us. The example of our blessed Lord, the direct command of the apostolic Epistles, require us to be “clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5). Let us seek that blessed grace day by day. No grace is so beautiful, yet so despised by the world. No grace is such an evidence of saving faith, and true conversion to God. No grace is so often commended by our Lord. Of all His sayings, hardly any is so often repeated as that which concludes the passage we have now read, “Whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).
~ J.C. Ryle Expository Thoughts on the Gospels [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 300. {Matthew 23:1-12}
Humility may well be called the queen of the Christian graces. To know our own sinfulness and weakness, and to feel our need of Christ, is the very beginning of saving religion. It is a grace which has always been the distinguishing feature in the character of the holiest saints in every age. Abraham, Moses, Job, David, Daniel and Paul were all eminently humble men. Above all, it is a grace within the reach of every true Christian. All have not money to give away. All have not time and opportunities for working directly for Christ. All have not gifts of speech, tact and knowledge, in order to do good in the world. But all converted people should labor to adorn the doctrine they profess by humility. If they can do nothing else, they can strive to be humble.
~ J.C. Ryle Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke volume 2 , [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1986], 152, 153. {Luke 14:7-14}