Humility

Celebration

Many people are probably excited this time of year, looking forward to a summer full of freedom and fun. School is out and vacations are planned. Those folks who adore the summer heat and swimming or other water sports have been waiting for just this time of year. Maybe you enjoy the summer festivities. My own hometown has the annual homecoming festival this weekend, full of fun for the whole family. Most of all, it is an opportunity to see people that we haven’t seen, maybe, since last year. You may be looking forward to the firework fun of the fourth of July or summer cookouts in the backyard.

For those of us who love life, this June marks the one year anniversary of the overturning of Roe V. Wade decision. This is certainly something worth celebrating. Of course, the holocaust of abortion has not been totally ended and we pray for that day. However, we are thankful that many babies are alive today that would have been aborted if the law had stayed the same for another year. We, as Christians, should remember that we do have something to be thankful for as we celebrate Life month, as I saw Dr. Owen Strachan labeled it on (twitter).

Haughty

But we must acknowledge that our sinsick, secular culture also has something that they desire to celebrate. They call it Pride month. The idea is to celebrate all forms of aberrant sexuality and gender confusion. Yet, it should be obvious to those with a biblical worldview that pride and arrogance are equal opportunity when it comes to celebrating sin. If you fancy yourself as moral and upright because you do not support the secular agenda including homosexuality and gender confusion while you continue in your own unrepentant sin, then you are also captured by your own pride and hubris. 

The Scripture is clear that pride is at the heart of our sin (1 John 2:16) and pride in our heart will result in our sure destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Christians cannot continue in sin and think themselves more holy just because their sin is of a different kind or classification. I do not dispute that there are classifications of sin, however, the most damaging aspect is the light of truth being sinned against (Matthew 11:20-24). For Christians it should be unthinkable that we would continue in sin any longer when we have received grace from God (Romans 6). The secular world will have to answer for their rebellion against all the clear communication given by God in nature. They are not only fools, but living in willful ignorance of the obvious nature of God’s world and truth (Romans 1:18-32).

Humble

So what should our Christian response to the overt pride and rebellion of our culture be? I would like to encourage our response to be contrite humility before the Lord. The Bible does not only condemn pride but it also praises humility (Proverbs 18:12). It is humility that marks the Christian becoming more like Christ (Philippians 2:3-5). As we grow in our sanctification we inevitably must grow less prideful and more humble. This is because we understand even more the failings of our own sinfulness and our great need for God’s amazing grace! The contrast that our world needs to see is not that we can match them toe to toe in shouting down the other side, but rather that we excel in humility before the Lord of Glory. I am not saying that we should be passive and quiet referring to sin or the proclamation of the gospel but only that we should do both from a posture of humble pleading and loving persuasion not judgmental and angry condescension (2 Corinthians 5:11-15).

Brethren, this is the ministry of reconciliation that we have been given by our Lord and King and it begins with humility that gives us boldness to proclaim the glorious good news of the gospel. This good news is the only true cure for the evil culture cancer of our day.

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