Humility Among Church Members

1 Peter 5:5-11

Humility In The Church, 5

The younger are the common members of the church, since in Biblical days pastors were usually the "elder" of the membership. These younger are to submit unto the elder, or the pastor(s) of the church. This humility is a genuine character of a true believer. It is warranted among the young of any church. The elders, or pastors, are to be respected highly. The younger are also to submit themselves to other elder ones who are not pastors. In this they can learn the true Christian graces and the practical work of serving in the Lord's church.

There is also to be a general submission or humility among all the members of a church. We are all to be clothed with humility. God gives us the reason we are to be clothed with humility: God resists the proud. This is a quote taken from Proverbs 3:34. In this passage, Solomon puts it this way Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. God scorns the scorners; therefore, we do not need to scorn the scorners. Our job is to be humble, and God will take care of the scorners. He will give grace unto the lowly. James 4:6 tells us that he giveth more grace.

Humility To Be Done, 6

We are to humble ourselves. This is not something that God does without our surrender. Our proud hearts and arrogant character must be subdued, and that submission must be done by our own hearts. If our hearts are humbled, God will exalt us in due time but not until that time.

How To Be Humble, 7-9

The first step to humility is to cast all our care upon him (God). We can trust him, because he cares for us.

The second step to humility is to be sober, that is, sober-minded and vigilant (watchful); because the devil is seeking whom he may devour. He would love to ruin our reputation and cause us to fall into temptation.

The third step to humility is to resist the devil and to remember that our brethren who are serving Christ also have the same temptations and the same testings from the devil, who would love to make us a castaway and ruin our testimony for Christ.

What Will God Do? 10-11

Peter prays that God will bring each believer through the sufferings of this life and into that glorious entrance into the eternal heavens where every believer will be perfect, established, strengthened, and settled. This will be done, and it will be done to the glory of God, who has glory and dominion forever and ever.

This life is a path of genuine suffering and service. It is a path of genuine humility before God, and God will reward each believer in his own good time. We are looking forward to a grand entrance into that eternity that God has promised everyone who loves him and trusts him as Savior.