International School of The Bible
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The Law of Humility and Pride
Watchman Nee wrote, "Only when one comes to realize the vanity of his works and the failure of his life is one then ready to accept the victory that is already his in Christ."
Even after people experience the great grace and mercy of God and experience His marvelous New Birth, something we certainly did not deserve or work for, it is common for many to live in pride and become self-righteous. Often these people only know the doctrine correctly. You may even hear them say, "I am not righteous in myself, and it is only faith in what Jesus did that makes me righteous." Many have the doctrine in their heads but not in their lives and hearts. I submit that people like this have great intentions, but God needs to do a deeper work in them, and in me.
I believe that what we often consider the work of the enemy is really just our opportunity to experience an "ordained failure." Doctrine alone will not rid us of our self-righteousness and pride. Often it takes more breaking through trials and painful experiences. My life has is a living testimony of this idea. In my opinion it is only through the painful events in our lives that we can truly be transformed from pride to humility. This was the experience of the Apostle Paul, and of just about every Old and New Testament person who was greatly used by God.
Lets compare the Rich Young Ruler to the One Hour Man.
Matthew 19:16-30
“16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
18 He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’
19 ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”
28 So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
30 “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
This man had everything going for him. He lived in a poverty stricken nation, yet he was rich, he was an observant Jew, and he held some sort of political office. He offered his credentials to Jesus thinking that his good certainly out weighted the bad. He felt that he had attained some sort of righteousness by his good deeds. Yet obviously he felt an inner unfulfilled need because he asked Jesus, "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" He was into "doing." I believe he was also an example of self-righteousness.
Modern Judaism has, in my opinion, misconstrued the following Scripture to justify "good deeds" replacing the blood.
“Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).
At that time in history the Israelites were attempting to substitute their religious rituals of burnt offerings for obeying God's voice. Now they take this Scripture to justify their lack of faith in the blood and replace it with good deeds. I am not standing in judgment of modern Judaism. Those close to us know how we love the Jews of today and how we strive to show them unfeigned love. I thank God that they are into good deeds, and that many of them have real faith in God as they know Him. I am just using this as an example of how Christians can fall into the same error.
The Rich Young Ruler had this mindset of striving with a form of works and self-righteousness to gain eternal life. Jesus' solution for this man's dilemma was to rid himself from everything in which he trusted. Jesus' answer to his confused disciples was humility brings grace. We inherit eternal treasures by grace not by works.
What this young man did not realize at this moment of his life was that eternal life is knowing God. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). It seems that the poor are able to step into this relationship with greater acceptance, as we point out in the "one hour man" story from Matthew 20 that follows.
The "eye of the needle" was a name given to the security gate within the Jaffa gate. At night security measures would demand that the Jaffa gate be closed. However, there was still a way for a legitimate latecomer to enter. There was an iron gate within the main gate, a much smaller entry of only four feet, called the eye of the needle. However, in order to enter, the traveler would have to take all the saddle and pack gear off of his camel and cause the camel to bow low to enter. The traveler himself would have to unpack his load and bow to enter. Jesus was using this as a parable of bowing in humility to receive eternal life, or as He said, the Kingdom of Heaven.
The One Hour Man. Taken from our book Grow or Die
Then the disciples got anxious about how could anybody enter the Kingdom. Jesus told them a parable to answer their concerns. Matthew chapter 20 contains a parable about a man who owned a vineyard and went to the market place to hire workers for the harvest.
He hired the first man for one denarius a day. This was for a full day's work. I submit that he hired the strongest and most able of the five men. This was Man #5
At the third hour he returned to hire more help and asked Man #4 to work a partial day and he would pay him fairly.
At the sixth hour he did likewise. Man # 3.
At the ninth hour he did likewise. Man # 2.
At the eleventh hour he returned again. Man # 1.
He asked Man # 1 why he was still there. The man answered, "Because no one would hire us." He went out and worked for one hour.
First, these men were not lazy or they would not have been sitting in the employment agency all day. Most likely this one-hour man was the least able of all. Perhaps he had a physical or mental handicap. I submit that he was the weakest of all. Remember, this parable is about the Kingdom of God and how and when people receive it.
When pay time came, the master called the one-hour man first, Man # 1, and the all day man, Man # 5, last saying, "So the last will be first and the first last. For many are called but few chosen."
The one-hour man received the Kingdom of God in the here and now and brought the Kingdom to earth, as in the Lord's Prayer. Perhaps Man #5 went to Heaven when he died and received the Kingdom at that time. But the one who had nothing else to trust in received it now.
What was the manifestation of receiving it now? If you are a one-hour man, you will trust only in hearing the Word of God while fellowshipping with Jesus to supply everything you need for life and godliness – see 2 Peter 1:2-11. While we ministered this in a Spanish speaking country the group of leaders really got it. They came up with a theme and carried signs reading, "El Hombre una sola hora." The one-hour man! "We are one-hour people," they shouted. Are you desperate enough to call yourself a "one hour person" and shout halleluiah?
Many people in this world are desperate, but not all desperate people are broken.
I submit that the one-hour man was both desperate and broken. Broken means that one has come to the place that he/she knows that there is no help available from any human being or agency, not even from one's own abilities. Notice that the one-hour man remained in the employment agency. He was not out begging, or trying to manipulate people to support him. Applying this to your Christian walk, it means that unless your Lord does something, you are done for, you are lost!
Are you a "one hour person"?
If you are a "one hour person," you are qualified to bear much fruit to the glory of the Father because you will allow the Word of God to be planted in your heart, watch it grow, and then "work your one hour." The strong and proud work so hard that they miss the fruit. Reference John 15.
Are you wise according to the flesh? Are you one of the foolish things of the world?
1 Corinthians 1:18-31.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,
29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
http://www.isob-bible.org/openlessons.htm