Humility Before God: Embracing Our Place as Creation

 

Summary

In our exploration of the Apostle's rebuke, we delve into the profound question of who we are in relation to God. The Apostle challenges us to examine our spirit when we question or contradict God, emphasizing that our attitude is crucial when approaching divine truths. The rebuke is not against genuine inquiry or perplexity but against a spirit of contention that questions God's justice and authority. We are reminded of our finite nature and the importance of humility before the Almighty. The Apostle uses vivid contrasts to illustrate our position: man versus God, the created versus the Creator, the clay versus the Potter. This perspective is essential for understanding biblical truths and engaging in meaningful discussions about doctrine.

The Bible provides numerous examples of individuals who were reminded of their place before God. Moses, Joshua, and Job all encountered moments where they had to humble themselves and recognize God's holiness and majesty. These stories serve as reminders that we must approach God with reverence and humility, acknowledging our limitations and His infinite wisdom. The Apostle's rebuke is not an attack on our intellect but a call to align our spirit with the truth of who God is.

As we engage with Scripture, we must do so with a spirit of humility, recognizing that we are on holy ground. Our opinions and arguments must be set aside in favor of a teachable spirit that seeks to understand God's revelation. The Apostle's words challenge us to examine our attitudes and ensure that we approach God with the reverence and awe He deserves. Only then can we truly grasp the depth of His truth and the beauty of His purposes.

Key Takeaways:

- The Apostle's rebuke is directed at a spirit of contention, not genuine inquiry. It is crucial to approach God with a humble spirit, recognizing our limitations and His infinite wisdom. Our attitude determines our ability to understand divine truths. [26:36]

- The contrast between man and God is stark: we are finite, created beings, while God is infinite and the Creator. This perspective is essential for understanding our place in the universe and approaching God with the reverence He deserves. [29:25]

- Biblical examples, such as Moses and Job, illustrate the importance of humility before God. These stories remind us that we must recognize God's holiness and majesty, setting aside our pride and self-reliance. [33:42]

- Approaching Scripture requires a spirit of humility and reverence. We must recognize that we are on holy ground and set aside our opinions in favor of a teachable spirit that seeks to understand God's revelation. [47:16]

- The Apostle's words challenge us to examine our attitudes and ensure that we approach God with the reverence and awe He deserves. Only then can we truly grasp the depth of His truth and the beauty of His purposes. [48:43]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:05] - The Spirit of Contention
- [27:34] - Importance of Our Spirit
- [28:32] - Man vs. God
- [29:57] - Realizing Our Smallness
- [31:18] - Ignorance of God
- [32:12] - Manifestation of God's Glory
- [33:42] - Moses' Encounter with God
- [35:21] - Joshua's Humility
- [36:25] - Job's Realization
- [39:09] - Isaiah's Vision
- [40:00] - Reverence in Prayer
- [41:22] - Rebuke of Vain Arguments
- [42:10] - The Potter and the Clay
- [45:03] - Criticizing God
- [47:16] - Holy Ground
- [48:43] - Ensuring a Right Spirit

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 9:20-21 - "Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?"
2. Exodus 3:1-6 - The story of Moses and the burning bush, where God tells Moses to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground.
3. Job 42:1-6 - Job's realization of God's greatness and his own limitations after God speaks to him.

Observation Questions:
1. In Romans 9:20-21, what is the Apostle Paul emphasizing about the relationship between God and man? How does this relate to the concept of the potter and the clay? [42:10]
2. How does the encounter between Moses and God in Exodus 3:1-6 illustrate the need for humility and reverence when approaching God? [33:42]
3. What transformation occurs in Job's understanding of God and himself in Job 42:1-6? How does this reflect the sermon's message about humility before God? [37:37]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the Apostle's rebuke of a spirit of contention in Romans 9:20-21 challenge our modern attitudes towards questioning or debating divine truths? [26:05]
2. In what ways do the stories of Moses, Joshua, and Job serve as reminders of the importance of recognizing God's holiness and majesty? How do these stories encourage us to set aside pride and self-reliance? [33:42]
3. How does the sermon suggest we should approach Scripture and discussions about doctrine? What role does humility play in this process? [47:16]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you questioned God's justice or authority. How did your attitude affect your understanding of the situation? What steps can you take to approach such situations with a more humble spirit in the future? [26:36]
2. The sermon emphasizes the contrast between man and God. How can recognizing our finite nature and God's infinite wisdom change the way we approach our daily decisions and challenges? [29:25]
3. Consider the biblical examples of Moses, Joshua, and Job. How can their experiences inspire you to cultivate a spirit of humility and reverence in your own life? What practical steps can you take to emulate their attitudes? [33:42]
4. When engaging with Scripture, how can you ensure that you are approaching it with a teachable spirit? What practices can help you set aside personal opinions in favor of understanding God's revelation? [47:16]
5. The sermon challenges us to examine our attitudes towards God. What specific changes can you make in your daily life to ensure that you are approaching God with the reverence and awe He deserves? [48:43]
6. How can you apply the lesson of the potter and the clay to your current life circumstances? In what areas do you need to trust God's shaping and molding process? [42:10]
7. Reflect on your prayer life. How can you incorporate more reverence and humility into your prayers, acknowledging that you are on holy ground when communicating with God? [40:00]

Devotional

Day 1: The Spirit of Contention vs. Genuine Inquiry
The Apostle's rebuke is directed at a spirit of contention, not genuine inquiry. It is crucial to approach God with a humble spirit, recognizing our limitations and His infinite wisdom. Our attitude determines our ability to understand divine truths. The Apostle emphasizes that questioning God's justice and authority with a contentious spirit is not the same as seeking understanding with a humble heart. This distinction is vital for spiritual growth, as it encourages believers to approach God with a teachable spirit, open to His guidance and wisdom. [26:36]

Isaiah 45:9 (ESV): "Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?"

Reflection: Consider a recent time when you questioned God's plan. How can you shift your attitude from contention to genuine inquiry today?


Day 2: Recognizing Our Place in the Universe
The contrast between man and God is stark: we are finite, created beings, while God is infinite and the Creator. This perspective is essential for understanding our place in the universe and approaching God with the reverence He deserves. By acknowledging our smallness and God's greatness, we cultivate a spirit of humility that is necessary for true worship and understanding of divine truths. This awareness helps us to see our lives in the context of God's grand design, fostering a deeper sense of awe and reverence. [29:25]

Job 38:4-5 (ESV): "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?"

Reflection: Reflect on a moment when you felt small in the face of God's creation. How can this perspective influence your approach to God today?


Day 3: Learning from Biblical Examples of Humility
Biblical examples, such as Moses and Job, illustrate the importance of humility before God. These stories remind us that we must recognize God's holiness and majesty, setting aside our pride and self-reliance. By studying these examples, we learn the value of submitting to God's will and trusting in His wisdom, even when we do not fully understand His ways. This humility allows us to experience God's presence more fully and align our lives with His purposes. [33:42]

Exodus 3:5-6 (ESV): "Then he said, 'Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' And he said, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God."

Reflection: Think of a time when you relied on your own understanding instead of God's wisdom. How can you practice humility in your relationship with God today?


Day 4: Approaching Scripture with Reverence
Approaching Scripture requires a spirit of humility and reverence. We must recognize that we are on holy ground and set aside our opinions in favor of a teachable spirit that seeks to understand God's revelation. This approach allows us to engage with Scripture more deeply, opening our hearts to the transformative power of God's Word. By prioritizing reverence and humility, we position ourselves to receive the full measure of God's truth and guidance. [47:16]

Psalm 119:18 (ESV): "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."

Reflection: Before reading Scripture today, ask God to open your heart and mind to His truth. What specific steps can you take to approach His Word with greater reverence?


Day 5: Ensuring a Right Spirit Before God
The Apostle's words challenge us to examine our attitudes and ensure that we approach God with the reverence and awe He deserves. Only then can we truly grasp the depth of His truth and the beauty of His purposes. By cultivating a right spirit, we align ourselves with God's will and open our lives to His transformative work. This alignment is essential for experiencing the fullness of God's presence and living out His purposes in our daily lives. [48:43]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: Examine your current attitude towards God. What changes can you make today to ensure you are approaching Him with the reverence and awe He deserves?

Quotes


What the Apostle is rebuking here is the spirit of contention. He's not rebuking a man who is in a genuine difficulty and who really wants light and wants help and wants understanding. The Bible never rebukes that. The Bible has never got anything to say against a genuine perplexity and difficulty. [00:26:36]

The Apostle starts with, and it's absolutely essential and absolutely vital, we have no right to go on considering this matter at all unless our Spirits are right. If we take up this attitude towards God of contradicting him or imputing unworthiness to him or suggesting that he's unjust, already our spirit is wrong. [00:27:45]

Realize your smallness, realize your insignificance, realize your finite character, realize your mortality, realize your sinfulness, realize your perversion, realize the smallness of your mind and understanding. Who art now, oh man? Fire and inculcate in yourself and develop the spirit of the psalmist in the 8th verse. [00:30:00]

The glory and the object of that was to humble these people that they might walk obediently and quietly with their God. But that's only one of them, you see, before God did that to the whole nation, he done it to Moses himself personally and in particular. [00:32:47]

And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is Holy. And Joshua did so. He's in the presence of the Lord. Very well, he's got to humble himself and take off his shoes. The ground is Holy. [00:35:36]

Poor Job, how he regrets what he'd said in the heat of the moment and in the pain and the agony of his tribulation. He questioning of God, he's beginning to feel that God was not righteous and that God was not just. Oh, what a fool I've been, he says. [00:37:53]

We are not fit to consider the doctrine until we get rid of it. There it is at the beginning, say of Isaiah 6, again the vision that was given to him. You remember it's in the first four verses. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne. [00:39:08]

God is in heaven and thou upon Earth. Never forget that. Who art thou, oh man? God is in heaven and thou upon Earth. It's the same thing as you get, of course, in the Lord's prayer. Before you begin to make any requests of God, you start by realizing who he is. [00:39:52]

What is being rebuked, you see, is this which the Apostle Paul puts in the epistle to the Colossians in Chapter 2 and in verse 18 in these words: let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen. [00:40:45]

The contrast is between man and God, the thing formed and the one who forms a lump of clay and the Potter. It's in that way that the Apostle then rebukes the spirit in which this question is put, this man who arrogantly gets up and says, well then, in that case, God isn't fair. [00:42:58]

You are not objecting to the teaching of any man. You are objecting to the teaching of God himself concerning God himself. Therefore, all the Apostle wants us to realize is this, that we must be very careful in what we say. You mustn't start to speak about this subject until your attitude is right. [00:45:41]

Whenever we come across anything in the scripture that is difficult, before we begin to express our opinions, remember the word of the Apostle to you: who are you? There's only one way to approach the Scripture. It is to listen to the injunction that God gave to Moses and to Joshua. [00:47:16]

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Transcript
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