God Encourages the Humble
Take some time to follow this Bible Study, using the TEXT method, for Matthew 23:8-13.
T: Talk to God
Ask God to soften your heart and open your mind to reveal who he is and who you are with him and without him.
E: Encounter God and humanity
Make two columns with “God” over the left and “Humanity” over te right. Write down all the attributes of each that you find in the passage. Once you’re done (or get stuck), read this:
When you build a house, the first thing you need is a foundation. It’s the part that everything else is built on. The foundation determines whether or not the house will stay up for long. A crooked foundation makes for a weak, dilapidated house. But a solid, firm, and flat foundation makes for a solid house. Some call pride the foundation of all sin. In other words, pride is at the root of every sin in the world. That’s because pride is focused on self and self-focus takes our eyes off God. Every sin you can think of comes from taking your eyes off God and putting them on yourself, so pride is the foundation or root of all sin.
You could also say that humility is the foundation of right living. In other words, as the opposite of pride, it’s at the root of all your right living. That’s because humility is the exact opposite of thinking of yourself. Humility is taking the eyes off yourself and putting them firmly on God. Only when you have done that, can you be saved, and only when you do that, do you begin to live a righteous life. It’s in humility that you tell God you cannot save yourself and that you need him, and in humility, you rely on his Holy Spirit instead of your flesh.
So, finding sin is as easy as looking for pride. Where you find a humble spirit who doesn’t want all the attention, demand all the power, or want all the control, you find a spirit that rejects sin. But where you find a spirit of pride, one who wants all eyes on them, wants to control the situation, and to have all the power, then you know that sin isn’t far away.
X: Examine Your Heart
Do you tend to encourage yourself or rely on the encouragement of others? Do you wrestle with pride or struggle with self-esteem?
In Matthew 23:12 Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” In other words, God discourages the proud and encourages the humble. Pride might feel like a good thing; it’s self-protection, self-confidence, and self-pleasure. But God never commanded such things. yet when you humble yourself, God will encourage you. So, if you feel discouraged, even if you are striving to be humble, try looking to God for the encouragement you need. Too often we look to others for that encouragement. Let God lift you up!
T: Talk to Others
Do you know someone humble? Encourage them by letting them know that God loves their humility, and you love their example. Do you know someone prideful? Try reminding them that you’ll love them even when they fall flat on their face.
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Did you enjoy this methodical approach to studying the Bible? You can find more Bible studies just like this in The TEXT Bible.
The TEXT Bible offers a unique way to interact with Scripture and grow closer to God. This approach to reading the Bible is like having a conversation between you, a friend teaching you the truth of Scripture, and God. It gives you a method of Bible study that’s easy to remember and use for any passage of Scripture.
