How To Stay Humble

In Chapter 15 of The Pilgrim’s Progress after Hopeful shared His testimony, Christian asked

“Since you are reformed how do you renew your conviction?”

Hopeful Replied:

1. There are several things that keep me on my knees, especially such sayings as these, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isa. 64:4) 

2. ^“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 2:16)

3. So, you also, when you have done everything, you were told to do, you should say, "We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. (Luke 17:10)    

4.        The Debt and Power of Sin

"Then I thought, 'If I purchase a thousand dollars’ worth of clothes, but managed to pay off all other bills except that one, and the debt remains on the record, the store may sue me and may even go to prison until the debt is paid.'"

"Well," asked Christian, "and how did this apply to your condition?"

"Why, I thought to myself, 'because of my sins, I have accumulated a lot of debt on God's record, and even if I now reform, it will not pay off the balance.

Hopeful Continued:

“Another thing that troubled me was that, if I looked carefully at even the best of what I was accomplishing during my efforts at reform, I could still see sin and new sin mixed in and tainting the good within me. I was, therefore, forced to conclude that despite my former self-conceit and pride in my accomplishments, I could now recognize that I was presently committing enough sin in one day to send me to Hell, even if I had been previously faultless."

The point here, it is not that the more miserable you feel or try to make yourself you are humble. Instead, true humility is taking no credit to yourself and offering yourself to be used by God out of gratitude of His grace He has shown you.

Let Us Recap

• Even in the best deeds you do, there will always be some little stain of self you will need to repent from.

  
  

•   Believe Jesus always has forgiven and can continue to forgive you.

  
  

• After you have done a task, do not make a big deal of it. Remember, you are a servant simply doing what you were told. Be like Charles Spurgeon who advised his congregation

  
  

• "If you have won one soul to Christ, pray for another. If God has given you success, ask Him for greater success. Do not sit down and say, 'It is enough! When you have preached a sermon, do not be content with it; seek grace to preach a better one. When you have won a soul, do not be satisfied; ask for another soul."

• Lastly, do not get ahead of yourself thinking you have come as far as you need to come, or there is nothing to be improved in you. Seek to continually grow and advance.