Seek Meekness
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
1/5/2014 PM
|
Text:
|
Zephaniah 2:3
|
Psalters: |
48, 208, 312, 366 |
- Its identity
- Meekness is not:
- Literally meekness is to see oneself as lowly and base, to be broken, in the light of three truths.
- First, meekness arises from a correct understanding of oneself in light of God and His character.
- Second, meekness constantly arises from a correct understanding of one?s depravity: sins and sinfulness (Canons V-2).
- Third, meekness arises from a clear understanding of grace and its undeservedness.
- Its incentives.
- God resists (hates) the proud (Prov. 6;16; 8:13; 16:15).
- God sets Himself in battle array against self-centeredness; which opposition is immediate and constant.
- God hates it because nothing makes us more like Satan than to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.
- And God hates anything which destroys the unity of His Son?s body.
- Meekness makes us look like (reflect) Jesus more than anything else (Phil. 2:5ff).
- God promises grace to the humble (Ps. 34:18; 51:17; 147:3; James 4:6) and to the contrite (Isa. 57:15).
- God promises blessings to the meek.
- Let us cultivate meekness in ourselves. Things to consider:
- Consider God, His majestic greatness seen in His incommunicable attributes, in His creative works, in His redemptive work.
- Consider Jesus who led the way to humility (Isa. 53:7; Phil. 2:5; Matt. 11:29; 21:5; II Cor. 10:1)
- Consider that our sins and sinfulness brought the Prince of glory to the cross.