Restoration in Christ Church
Humility by Andrew Murray
This page, Brothers and Sisters, we believe is vital to a solid and rewarding Christian walk ... and indeed is essential for the true Christian belief, as without humility, we are no better than the infidel.
Version Editors Preface:
We have tried to take an old, poorly scanned copy of an early translation of this document that needed a great deal of work, and put it into a readable form. We have tried to keep as close to the original that we were provided as possible, changing only as little as needed to make this classic of Christianity understandable to today's reader. The reader may find a little more of the nature of the document we started with in the chapter end notes as we have edited them as the main text, but less for flow and understanding.
We have tried to take an old, poorly scanned copy of an early translation of this document that needed a great deal of work, and put it into a readable form. We have tried to keep as close to the original that we were provided as possible, changing only as little as needed to make this classic of Christianity understandable to today's reader. The reader may find a little more of the nature of the document we started with in the chapter end notes as we have edited them as the main text, but less for flow and understanding.
It is our opinion that, in the future as another project, a paraphrased version would be of great value to many of the faithful who are just now growing into need and understanding of such a work. The structure of the language has changed so greatly during the time since this classic work was penned. The young of our day may find the long sentences and complex phrases difficult to follow and therefore miss much of the ripe fruit that this spiritual tree still produces today. Worse yet, they may conclude that Andrew Murray's works hold no value for them.
We at the Restoration In Christ Ministries are humbled and privileged to be allowed to work on such a powerful piece of Christian heritage. It is our prayer that in some way, our long hours of work and prayer over this document will allow Andrew Murray to come alive to a new generation that looks to the electronic world for its reading material. We are sure that others have done better with this book, but we could find no free downloadable source for this entire book in an extensive search of the Internet. Maybe by the time we post this work, better will be readily available. If so, it still has been a great experience working through each sentence of this translation. As is almost always the case with such work, we found that we were fed as we worked and prayed for the privilege of contributing in some small way to the feeding of His sheep. To God be the Glory, ALL of it.
Father Richard Hill & Sister Paula Rose Pemberton
O.R.I.C.
Preface by Andrew Murray:
There are three great motives that urge us to humility. It becomes me as a creature, as a sinner, and as a saint. The first we see in the heavenly hosts, in unfallen man, in Jesus as Son of Man. The second appeals to us in our fallen state, and points out the only way through which we can return to our right place as creatures. In the third we have the mystery of grace, which teaches us that, as we lose ourselves in the overwhelming greatness of redeeming love, humility becomes to us the consummation of everlasting blessedness and adoration. In our ordinary religious teaching, the second aspect has been too exclusively put in the foreground, so that some have even gone to the extreme of saying that we must keep sinning if we are indeed to keep humble. Others again have thought that the strength of self-condemnation is the secret of humility. And the Christian life has suffered loss, where believers have not been distinctly guided to see that, even in our relation as creatures, nothing is more natural and beautiful and blessed than to be nothing. This is so that God may be all. It has not been made clear that it is not sin that humbles most, but grace. It is the soul, led through its sinfulness to be occupied with God in His wonderful glory as God, as Creator and Redeemer, that will truly take the lowest place before Him.
In these meditations I have almost exclusively directed attention to the humility that becomes us as creatures for more than one reason. One, the connection between humility and sin is already abundantly covered in all our religious teaching. Two, I believe that for fullness in the Christian life it is indispensable that we concentrate on humility as a creature. If Jesus is indeed to be our example in His lowliness, we need to understand the principles in which His lowliness was rooted. These are the common grounds on which we stand with Him, and in which our likeness to Him is to be attained. If we are indeed to be humble towards God and men, if humility is to be our joy, we must see that humility is not only the result of the shame of sin, it is also being clothed with the very beauty and blessedness of heaven and of Jesus. We shall see that Jesus found His glory in taking the form of a servant. So He taught us, "Whosoever would be first among you, shall be your servant". Helived His life in the blessed truth that there is nothing so divine and heavenly as being the servant and helper of all.
The faithful servant, who recognizes his position, finds a real pleasure in supplying the wants of the master or his guests. When we see that humility is something infinitely deeper than contrition, and accept it as our participation in the life of Jesus, we shall begin to learn that it is our true nobility. Being a servant to all is the highest fulfillment of our destiny as men created in the image of God.
When I look back upon my own religious experience, and the state of the Church in the world, I stand amazed at how little humility is sought after as the distinguishing feature of the discipleship of Jesus. In preaching and living, in the daily intercourse of home and social life, in the more special fellowship with Christians, in the direction and performance of work for Christ, oh how much proof there is that humility is not esteemed the first and only virtue from which the graces can grow. It is not recognized as the one indispensable condition of true fellowship with Jesus. That it is said of many who claim to be seeking the higher holiness, that they have not also increased in humility, is a loud call to all earnest Christians. However much truth there is in this charge does not matter, we who would follow the meek and lowly Lamb of God are first to be known by meekness and lowliness of heart, ourselves.
Go to Chapter 1.
We at the Restoration In Christ Ministries are humbled and privileged to be allowed to work on such a powerful piece of Christian heritage. It is our prayer that in some way, our long hours of work and prayer over this document will allow Andrew Murray to come alive to a new generation that looks to the electronic world for its reading material. We are sure that others have done better with this book, but we could find no free downloadable source for this entire book in an extensive search of the Internet. Maybe by the time we post this work, better will be readily available. If so, it still has been a great experience working through each sentence of this translation. As is almost always the case with such work, we found that we were fed as we worked and prayed for the privilege of contributing in some small way to the feeding of His sheep. To God be the Glory, ALL of it.
Father Richard Hill & Sister Paula Rose Pemberton
O.R.I.C.
Preface by Andrew Murray:
There are three great motives that urge us to humility. It becomes me as a creature, as a sinner, and as a saint. The first we see in the heavenly hosts, in unfallen man, in Jesus as Son of Man. The second appeals to us in our fallen state, and points out the only way through which we can return to our right place as creatures. In the third we have the mystery of grace, which teaches us that, as we lose ourselves in the overwhelming greatness of redeeming love, humility becomes to us the consummation of everlasting blessedness and adoration. In our ordinary religious teaching, the second aspect has been too exclusively put in the foreground, so that some have even gone to the extreme of saying that we must keep sinning if we are indeed to keep humble. Others again have thought that the strength of self-condemnation is the secret of humility. And the Christian life has suffered loss, where believers have not been distinctly guided to see that, even in our relation as creatures, nothing is more natural and beautiful and blessed than to be nothing. This is so that God may be all. It has not been made clear that it is not sin that humbles most, but grace. It is the soul, led through its sinfulness to be occupied with God in His wonderful glory as God, as Creator and Redeemer, that will truly take the lowest place before Him.
In these meditations I have almost exclusively directed attention to the humility that becomes us as creatures for more than one reason. One, the connection between humility and sin is already abundantly covered in all our religious teaching. Two, I believe that for fullness in the Christian life it is indispensable that we concentrate on humility as a creature. If Jesus is indeed to be our example in His lowliness, we need to understand the principles in which His lowliness was rooted. These are the common grounds on which we stand with Him, and in which our likeness to Him is to be attained. If we are indeed to be humble towards God and men, if humility is to be our joy, we must see that humility is not only the result of the shame of sin, it is also being clothed with the very beauty and blessedness of heaven and of Jesus. We shall see that Jesus found His glory in taking the form of a servant. So He taught us, "Whosoever would be first among you, shall be your servant". Helived His life in the blessed truth that there is nothing so divine and heavenly as being the servant and helper of all.
The faithful servant, who recognizes his position, finds a real pleasure in supplying the wants of the master or his guests. When we see that humility is something infinitely deeper than contrition, and accept it as our participation in the life of Jesus, we shall begin to learn that it is our true nobility. Being a servant to all is the highest fulfillment of our destiny as men created in the image of God.
When I look back upon my own religious experience, and the state of the Church in the world, I stand amazed at how little humility is sought after as the distinguishing feature of the discipleship of Jesus. In preaching and living, in the daily intercourse of home and social life, in the more special fellowship with Christians, in the direction and performance of work for Christ, oh how much proof there is that humility is not esteemed the first and only virtue from which the graces can grow. It is not recognized as the one indispensable condition of true fellowship with Jesus. That it is said of many who claim to be seeking the higher holiness, that they have not also increased in humility, is a loud call to all earnest Christians. However much truth there is in this charge does not matter, we who would follow the meek and lowly Lamb of God are first to be known by meekness and lowliness of heart, ourselves.
Go to Chapter 1.
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