Seems like there is a lot of confusion over something that has a clear example in the Lord Jesus.
No one in history had more cause than Jesus did to be prideful. But he came demonstrating the greatest humility. Philippians 2:5-8
"5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!"
How low did he humble himself? Psalms 22:6
"But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people."
The above is absolutely correct - but it is not the full explanation!!
How exactly did Jesus humble Himself and serve???? And if we understand the how He humbled Himself then we to know how we are to humble ourselves - but if we don't complete the explanation we easily just stay in our pride!!!
Jesus humbled Himself by doing and saying ONLY what the Father told Him!!!!!!!!!!
But note that is not in the explanation above!!!!!
Why did that part get missed in our understanding???
The why actually is explained above, but it is not easily seen. The why is because, unlike Him, we have pride!! Indeed all of us men/women don't do and say only what we are told, therefore we don't understand!! Instead we, when we talk to each other, don't actually seek what the Word of God (Jesus Christ- the One who does and says only what the Father tells Him) so we don't humble ourselves like Jesus did!
Therefore instead of seeking God for His words to us, we say things which are for our advantage!
Therefore we are not actually serving Him, but us.
Therefore we are not found with the very nature of God.
Therefore we don't become obedient, even unto death on the cross.
And this all shows that we actually despise Jesus Christ who is the Word of God who we are supposed to listen to!!
So we all have the pride of men!! Yet for the glory of God we are still able to be saved, because of what Jesus Christ did by going to the cross because men despised Him, and Him still forgiving us!!
Yet that salvation is still based upon belief in Him!!!
Yet if we believe in Him even a little bit - we at least a little bit seek Him and His word spoken to us!!!
And again - I want to point out that hearing Him and doing what He says is the big thing missing in the explanation!!
It seems we are unaware of the WWJD!!!
So again WWJD????? He would and still does to this day only does and says what the Father tells Him!!! Could we not do that at least a little??
Have we not read that faith comes from hearing a word from Him?? (Rm 10)
Do we not know that the Word of God we preach (Jesus Christ) is near us? (Rm 10)
Ok - because of pride we are never going to be Him who did and said only what God tells us, but a person with faith in Jesus Christ does at least a little, hear His voice and do what He tells them, at least a little!!!
His sheep do hear His voice - not like we should and could - but at least a little - which explains why Jesus said - even to His personal disciples during His time on earth in the flesh - "
men of little faith"!!!!
Mat 8:26 He *said to them, “
Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and [fn]it became perfectly calm.
Mat 16:8 But Jesus, aware of this, said,
“You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?
Luke 12:287 “But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is
alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more
will He clothe you? You men of little faith!
What amazes me of knowing the Lord, is how we miss our not hearing the Lord like we should and could!!
My confession is that I only tend to hear from the Lord, via that small voice of His speaking to me in words I can understanding, about a dozen different times a day!! So I confess I don't say and do only what He tells me, but I do hear His voice and I do things because He speaks to me - at least a little. Enough to have seen Him personally heal people miraculously hundreds of times. Is saying all that boasting in me?? NO IT IS NOT - it is testifying about Him. I hear Him because He made that possible, not me. I see the miracles because I did what He told me and He then performed the miracles that cause people to be healed. And that we just being a man of little faith!!
I have seen legs grow out - seen people leave behind their wheel chair and walker. I have felt swelling go down under my own hand while praying at least 3 times. And that is just a few of the thousands of testimonies I have about Him - and I confess that I am just a man of little faith, someone like those disciples of His we read about in the Bible.
So who is it who doesn't know that Jesus humbles Himself (even to this day) by doing and saying only what the Father tells Him??
Do they even know Him and listen to Him as the Word of God??