Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. James 4:10
Did you ever wonder why when you want to shut down your Windows-based computer, you need to click the Start button? Clicking Start to make it stop, that’s a paradox! It is also a paradox to say ‘I never tell the truth.’ That’s because if the statement is false, it has to be true, and if it is true, it has to be false. According to the WhatIs.com dictionary, a paradox is a statement or concept that contains conflicting ideas. In logic, a paradox is a statement that contradicts itself (I never tell the truth). In everyday language, a paradox is a concept that seems absurd or contradictory, yet is true. Today’s text is also a paradox, telling us that the way for us to be lifted up in the things of God is to make ourselves as low as possible.
Recall the account of the Pharisee who went up to the temple to pray in Luke 18. In one of the Bible’s most glaring example of pride, this religious leader prayed a prayer that showed how much he thought of himself and how little he thought of others. There was not even a hint of appreciation for the Lord in his prayer, even though he thought he was speaking to God. In an attitude that was all too typical of the sect of the Pharisees, this man knew nothing about humbling himself in the sight of God. But the publican who the Pharisee scorned was filled with humility. His deep repentance and his cry for God’s mercy are as touching as Christ’s declaration that he was justified. What happened to the publican that day is what happened to each of us before we could be justified, before we could receive God’s great salvation.
There is a good reason why we need to humble ourselves in the sight of God: everything that we are as Christians and members of His family is not of ourselves but of Him. We were just helpless sinners until God saved us. So we have absolutely nothing to brag about. We did nothing to save ourselves, and can do nothing to keep ourselves saved. Salvation is a gift that we could never earn nor deserve. And yet, God has lifted us up higher than we could ever imagine. ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones’ (Isaiah 57:15).
The Christian is lifted to immeasurable heights by taking the lowest place. The Christian is endued with unlimited power by acknowledging absolute weakness. The Christian is granted absolute righteousness by admitting total sinfulness. The Christian is issued unlimited wisdom by confessing to be a fool. The Christian is God’s greatest paradox. – Jim MacIntosh