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Evangelical Humiliation: True Mark of Grace | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

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Reformed thinking. Welcome to the deep dive.
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We've gathered some really interesting material today
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getting into something that's, well, absolutely core to genuine
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faith, but it's also something the sources we're looking at
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suggests is, you know, often misunderstood or even faked.
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That's right, we're talking about humility, and alongside
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that, the problem of spiritual pride, which can be surprisingly
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sneaky, often hiding behind a mask of, well, seeming humility.
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Exactly. So the stuff before us today, it
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really tries to draw a clear line.
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It talks about what is it, evangelical humiliation?
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Yes, that's the term for true Christian humility, and it
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contrasts that sharply with counterfeit forms, the kind
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driven by spiritual pride. OK, so our mission here, as we
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sort of wade through these notes and writings, is to pull out the
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key ideas, the signs. What does genuine humility look
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like according to these sources? And how does spiritual pride
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manifest? Yeah.
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The goal is to help you get a clearer sense of these things
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based on this material, to help you discern, you know, maybe in
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your own heart or as you look around.
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Good. So where do we start?
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The sources seem to say humility is central right to real
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religion. Absolutely central, but
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crucially not all self abasement is the same.
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Just because someone seems low or talks themselves down, it
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doesn't automatically mean it's the genuine article.
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There are different kinds. OK, different kinds.
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And that's where this distinction comes in, legal
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versus evangelical humiliation. That's the core distinction
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presented here, and it's really important to get this.
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They're not just like different amounts of humility.
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It's not a spectrum where one is just less humble and the other
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is more. They're different in their very
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nature. Different sources, different
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effects, different spiritual reality altogether.
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The claim in these texts is pretty stark.
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Evangelical humiliation belongs only to true Saints.
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It's a fruit of grace, Legal humiliation.
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Anyone can experience that, even someone with no true spiritual
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life. Wow.
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OK, that's a strong claim. Let's break that down.
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Let's start with legal humiliation.
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What are the sources saying about where that comes from?
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What does it look like? O Legal humiliation stems from
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what the sources call the common influences of the Spirit.
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This isn't the Spirit regenerating the heart giving
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new life, it's more his general work convicting people through
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truth. Like anyone hearing the law or
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thinking about God's judgement. Exactly.
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It works through natural principles already in US.
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Conscience is a big one. It leverages that innate sense
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of right and wrong, guilt, fear of consequences.
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In the view of God, that triggers this.
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It comes from grasping God's natural perfections, His sheer
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greatness, His terrifying majesty, His power, the
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strictness of his life law. Think about Mount Sinai, the
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Thunder, the lightning, the fear.
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That's the kind of thing, right? Contemplating that side of God
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would definitely make you feel small, insignificant, powerless.
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For sure. And that leads directly to a
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conviction of sinfulness, a sense of guilt, A terrifying
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awareness of being exposed to God's wrath, his punishment.
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The writers compare it to the conviction wicked people, even
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devils, will feel on Judgement Day.
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So it's a real dread, an unavoidable sense of
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condemnation before this huge, powerful judge.
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Yes, and it does make a person feel little, nothing before God,
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utterly unable to save themselves.
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That feeling of helplessness can be very strong in legal
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humiliation. OK, despair of self help.
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That sounds somewhat like genuine repentance, doesn't it?
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Feeling you can't save yourself? It shares that element.
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But here's the critical difference.
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According to this material, legal humiliation does not
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involve a spiritual sight or understanding of the inherent
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hatefulness the the odiousness of sin itself.
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So it's focused on the danger of sin, the punishment, the offense
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against God's power or law, but not the intrinsic ugliness of
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sin against God's goodness or beauty.
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Precisely. There's no spiritual grasp of
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God's moral perfections. His Holiness has something
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beautiful, lovely, and because there's no sight of that beauty,
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there's no corresponding side of sin.
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Is this like horrible defilement of that beauty?
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And without that spiritual understanding.
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The will isn't truly bowed. The hearts fundamental
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inclination isn't changed. There's no genuine desire to
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humble oneself simply because God alone is worthy of
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exaltation. Pride, that root of self
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exaltation, isn't actually dealt with, it's just sort of pushed
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down by fear. OK, so the person feels small,
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insufficient. They despair of helping
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themselves. But the sources use this phrase.
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They're subdued and forced to the ground.
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Yes, forced. That's key.
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It's coercion by fear, by the weight of God's power or
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judgement, or just the pressure of conscience.
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It's not a willing surrender. The heart might still be
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fighting inside, but outwardly or in terms of feeling, they
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feel crushed, pinned down and. What about its actual spiritual
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value? Does it achieve anything
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positive? The sources are very direct here
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in itself. No spiritual good, nothing of
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true virtue or holiness. It's not grace.
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It's not saving. Not saving at all.
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No, no, it can be useful. It can act as a means towards
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true evangelical humiliation. Like you know, common knowledge
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of doctrine can be a necessary step before you get spiritual
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understanding. It can prepare the ground, make
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someone feel their need. But it's not the real thing.
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Definitely not. And someone can be, you know,
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deeply humbled in this legal sense, terrified of hell,
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despairing of their own efforts, feeling violent, well under
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conviction, and still have absolutely zero true humility,
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zero true grace in their heart. That's a sobering thought.
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OK, that picture of legal humiliation is quite clear.
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Fear based, consequence focused, externally forced, no inner
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transformation. So now let's pivot to the other
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kind, the one unique to true Saints, evangelical humiliation.
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What's its source? What makes it different?
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Right evangelical humiliation comes not from those common
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influences, but from the special influences of the Spirit.
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This is the Spirit saving work, implanting divine principles,
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giving a new nature, creating spiritual life.
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It's rooted in a fundamental internal change work by God.
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And the perception of God that drives it is different too.
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Completely different. It arises primarily from a
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spiritual sense of the the transcendent beauty of divine
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things and their moral qualities, especially God's
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holiness. Not just seeing holiness as a
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standard we fail, but seeing it as infinitely lovely, glorious,
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beautiful in itself. So it's an attraction to God's
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character, his moral beauty, yes.
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And it's the spiritual side of God's holy beauty that truly
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exposes the hateful nature of sin.
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Sin, then, appears disgusting, vile, repulsive, not merely
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because it brings punishment, but because it's an offense
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against infinite beauty, infinite moral glory.
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It's like seeing mud splattered on a masterpiece.
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That sounds like it must go much deeper in the person.
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It absolutely does. This kind of humiliation
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involves a spiritual understanding that doesn't just
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inform the mind, it actually bows the will.
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It alters the inclination of the heart.
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The deep seated desires and dispositions begin to change.
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How does that happen? It's still kind of forcing.
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The sources say it's achieved by God's holy beauty overcoming the
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heart. But overcoming here isn't like a
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violent conquest. It's more like the irresistible
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pole, the sweet, powerful attraction of infinite spiritual
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beauty, capturing the soul, drawing it away from its old
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loves. The heart is won over.
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Its affections are genuinely shifted.
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And this is where true spiritual value lies.
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Yes, evangelical humiliation contains spiritual good.
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It's the very nature of true virtue, true holiness, Christian
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grace. It's part and parcel of the new
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spiritual life itself. OK, So what kind of disposition
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does this create in the heart? What does it feel like
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internally? It results in what the sources
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call a mean esteem of oneself. Now that doesn't mean self
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hatred in a destructive way. It means a genuine spiritual
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awareness of 1's own nothingness, vileness, inherent
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unworthiness in oneself when seen against God's infinite
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glory. So a loss of self importance.
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Definitely, and it comes with a mortification of putting to
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death of that natural ingrained tendency to exalt oneself, to
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seek one's own glory or status it.
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Sounds like a radical turning away from self.
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It really is. It involves a free renunciation
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of 1's own glory, a voluntary giving up of any claim to
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personal worthiness, merit or dignity before God.
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And this produces a deep, lasting disposition to abase
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oneself and to exalt God alone. Because, you see, He is
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infinitely worthy of all glory. And how does that play out in
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actions or responses? You said legal humiliation
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involves being forced. What about this?
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But of being forced, People are brought voluntarily to deny and
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renounce themselves, and there's this beautiful phrase used.
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They are brought sweetly to yield, and freely and with
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delight to prostate themselves at God's feet.
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With delight that's really striking compared to being
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forced down. Isn't it the self?
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Abasement isn't felt as a burden, but as a joyful, willing
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response to God's overwhelming beauty and grace.
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They bow down not because they're terrified of punishment,
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but because they're captivated by His loveliness, and they
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recognize His supreme worthiness.
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It's actually a delight to be nothing so that He can be
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everything. OK, so the contrast is becoming
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very clear. Legal fear, consequences,
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External force, no new life, Evangelical beauty, Grace, sins,
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Offense against God's nature, Internal transformation, the
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essence of virtue itself. That sums up the foundational
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difference really well. All right, let's go deeper into
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this evangelical humiliation. How does it actually shape the
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way true Saints, people who have this grace, see themselves,
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their spiritual state? The sources list several marks
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or indicators. Yeah, they do.
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One of the first things mentioned is a remarkably low
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esteem of their own attainments in religion.
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Even when they are genuinely growing, making real progress in
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grace, they tend to see their own spiritual achievements as
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well. Comparatively small mean
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insignificance. They actually see themselves as
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low among the Saints, maybe even one of the least, and they're
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inclined to think others are better than.
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Them, yes, and the sources stress this isn't just saying
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humble words, it's a genuine tendency of their thinking.
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They're not constantly ranking themselves, but when the thought
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arises, their default is to see others as spiritually ahead of
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them, or their own position as quite.
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Low. But why?
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That seems almost counterintuitive.
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If you're growing, shouldn't you know it?
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Shouldn't you feel stronger, more mature?
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Why see your grace as little, and your sin is great.
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It's one of those paradoxes of grace the sources highlight.
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It's precisely because they have more grace, more spiritual
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light, that they see things this way.
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This increasing light reveals 2 things more clearly.
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First, the infinite reason they should be holy, meaning they see
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more of God's infinite glory, Christ's infinite dignity, the
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infinite depth of his love, and the grace they've received
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compared to that infinite standard and obligation.
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Their own love, their own thankfulness, their own
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humility, even if real, just looks incredibly small,
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pathetic, almost cold, low deficient.
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OK, so it's not denying the reality of their grace, but
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seeing it against this vastly expanded backdrop of God's
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perfection and their debt to Him.
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And that makes their own efforts seem tiny.
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Exactly. The more holy they become, the
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clearer their vision of the infinite standard, which makes
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them painfully aware of how far short they still fall.
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And the second thing this light reveals more clearly is the
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infinite hatefulness of sin, even the smallest sin.
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The sources say the least. Sin has infinite deformity.
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That's intense. It is spiritual.
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Light magnifies this. Like a microscope showing flaws
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you couldn't see before, this light reveals the truly
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abominable nature of sin, any sin against the backdrop of
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God's infinite holiness. The least failing seen in this
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light makes them feel infinitely deformed, infinitely vile.
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And that felt ugliness vastly outweighs any beauty they might
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perceive in their best moments or highest graces.
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So growing in grace brings a sharper, more painful awareness
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of ongoing sinfulness. See not just as mistakes, but as
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offenses against infinite beauty.
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Right. A deep sense of personal
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deformity, even amidst growth. And related to this increasing
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light is another mark knowledge. The more spiritual knowledge
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they gain, the more aware they become of their own ignorance.
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Again, that sounds backwards, and more knowledge make you
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feel, well, more knowledgeable. Maybe in worldly things, but
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spiritual light reveals an infinite ocean of truth about
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God. The more they see, the more they
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realize the immensity of what they don't know.
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Their knowledge just pushes the horizon back, showing them how
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vast their ignorance still is compared to the infinite reality
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of God. OK, what about their view of
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their own humility? If they have this evangelical
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humiliation, surely they recognize it.
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This is maybe the most striking point.
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The sources say an eminent St. Someone genuinely very humble is
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not likely to think of themselves as eminent in
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anything, but especially not in humility.
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Their humility is described as being out of his sight.
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Like they don't see it at all. Almost.
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It's not completely invisible, perhaps, but they're so much
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more aware of their lack of humility, the pride they still
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detect in their hearts, that any actual humility they possess is
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barely noticeable to them. The texts say they are 1000
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times quicker to spot their own pride than their humility.
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You see the pride easily, but the humility hardly at all.
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Yes, they never think their humility is great because they
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see the infinite reason they should be humbled.
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God's glory, their sin. So even when they feel most
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humble, they don't feel like they've arrived at true
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humility. They feel they're still far too
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high and they genuinely long to get lower, to be more based
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before God. And that gap between where they
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feel they are and where they see they should be infinitely low.
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That's what they perceive as their pride.
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Exactly because the proper place is so incredibly low in the
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presence of infinite glory, any perceived elevation above that
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feels like pride to them. They're far more likely to
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criticize their own pride than anyone else.
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'S this constant awareness of pride, even while being humble,
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leads to this ongoing sense of what do the sources call it,
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present vileness? Yes, even when they're
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experiencing the heights of grace, strong faith, deep love,
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spiritual joy, they simultaneously have the sharpest
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conviction of their own inner deformity and a basing sense of
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their present vileness and unworthiness.
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And it's precisely in those moments of high spiritual
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exercise that they are most inclined to put themselves in
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the lowest place among others. That really sounds like being
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poor in spirit, doesn't it? It absolutely is.
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They feel poor in spirit. The sources use the image of a
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poor person to describe their behavior.
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They tend to be yielding, patient, OK with being
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overlooked or despised, ready to honor others, especially
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superiors. They take correction quietly,
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even. Thankfully they're easily
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taught, not pushing their own opinions strongly in spiritual
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matters. And this sense of neediness
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continues. Yes, even after years of walking
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with God, they remain like a poor beggar at God's gates,
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exceeding empty and needy. They know every bit of grace,
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every good impulse, every spiritual breath is a pure gift.
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Nothing earned total dependence. That picture of the lifelong
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beggar is powerful. It drives home the lack of
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self-reliance and true humility. It makes me think of Moses
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coming down from the mountain. His face was shining, but he had
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no idea. That's a perfect illustration.
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Oblivious to his own spiritual radiance because his focus was
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elsewhere on God, and likely on his own inadequacy for the task
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ahead. Deep awareness of shortcomings,
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not attainments. OK, so that gives us a really
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rich picture of genuine evangelical humility.
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Now we have to look at the flip side, the counterfeit.
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But the source is called the Serpent of spiritual pride.
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They described it as subtle, deeply rooted.
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Yes, and dangerous because it often masquerades as great
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humility. It's described as a kind of
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legal spirit still operating in fallen human nature, even within
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religious people. What do they mean by legal
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spirit there? It means that deep down, the
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person isn't truly emptied of self, not relying solely on
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Christ. They are, perhaps subtly,
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perhaps obviously, leaning on something in themselves as the
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basis for their acceptance with God, or their spiritual standing
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or their sense of worth. Like what?
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What kind of things? It could be anything, really.
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Their own efforts at righteousness, their morality,
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their perceived holiness, how intense their religious feelings
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are, how dramatic their experiences have been, how
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strong they think their faith is.
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Or even, and this is the really tricky one, how humble they
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think they are. So they're basically building a
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kind of self righteousness out of spiritual things, even
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potentially good things. That's the idea.
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They're making a currency, a ground for confidence out of
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something they possess or have done or felt, and the sources
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give to what they call infallible signs of the
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spiritual pride. Almost dead giveaways.
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The first one is thinking highly of their own attainments,
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especially compared to others. Right, the complete opposite of
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the truly humble person who thinks others are better and
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their own growth is small. Exactly.
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With spiritual pride, there's this underlying, perhaps secret
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conviction that they are an eminent St. that they've had
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distinguishingly good and great experiences.
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The internal monologue, even if unspoken, is like the Pharisee
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in the temple. God, I thank you.
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I'm not like other people, especially not like that person
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in. A sense.
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It's spiritual superiority. Yes, and you often see it leak
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out. They might be quick to take the
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lead, the high seat in religious settings, acting like they are
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the authority, the expert, expecting others to defer to
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their judgement because of their perceived spiritual status.
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They want their experiences to be seen as special, maybe even
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definitive. Right.
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They might talk a lot about their spiritual experiences,
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framing them as very great or extraordinary.
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Often even while giving verbal credit to God, the underlying
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aim seems to be getting admiration for their own
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spiritual depth. This eagerness to think highly
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of their own holiness or experiences is called a sure
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sign of pride and vanity. It's being wise in ones own eyes
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spiritually, the very thing true spiritual light counteracts by
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revealing ignorance. OK, that's sign #1 thinking
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highly of their attainments compared to others.
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What's the second infallible sign?
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The second is thinking highly of their own humility.
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OK, that's the paradox again. How does that work?
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Being proud of being humble. It's the core deception of
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spiritual pride. This counterfeit humility is by
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its very nature highly conceited about itself.
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Because the experiences might be superficial or misunderstood,
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people can genuinely convince themselves that their humility
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is profound. They actually admire themselves
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for being so humble. They feel incredibly humble and
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they're impressed with themselves for feeling that way.
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Exactly. The sources use phrases like
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they are full as they can hold with the glory of their own
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humility, lifted up to heaven with a high opinion of their own
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abasement. It's self admiration wearing a
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disguise of self abasement. And you mentioned they measure
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this against an inflated view of their own dignity.
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Right. If someone thinks it's a huge
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act of condescension for them, a worthless worm of the dust,
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which is our true state by nature, to admit they're
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unworthy, it shows they secretly have a very high opinion of what
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they think they deserve or who they really are.
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They think they're stooping down from a great height to admit the
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basic truth of their condition. This results in what's called a
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swelling self conceited, confident, showy, noisy,
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assuming humility. It's all performance.
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OK, so spiritual pride can actually manifest as pride in
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humility. That makes sense.
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Now why true humility is out of sight to the person who has it.
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Precisely. The truly humble person isn't
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focused on their humility, They're focused on God's glory
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and their own sin. The spiritually proud person is
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focused on their humility as one of their prize spiritual assets.
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So how does this counterfeit humility, this spiritual pride,
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actually show up outwardly? What does this bungling work, as
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the sources call it, look like in practice?
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Well, there are several tales. One big one is making a great
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show or pretense of humility. Putting on an act.
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Yeah, consciously trying to appear humble.
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This could be in their speech, their behavior, maybe affected
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looks or gestures, a certain tone of voice, even deliberately
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choosing unusually plain or poor clothing like the Pharisees
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disfiguring their faces to make sure everyone knew they were
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fasting. It's about being seen as humble.
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And the sources say it lacks a certain genuineness.
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Right. They call it bungling work.
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It doesn't have that sweet, natural, humble air that comes
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from a genuinely lowly spirit. It often feels strained,
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artificial, put on. Another sign mentioned is
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talking a lot about humility, but without real brokenness.
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Yes, they might frequently declare how humble they are or
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tell stories about times they were deeply humbled.
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They might use really strong language about themselves.
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I'm the least of Saints. I'm just a poor, vile creature.
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My heart is worse than the devil.
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On the surface, those sound like humble things to say.
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They do, but the key is the manner and the underlying
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spirit. Often these strong self
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deprecating phrases are delivered with a kind of light
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air, maybe even a slight smile or what the sources call a
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pharisaical affectation. It doesn't come across as
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genuine brokenness, spiritual mourning or deep conviction.
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Why use such strong words then? The suggestion is that they use
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these extreme terms not because they are currently crushed by a
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sense of their vileness, like the true St. often is, but
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almost as a way to prove how humble they are.
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They expect others to hear these declarations and think, wow,
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this person is incredibly humble.
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Truly an eminent St. So even while saying these self
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abasing things, they have an underlying expectation of being
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admired or seen as spiritually superior.
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That's exactly it. They expect others to look up to
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them as eminent and bright Saints, and the sources warn it
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can be risky to suggest otherwise.
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If you were to imply they were just an ordinary weak Christian,
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they might feel deeply wounded or offended because their
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identity is wrapped up in this image of spiritual prominence.
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And connected to that, there's this blindness to their own
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pride combined with being hyper aware of pride in others.
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A. Classic symptom.
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They can be incredibly blind to the massive beam of pride in
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their own eye, yet astonishingly quick to spot the tiniest speck
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of perceived pride in someone else.
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So they readily criticize others for being proud.
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Oh yes, often very vocal about the pride they see elsewhere,
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and frequently their focus is on external things, criticizing
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someone's clothes, their lifestyle, their doctrinal
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expressions, perhaps, rather than dealing with the deep
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seated pride and filthiness in their own hearts.
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Some might even rail against legal doctrines taught by others
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while their own proud spirit is actually the biggest enemy to
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understanding free grace, because they're still relying on
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their own perceived goodness or humility.
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Their self-righteous system feels threatened by genuine
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grace that says you bring nothing.
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Precisely and interestingly, sometimes the outward show isn't
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even fake meekness. Some spiritually proud people
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can actually come across as haughty, bold, assuming in their
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manner they might have that proud look the Bible condemns,
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completely contradicting the gentleness and modesty of true
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Christianity. The ultimate example given is
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the Pope calling himself Servant of Servants while acting,
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historically at least, as Supreme Ruler.
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Yeah, that example drives it home.
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The title is the lowest possible servant of servants, but the
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spirit can be the highest self exaltation.
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A stark reminder that words and titles don't guarantee the inner
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reality. OK, this contrast is really
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sharp. Now let's just quickly summarize
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the self perception side by side one last time.
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Sure. With true evangelical humility,
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the work of grace, the spiritual light, makes sin look bigger,
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makes your own deformity clearer, and highlights your
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infinite obligation to God. This leads to genuine self
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abasement, seeing yourself as nothing and a joyful dependence
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on God alone. You see yourself fundamentally
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as infinitely unworthy apart from Christ.
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Whereas spiritual pride fundamentally elevates the self,
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it views its own accomplishments or experiences as significant.
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It compares itself favorably to others it minimizes or is blind
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to its own pride, but is an expert at spotting it elsewhere.
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And its confidence, its sense of standing, rests ultimately on
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something within itself, its efforts, its feelings, its
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experiences, even its performance of humility, not
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purely on Christ and God's free grace accepted by faith.
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And that key difference? True spiritual light, uncovers
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corruption. It makes you painfully aware of
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how much more love, humility, thankfulness you should have.
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And that lack becomes a burden, driving you to Christ.
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False light, the kind that puffs up with pride, actually hides
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your pollution from you. That's a critical distinction.
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True humility flows from a broken heart, a contrite spirit.
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Even the joy experienced by a truly humble person is described
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as a kind of broken hearted joy, a joy that doesn't puff up but
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humbles further, making them feel more like a little child,
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more dependent, more meek. OK, this has been incredibly
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insightful. Let's bring it home for you, the
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listener. How can understanding all this
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deep dive into legal versus evangelical humiliation, true
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humility versus spiritual pride? How can this actually help you?
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Well, first and foremost, it gives you some tools, some
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categories for examining your own heart.
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It pushes past just asking am I humble, which is vague.
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It encourages you to ask why you feel or act a certain way.
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Right. Is my sense of unworthiness
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rooted in seeing God's holy beauty and grace leading to a
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willing self abasement? That's evangelical humility.
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Or is it rooted more in fear of punishment, or maybe even a
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subtle pride in how low I can get?
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Is there an undercurrent of relying on my experiences, my
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track record, my perceived insights, or even my performance
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of humility as a basis for my standing?
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That could be spiritual pride. You can use those marks we
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discussed as diagnostic questions for yourself, can't
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you? Definitely ask yourself
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honestly, how do I react when corrected?
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Do I genuinely tend to esteem others better than myself?
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When I learn more about God, does it make me feel bigger or
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does it make me more aware of my ignorance and sin?
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Am I quicker to see fault in myself or in others, especially
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regarding pride, when I share spiritual things?
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What's my deeper motivation, mutual encouragement, or seeking
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a certain kind of regard? These are pointed questions, but
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necessary if we want to avoid self deception.
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And secondly, it gives you some caution, some wisdom in how you
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perceive others. These sources strongly suggest
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that outward appearances, dramatic confessions, very
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humble sounding language, even simple living aren't foolproof
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indicators of true humility. The counterfeit can look very
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convincing. It can.
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True humility is often quieter, less self focused, more
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interested in honoring God and serving others than in
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broadcasting its own lowliness. Look for the fruit, the lack of
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self exaltation, the genuine teachability, the patience under
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trial, the quickness to forgive, the consistent focus on Christ
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rather than self. So it's a call to careful self
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examination and charitable, discerning observation of
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others, always checking things against the patterns laid out
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here, and ultimately against Scripture, a vigilance against
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pride in all its forms. Absolutely.
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And maybe a final thought to leave you with something to Mull
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over from these readings. True humility isn't primarily
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about focusing on how bad your sin is just because it messes
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things up or makes you look bad. It's more profound of that.
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It's a fundamental shift in perspective.
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It's seeing yourself in the light of God's infinite,
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breathtaking holiness and beauty, and simultaneously
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grasping the sheer, overwhelming magnitude of His grace towards
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you in Christ. Seeing yourself against that
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backdrop changes everything. It does, because when you see
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that genuine self abasement stops feeling like a heavy
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burden you have to carry or some kind of morbid self
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flagellation, it becomes, well, a sweet and voluntary yielding.
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It becomes almost a relief, a delight, to fall down at the
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feet of such a glorious and gracious God, acknowledging that
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you are nothing and He is everything, and finding your
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only worth and dignity not in yourself, but in Him.
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It flows from love for His beauty and overwhelming
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gratitude for His grace. A powerful distinction to keep
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reflecting on. Thank you for joining us on this
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deep Dr. exploring these vital differences between true and
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counterfeit humility as presented in these sources.