What is Biblical Humility & what is spiritual arrogance?

[evangelist6589]

What does it mean to be truly humble and what does it mean to be prideful, and "holier than thou.?" In my POV being humble means that one is CONVICTED on their beliefs, but humble on secondary matters of doctrine and they realize they may be wrong in secondary issues. For example I do not necessarily agree with Armianism, however I do read books by non Reformed authors such as David Jeremiah, Erwin Lutzer, and others. I also tune into their podcasts, as I desire to be humble and learn the Bible, and in return the HS has taught me things I never could have learned otherwise.

However on the streets I have been accused of being "holier than thou" because I am CONVICTED on John 14:6 and Jesus being the only way and I have used the 10 Commandments to show people their sin. I have told a multitude this over the years and in grace have tried to show people they are guilty of sin and headed to eternal punishment and separation from God. In return I got a accusation of being prideful and "holier than thou."

Or once at a job a few years back I kept my distance from the sinful music and conversations of several employees and some said I thought I was better than everyone and "holier than thou." However I simply could not stand the cuss-words, and ungodliness of their music and conversations.

In my opinion one whom is prideful thinks they know everything and debates and divides over secondary matters of doctrine. They call others whom do not agree not saved, and such. I believe in my ignorance I have stepped into that category at times of which I apologize.

So what about you what do you say?

 

[padredurand]

What does it mean to be truly humble and what does it mean to be prideful, and "holier than thou.?" In my POV being humble means that one is CONVICTED on their beliefs, but humble on secondary matters of doctrine and they realize they may be wrong in secondary issues. For example I do not necessarily agree with Armianism, however I do read books by non Reformed authors such as David Jeremiah, Erwin Lutzer, and others. I also tune into their podcasts, as I desire to be humble and learn the Bible, and in return the HS has taught me things I never could have learned otherwise.

However on the streets I have been accused of being "holier than thou" because I am CONVICTED on John 14:6 and Jesus being the only way and I have used the 10 Commandments to show people their sin. I have told a multitude this over the years and in grace have tried to show people they are guilty of sin and headed to eternal punishment and separation from God. In return I got a accusation of being prideful and "holier than thou."

Or once at a job a few years back I kept my distance from the sinful music and conversations of several employees and some said I thought I was better than everyone and "holier than thou." However I simply could not stand the cuss-words, and ungodliness of their music and conversations.

In my opinion one whom is prideful thinks they know everything and debates and divides over secondary matters of doctrine. They call others whom do not agree not saved, and such. I believe in my ignorance I have stepped into that category at times of which I apologize.

So what about you what do you say?

You use the personal pronoun I or my 20 times in a post about how humble you are. I hope you get a dictionary for Christmas.

 

[Revmitchell]

Primary or secondary has absolutely nothing to do with whether one is prideful. I don't even know how one comes to that conclusion.

 

[preacher4truth]

What does it mean to be truly humble and what does it mean to be prideful, and "holier than thou.?" In my POV being humble means that one is CONVICTED on their beliefs, but humble on secondary matters of doctrine and they realize they may be wrong in secondary issues. For example I do not necessarily agree with Armianism, however I do read books by non Reformed authors such as David Jeremiah, Erwin Lutzer, and others. I also tune into their podcasts, as I desire to be humble and learn the Bible, and in return the HS has taught me things I never could have learned otherwise.

Humility. The quality you lose as soon as you declare you have it.

However on the streets I have been accused of being "holier than thou" because I am CONVICTED on John 14:6 and Jesus being the only way and I have used the 10 Commandments to show people their sin. I have told a multitude this over the years and in grace have tried to show people they are guilty of sin and headed to eternal punishment and separation from God. In return I got a accusation of being prideful and "holier than thou."

And what else would you expect?

Or once at a job a few years back I kept my distance from the sinful music and conversations of several employees and some said I thought I was better than everyone and "holier than thou." However I simply could not stand the cuss-words, and ungodliness of their music and conversations.

So what you are teaching others is they need to behave like believers when they are lost. My advice to you is you need to grow in grace, 2 Peter 3:18 and stop expecting the lost to act like they have Christian convictions. You offend and turn a lot of people off doing the above. I see no humility whatsoever in the above behavior.

In my opinion one whom is prideful thinks they know everything and debates and divides over secondary matters of doctrine.

They call others whom do not agree not saved, and such. I believe in my ignorance I have stepped into that category at times of which I apologize.

So what about you what do you say?

But you've written another thread that did exactly what you are rebuking here, calling salvation into question. Humility? Really? Maybe it starts with humiliation for some so they'll 'get it'.

 

[padredurand]

“True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue.”
― Martin Luther

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

“One cannot be humble and aware of oneself at the same time.”
― Madeleine L'Engle

“The humble person is open to being corrected, whereas the arrogant is clearly closed to it. Proud people are supremely confident in their own opinions and insights. No one can admonish them successfully: not a peer, not a local superior, not even the pope himself. They know - and that is the end of the matter. Filled as they are with their own views, the arrogant lack the capacity to see another view.”
― Thomas Dubay

 

[evangelist6589]

Humility. The quality you lose as soon as you declare you have it.



And what else would you expect?



So what you are teaching others is they need to behave like believers when they are lost. My advice to you is you need to grow in grace, 2 Peter 3:18 and stop expecting the lost to act like they have Christian convictions. You offend and turn a lot of people off doing the above. I see no humility whatsoever in the above behavior.



But you've written another thread that did exactly what you are rebuking here, calling salvation into question. Humility? Really? Maybe it starts with humiliation for some so they'll 'get it'.

So you would tolerate music that used God's name in vain, talked about killing people, and had satanic messages? I did plenty of listening to Michael Jackson, and various artists that were not like this. But some music that they played was downright disturbing and satanic of which I said I WOULD NOT listen too in the same work area or I would report to management.

I myself have various worldly artists that I will listen too for they are not inappropriate. For example as I type this post I am listening to a tune by Buddy Holly & The Crickets, & next a tune by the artist Chicago called If you Leave me Now.

 

[Scarlett O.]

It's pretty simple.

Spiritual arrogance is when one places the emphasis of his/her ministry on his/her skills, intellect, knowledge, opinions, POV, and everything of the flesh.

No one will ever admit that he/she does that, but it happens ad nausem, all the time among Christians and Christian ministries. The easiest place to find it is on Christian message boards.

The conversation is always about self and how successful/unsuccessful self has been and why or why not.

Spiritual humility is having the mind of Christ and all that this entails in Philippians 2. Also, it's having the internal viewpoint of one's self like Paul did. Paul had a ministry that one can only be in awe of - yet he called himself the "least of the apostles", "the chief of sinners", and all that he could have possibly thrown in other people's faces all the time - his being a Pharisee, his zeal for the law, being blameless, being circumcised, being a Hebrew of Hebrews ...

...that was never Paul's topic of conversation or his focus. He said that all of those things were counted as loss to him ..... in fact, counted as filth.

 

[preacher4truth]

So you would tolerate music that used God's name in vain, talked about killing people, and had satanic messages?

Yes, I can tolerate it. The Holy Spirit is the one who convinces persons, not me. BE wise in the midst of darkness. You've got to learn that the lost are not going to act like real Christians. That's your job in their midst. These aren't Pharisees in the temple selling and making money, nor is it your job to overturn tables.

I did plenty of listening to Michael Jackson, and various artists that were not like this. But some music that they played was downright disturbing and satanic of which I said I WOULD NOT listen too in the same work area or I would report to management.

That's up to you. How receptive are they to you now? In your last post that I responded to you act as if the lost are to have Christian convictions. They're not. Let's say you got them to practice those things just like professing believers do who are not saved, what have you gained?

I myself have various worldly artists that I will listen too for they are not inappropriate. For example as I type this post I am listening to a tune by Buddy Holly & The Crickets, & next a tune by the artist Chicago called If you Leave me Now.

But this has nothing to do with what the lost will listen to. The world is not your home, stop trying to make the world cozy for you, these people are lost.

 

[evangelist6589]

Yes, I can tolerate it. The Holy Spirit is the one who convinces persons, not me. BE wise in the midst of darkness. You've got to learn that the lost are not going to act like real Christians. That's your job in their midst. These aren't Pharisees in the temple selling and making money, nor is it your job to overturn tables.



That's up to you. How receptive are they to you now? In your last post that I responded to you act as if the lost are to have Christian convictions. They're not. Let's say you got them to practice those things just like professing believers do who are not saved, what have you gained?



But this has nothing to do with what the lost will listen to. The world is not your home, stop trying to make the world cozy for you, these people are lost.

My ears just could not tolerate the constant cussing and use of the Lords name in vain for the tunes would impact me and play over and over in my head. I do not agree with you, for many years ago I used to play over and over again such garbage. Its been 20 years since I played that cassette tape, but guess what? Those lyrics still pop in my mind even today. The garbage I had put in my mind in the early 90's when I was a teenager has impacted me today.

 

[evangelist6589]

It's pretty simple.

Spiritual arrogance is when one places the emphasis of his/her ministry on his/her skills, intellect, knowledge, opinions, POV, and everything of the flesh.

No one will ever admit that he/she does that, but it happens ad nausem, all the time among Christians and Christian ministries. The easiest place to find it is on Christian message boards.

The conversation is always about self and how successful/unsuccessful self has been and why or why not.

Spiritual humility is having the mind of Christ and all that this entails in Philippians 2. Also, it's having the internal viewpoint of one's self like Paul did. Paul had a ministry that one can only be in awe of - yet he called himself the "least of the apostles", "the chief of sinners", and all that he could have possibly thrown in other people's faces all the time - his being a Pharisee, his zeal for the law, being blameless, being circumcised, being a Hebrew of Hebrews ...

...that was never Paul's topic of conversation or his focus. He said that all of those things were counted as loss to him ..... in fact, counted as filth.

Hank Hanagraaf comes to mind and a reason why I stopped listening to him. The level of arrogance and boasting about himself and CRI was just too obvious.

 

[TadQueasy]

You use the personal pronoun I or my 20 times in a post about how humble you are. I hope you get a dictionary for Christmas.

Exactly. Yet this will be ignored here. Same story from mr. evangelist. He desperately wants attention thus he continually creates threads around here to remind us all of all he does. Any time this is pointed out he ignores it. He is doing a fine job of giving illustrations of spiritual arrogance and the lack of humility.

 

[evangelist6589]

Exactly. Yet this will be ignored here. Same story from mr. evangelist. He desperately wants attention thus he continually creates threads around here to remind us all of all he does. Any time this is pointed out he ignores it. He is doing a fine job of giving illustrations of spiritual arrogance and the lack of humility.

I value the word of God and I value theological discussion. I seek to talk and debate to learn the word and refine myself. This may bore you, but it does not me.

 

[TadQueasy]

I value the word of God and I value theological discussion. I seek to talk and debate to learn the word and refine myself. This may bore you, but it does not me.

several more times.

 

[padredurand]

several more times.

You missed myself. :thumbs:

 

[evangelist6589]

several more times.

Am glad to have an english teacher on this board to correct me. Thanks!

 

[Winman]

Am glad to have an english teacher on this board to correct me. Thanks!

John, he's not correcting your grammar, he's showing how you ALWAYS talk about yourself. You are self-centered to a fault.

 

[evangelist6589]

John, he's not correcting your grammar, he's showing how you ALWAYS talk about yourself. You are self-centered to a fault.

I am gonna read my Paul Washer book in a few mins. The Gospel Call and True Conversion. The book is not about me, but about the gospel. Its been a good read thus far.

 

[Winman]

I am gonna read my Paul Washer book in a few mins. The Gospel Call and True Conversion. The book is not about me, but about the gospel. Its been a good read thus far.

And what was the first word in this statement?

 

[preacher4truth]

I am gonna read my Paul Washer book in a few mins. The Gospel Call and True Conversion. The book is not about me, but about the gospel. Its been a good read thus far.

John, that is an excellent book. FWIW and FTR I don't see your intent in this OP as self serving.

 

[agedman]

John, that is an excellent book. FWIW and FTR I don't see your intent in this OP as self serving.

I agree, though in some threads evangelist6589 seemed to ring that bell.

Humility isn't a coat to cover the heart full of pride.

It is a state of being. What a person is because that is who they are.

One cannot self impose humility, but can take steps to shun pride and look for ways to place themselves in servitude.

One cannot assume humility is a quality that can be learned as one learns to cook or do math.

Humility is shown - it is demonstrated by doing. For instance when one does for others without that person knowing and also assuming that no one else will notice.

Do not be afraid to loose what you hold, for as a believer it isn't yours to begin with, but a tool loaned to God's service.

Do not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but also do not be embarrassed when held to rebuke and shame. The believer is a tool of Christ, and He should enjoy using us as He desires.

Humility will allow for those who heap ridicule and even pile unwarranted blame upon them. Humility has the desire for the betterment of others over the comfort of their own self.

Again, humility isn't an acquired skill, but a life lived.