Secret of the Master’s Indwelling (7) ... Christ’s Humility Our Salvation

by Dale Shumaker
Spirit Savvy Network
www.spiritsavvy.net

Finding your mission, Empowering your life through prayer,
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The Secret of the Master's Indwelling is about digging our roots deep into God’s soil that bears fruit abundantly and gives us strength Supernaturally. Andrew Murray shows what we must do and be to become stalwarts of Faith.

Secret of the Master’s Indwelling, Chapter 7, Christ’s Humility Our Salvation:

“He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.“

Consider the humility of Jesus. First of all, that humility is our salvation; then, that humility is just the salvation we need; and again, that humility is the salvation which the Holy Spirit will give us.

Humility is the salvation that Christ brings. If we love Christ above everything, we must love humility above everything, for humility is the very essence of His life and glory, and the salvation He brings.

“I will go down to be a servant, and to die for man; I will go and live as the meek and lowly Lamb of God?” Jesus brought humility from heaven to us. It was humility that brought Him to earth, or He never would have come. In accordance with this, just as Christ became a man in this divine humility, so His whole life was marked by it.”

And then His death—possibly you haven’t thought of it much in this connection—but His death was an exhibition of unparalleled humility. “He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” My Lord Christ took a low place all the time of His walk upon earth.

What is the real Christ?
Divine humility, bowed down into the very depths for our salvation.

The humility of Jesus is our salvation. We read, “He humbled Himself, therefore God hath highly exalted Him.” The secret of His exaltation to the throne is this: He humbled Himself before God and man. Humility is the Christ of God, and now in Heaven, to-day, that Christ, the Man of humility, is on the throne of God.
What do I see? A Lamb standing, as it had been slain, on the throne; in the glory He is still the meek and gentle Lamb of God. His humility is the badge He wears there.  The word “Lamb” must mean to us two things: it must mean not only a sacrifice, the shedding of blood, but it must mean to us the meekness of God, incarnate upon earth, the meekness of God represented in the meekness and gentleness of a little Lamb. But the salvation that Christ brought is not only a salvation that flows out of humility; it also leads to humility.  

What is the cause of all the wretchedness of man?
Primarily pride; man seeking his own will and his own glory. Yes, pride is the root of every sin, and so the Lamb of God comes to us in our pride, and brings us salvation from it. We need above everything to be saved from our pride and our self-will. It is good to be saved from the sins of stealing, murdering, and every other evil; but a man needs above all to be saved from what is the root of all sin, his self-will and his pride.

We know the sad story of Peter and John; what their self-will and pride brought upon them. They needed to be saved from nothing except themselves, and that is the lesson which we must learn, if we are to enter the life of rest. And how can we enter that life, and dwell there in the bosom of the Lamb of God, if pride rules?  The cause of all the division, and strife, and envying, that is often found even among God’s saints?

What is the cause of selfishness and indifference to the feelings of others? Simply this: the pride of man. He lifts himself up, and he claims the right to have his opinions and judgments as he pleases. The salvation we need is indeed humility, because it is only through humility that we can be restored to our right relation to God.

What is the essential idea of a creature made by God? It is this: to be a vessel in which He can pour out His fullness, in which He can exhibit His life, His goodness, His power, and His love. A vessel must be empty if it is to be filled, and if we are to be filled with the life of God we must be utterly empty of self.

Humility has a prominent place in almost every epistle of the New Testament. Paul says: “Walk with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The nearer you get to God, and the fuller of God, the lowlier you will be; and equally before God and man, you will love to bow very low. We know of Peter’s early self-confidence; but in his epistles what a different language he speaks! He wrote there: “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in His own time.” What is it that prevents people from coming to that entire surrender that we speak of? Simply that they dare not abandon themselves, and trust themselves, to God; that they are not willing to be nothing, to give up their wishes, and their will, and their honor to Christ.

What is it that often disturbs our hearts, and our peace? It is pride seeking to be something. And God’s decree is irreversible, “God resists the proud; He gives grace only to the humble.” How often Jesus had to speak to his disciples about it! You will find repeatedly in the Gospel those simple words: “He that humbles Himself shall be exalted; he that exalts himself shall be humbled.” He taught His disciples: “He that would be chiefest among you, let him be the servant of all.” This should be our one cry before God: “Let the power of the Holy Ghost come upon me, with the humility of Jesus, that I may take the place that He took.” Brother, do you want a better place than Jesus had?

Christ went to heaven that He might get a power which He never had before. And what was that? The power of living in men. God be praised for this! It was because Jesus, the humble One, the Lamb of God, the meek, the lowly and gentle One, came down in the Holy Spirit into the hearts of His disciples, that the pride was expelled, and that the very breath of Heaven breathed through Him in the love that made them one heart and one soul.

His having been obedient to death; and amid the glories of His exaltation, which is the chief and brightest glory, He humbled Himself from Heaven down to earth and on earth down to the cross. He humbled Himself to bear the name and show the meekness, and die the death of the Lamb of God. And what is it we now need to do?   We must desire it above everything. Let us learn to pray God to deliver us from every vestige of pride, for this is a cursed thing. Let us learn to set aside for a time other things in the Christian life, and begin to plead with the Lamb of God day by day, “O Lamb of God, I know Thy love, but I know so little of Thy meekness.” Come day after day, and lay your heart against His heart, and say to Him with strong desire: “Jesus, Lamb of God, give, oh, give me Thyself, with Thy meekness and humility.”

Come and take Him today in His blessed meekness and gentleness. Do not be afraid of Him; He is the Lamb of God. He is so patient with you, He is so kindly towards you, He is so tender and loving. Take courage today and trust Jesus to come into your heart and take possession of it. And when He has taken possession, there will be a life day by day of blessed fellowship with Him, and you will feel a necessity ever deeper for your quiet time with Him, and for worshiping and adoring Him, and for just sinking down before Him in helplessness and humility, and saying: “Jesus, I am nothing, and Thou art all.”

O Lamb of God, I believe in Thee; take possession of my heart, and dwell in me.” When you have said that, go out in quiet, and retire, walking gently as holding the Lamb of God in your heart, and say: “I have received the Lamb of God; He makes my heart His care; He breathes His humility and dependence on God in me, and so brings me to God. His humility is my life and salvation.”

The complete chapter on Christ’s Humility Our Salvation:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/murray/indwelling.x.html
The Christian Classics Ethereal Library and many great classic works on Christian Growth, by the best of the Saints of Old who’s works have been passed down through the ages.