Everything - and this applies to salvation too - works according to laws. Just as there are natural laws, so there are also spiritual laws.
The most important law when it concerns salvation — from the time that we are just beginners until we are perfected — is the law of humility. This is written exactly the same in 1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6 (ESV): “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Salvation is not only that we have come to Jesus and our sins are forgiven, but also that bit by bit we are saved from all our sinful habits and get more and more of the fruits of the Spirit in our life.
The law of humility
The first part of the law of humility reads: “God gives grace to the humble.” Then there is the opposite: “God opposes the proud.” The proud are those who are puffed up and wise in their own eyes. When you are not humble and still pray for grace, God can’t hear your prayer, for He opposes you.
You can't plant potatoes and harvest strawberries, no matter how badly you want to — it's just not possible. In the same way, it is not possible to receive grace when you are not humble.
The strongest words that we have about humility are the words of Jesus: “… he who humbles himself will be exalted [lifted up].” Luke 14:11. I usually add, “whether he wants to be or not.” God loves such people. Even if they prayed not to be exalted, they would be exalted anyway. That's how certain this law is.
When you humble yourself, then foolish people will think you are foolish and wise people will think you are wise, but it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks; you will still be exalted. In other words, to be afraid of humbling yourself, to be scared when you think you have to do that, to feel that it is the worst thing that you can imagine, is spiritually speaking, completely ridiculous.
First-class and second-class humility
To defend and excuse yourself is very foolish; it is to reject salvation. We should always seek the best; we should seek what is “first-class”, and that is to judge ourselves and humble ourselves of our own will. This is the greatest, most glorious, most rewarding and best thing that we can do in each situation, every moment of our lives.
That is what you should love to do and use every opportunity to do it. To humble yourself means you do it of your own will and not just because other people think that you should do it. This alone is first-class. But God is so gracious and merciful, and therefore it can also go well even when it is second-class.
Second-class in this connection is to be humbled. This is something that God Himself undertakes. It isn't always that a person can be saved this way, but there is a possibility. However, there is a condition for being saved when you are going second-class, and that is that you have to completely admit and accept the humbling or humiliation, not just with your mouth, but with your heart. Then you also will be exalted.
There are many people who sin against others in daily life and don't admit anything — they never ask for forgiveness; they don't even say sorry. For such people it is just natural to defend themselves as hard as they can. They use everything that they can find to defend themselves. When you do that, you are working against your own salvation.
Judge yourself
The only way to be saved is by admitting how things are with you. There's absolutely no other way. You have to humble yourself; you have to admit how it is with you; you have to judge yourself and not judge anyone else.
We have a deadly serious word about this in 1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (ESV), “But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
It's very simple. If you judge yourself, you won't be judged. There won't be any reason for it then. But if we have not done it, God is so gracious that He judges us in order to give us another chance. And if we don't accept this judgment, this humbling, then we will be condemned together with the world.
You can't humble yourself too much
So the big question again is if you will accept this judgment. If you don't, you will be condemned along with the world! You can read all you like, but that's what it says. There is no such thing as humbling yourself too much; but there is a lot of not humbling yourself enough. No one has ever humbled himself too much.
When things with people aren't as they should be, the solution is always the same: The problem comes from a great lack of the fear of God. People don't take God's Word deadly serious, but it is deadly serious.
I wish you all the greatest success and best wishes for a glorious future and a thorough salvation! It is only God who can give grace for that. He likes to give grace for that. That's what He wants for each and every one, more than anything.
