Summary of passage: Don’t be high and mighty and prideful. Remember it is only in God’s grace that we are saved.
Questions:
3) The grace given him by God. So his audience knows he speaks with authority and his words are from God, not himself. Hence, we should take him seriously.
4) “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” We become prideful. Think all we accomplish is because of how great we are when it’s because of how great God is.
5) Being humble is a work in progress. Small steps count. Don’t judge yourself too harshly as you work to overcome human nature. Same with others. They are a work in progress as well and are at different places in their walk with God. Grant others grace as they work towards overcoming pride. Forgive them. Encourage them in their walk as you yourself need encouragement as well.
6) Part personal Question. My answer: So you don’t think you’re better than others when we’re all the same. Always approach others with grace and forgiveness. Like Jesus would do. Be slow to anger and slow to react and quick to forgive and quick to encourage.
Conclusions: Good emphasis on relating to others. It’s so hard to approach others as Jesus would without man’s human nature of judging to interfere. Small steps will get you there! Same with seeing ourselves as we truly are not as some fluffed up image we carry in our mind.
End Notes: Paul will soon speak in Verse 4 about how we should exercise spiritual gifts in the body of Christ, but a warning about humility is in order, given the inordinate pride that often arises from those who regard themselves as spiritually gifted. Just being spiritually gifted does not equate to spiritual maturity.
Paul urges us to see the truth of ourselves and live in the light of it. If we do, it will be impossible to live a prideful life. We should see ourselves in light of God’s gift of saving faith with no basis for ourselves being superior.