THE CORRELATION BETWEEN HUMBLENESS AND GRACE (SEEN AS EMPOWERMENT) ILLUSTRATED IN THREE BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

Abstract

‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.’ This is a phrase that appears in Scripture no less than three times, in both New and Old Testament books (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5, and Jacob 4:6). Hermeneutically speaking, this means the concept presented here is not only true in meaning, but also of extreme significance, highlighting one of the main ways God works in the hearts and lives of those who humble themselves and receive His empowering grace. But how does this work in actuality? What does grace mean – beyond the forgiving power of the Cross? And how do we practically apply this principle in our lives on a day to day basis, if we want to access God’s grace and live by it? These are all questions that we will try to answer in this article, by using clear examples from Scripture which reveal the way God is working in our midst when we stop relying on our own strength and dare to truly humble ourselves by admitting before Him our faults, shortcomings and weaknesses, thus setting the ground for our inner transformation.