The True Test Of Humility
Introduction
There is a kind of humility that God sees in our lives. It is not simply about appearing humble before people, because there is also a false humility that can look humble on the outside while actually being driven by pride. Colossians 2:18 warns us about “false humility,” showing us the importance of discerning the humility that God is looking for in us. This humility is produced by the Spirit of Christ and is part of the transformation that takes place through the Gospel of water and the Spirit.
As children of God, we are still human. We make mistakes, we are weak, and we are still living in this body. Although we have been born again and are living the new creation life, the flesh is still present. This means we need a constant awareness and conscious desire to walk in the Spirit, to please God and honour Him with our lives. When we walk in the flesh, we can even mistake what is produced by the flesh for true humility.
This is why false humility can be so subtle. It may appear through modesty, devotion or the way we present ourselves, while the underlying motive is still pride, self-righteousness or the desire for approval from others. We need to examine our motives, our intentions and the reasons behind our actions. Hebrews 3:13 warns us about the deceitfulness of sin, while Hebrews 5:13–14 teaches us to grow in the Word of righteousness so that we can become mature and learn to distinguish what is truly good from what is evil.
Jesus Christ gives us the ultimate example of the humility that God sees. Yet, interestingly, John 5:18 shows that the Jews sought to kill Jesus because they considered His words and actions arrogant, even though He was the most humble and meek. Jesus stood uncompromisingly on the truth of who He was and His relationship with the Father. In the same way, humility before God does not mean compromising His truth simply to gain the acceptance or approval of people.
Humility is shown through Jesus’ baptism, death and resurrection. Jesus humbled Himself, came in the form of a man and gave His life as a ransom so that we could be raised with Him into newness of life. As the Spirit of Christ dwells within us, this same humility should become evident in our lives. We can therefore examine ourselves through four traits which are: a humble heart gives God the glory, recognises God’s gift, acknowledges God’s providence, and serves others.
Humility Acknowledges Lacking
Humility acknowledges that there are areas in our lives where we are still lacking. Acts 18:25 describes Apollos as a man who had been instructed in the way of the Lord, was fervent in the Spirit and spoke accurately about the things of the Lord. Yet, despite all that he knew, he only knew the baptism of John. There was still a deficiency in his understanding, and humility began with his willingness to recognise that.
The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance. Mark 1:4 tells us that John appeared preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Repentance is crucial, but Acts 2:38 also shows us that there is more that needs to be understood concerning baptism in the name of Jesus, the remission of sins and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. Apollos had understood the baptism of repentance, but he lacked the understanding of being baptised into Jesus.
This meant that there was a significant deficiency in Apollos’ faith, and God sent Aquila and Priscilla to enlighten him. What is remarkable is that Apollos did not allow his knowledge, status or influence to prevent him from receiving what he lacked. He could have questioned their authority or defended what he already knew, but instead he allowed himself to be taught. That was a clear demonstration of humility.
Apollos had every reason to become proud. He was an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit and influential enough that people followed him. Yet he was humble enough to acknowledge that his understanding was incomplete. This is where humility is truly tested—not when we know very little, but when we have gained knowledge, experience and respect and are still willing to admit that there are things we do not fully understand.
We need to ask ourselves the same question. We may have spent many years in church, gained knowledge and experience, and served in ministry for a long time. But will we still be humble enough to acknowledge when we are lacking? Apollos had everything that could have caused him to hold on to his pride, yet he chose to humble himself and receive what he was missing. That is the true test of humility.
Humility Receives Correction
The true test of humility is not simply whether we are able to teach, but whether we are willing to be taught. Acts 18:26 shows that when Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos speaking, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. Apollos already had knowledge, experience and influence, yet he remained willing to receive what he was missing. His humility was shown not merely by what he knew, but by his willingness to be corrected.
Sometimes we only want to learn from people who are more influential, more knowledgeable or more respected than us. But Aquila and Priscilla were not as influential as Apollos, yet he was still willing to be discipled by them. Humility does not depend on the position or reputation of the person correcting us. What matters is whether what is being taught is grounded in God’s Word. Aquila and Priscilla did not simply give Apollos their personal opinions; they explained the way of God more accurately from the Scriptures.
This is an important distinction. Humility does not mean accepting everything that people say. True humility means submitting to the authority of God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. God’s correction is therefore not meant to embarrass us or pull us down. Verse 17 shows that the purpose is to make the servant of God complete, proficient and thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Pride sees correction as condemnation or embarrassment, but humility sees correction as an opportunity for growth. Proverbs 9:8–9 tells us that a wise person will receive rebuke and become wiser, and that instruction will increase his learning. When we are truly walking in the wisdom of Christ, we should be willing to receive instruction because God can use correction to make us more equipped and more effective in serving Him.
God can also place people in our lives whom we least expect to correct us—someone younger, less knowledgeable or less influential than us. The question is not simply who is correcting us, but whether we are humble enough to receive what God is trying to teach us through them. Like Apollos, we must be willing to humble ourselves to be corrected. When we walk in the spirit of Christ’s humility, we can allow God to speak to us through the people He places in our lives, and that correction can lead us into more effective ministry.
Humility Strengthens Ministry
As Apollos humbled himself to receive correction, his ministry became stronger. Acts 18:27–28 tells us that when he went to Achaia, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace and vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. His correction did not diminish his giftings or make him less effective. Instead, it gave him a more accurate understanding of the Gospel and made his ministry more useful to the kingdom of God.
Humility also leaves no room for selfish ambition because we recognise that we have died and Christ now lives in us. Galatians 2:20 reminds us that we have been crucified with Christ and that the life we now live is by faith in Him. Pride focuses on what we want, but humility asks what God wants. In ministry, this is important because what we want may not always be what God wants. We therefore need to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand and be willing to do what His Word instructs, even when it goes against our own preferences.
This humility also teaches us to value others above ourselves. Philippians 2:3b–4 tells us to value others above ourselves and not look only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. This does not mean thinking that we are worthless. We are valuable because Christ paid for us with His blood. Rather, humility means that we do not make ourselves the centre of everything. As John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Jesus Christ is our perfect example of this humility. Philippians 2:5–7 shows us that although He was in the very nature of God, He did not use His position for His own advantage, but made Himself nothing and took the nature of a servant. He valued our salvation more than His own comfort and status and was willing to humble Himself and become obedient to the point of death. Humility is therefore closely connected to obedience because it means choosing God’s will over our own.
This is why Mark 10:45 says that even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Humility produces a servant’s attitude, and that is what makes ministry effective. Apollos became a great help to others because he accepted correction, submitted to the authority of God’s Word, gave no room for selfish ambition and valued souls more than himself. The question for us is whether we are willing to do the same—to acknowledge our lacking, receive correction, put others above ourselves and serve God according to His will.
Living It Out
The true test of humility is not simply how much we know or how long we have served, but whether we are willing to acknowledge when we are lacking, receive correction and submit ourselves to the authority of God’s Word. Apollos had knowledge, experience and influence, yet he remained humble enough to be taught. We can ask ourselves the same questions: Will we acknowledge when we are lacking? Will we receive correction even when it comes from someone we did not expect? And will we humble ourselves to accept what God is teaching us?
Humility must also be seen in the way we serve. When we recognise that it is Christ who lives in us, we no longer make ministry about our own interests or ambitions. Instead, we value others, put their interests before our own and serve them according to God’s will. Jesus is our perfect example, because He did not come to be served but to serve. As we grow in humility, may we become servants who are willing to be corrected, willing to acknowledge our shortcomings, and willing to put others before ourselves so that our ministry can become more effective for God.
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