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    The Blessing of Humility
    The Blessing of Humility
    The Blessing of Humility
    Ebook127 pages2 hours

    The Blessing of Humility

    By Jerry Bridges

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    From the bestselling author of The Pursuit of Holiness

    We all admire humility when we see it. But how do we actively practice it?
    Esteemed and established author Jerry Bridges takes a deeper look into the Beatitudes to find a pattern for humility in action. He thoroughly explains what humility is, what the Bible says about it, and the different ways we can exhibit humility in a fallen world. A must-read for Christians in every stage of their journey with Jesus, The Blessing of Humility draws connections between Christ’s teachings, and shows readers how to put humility into daily action. You will glean convicting and lifechanging insights about:
    • Mourning over personal sin
    • Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
    • Showing meekness
    • Demonstrating mercy
    • And more
    Now with an added study guide for personal use or group discussion so you can dive deeper into this staple of Jerry Bridgess classic collection.

    “The writings of Jerry Bridges are a gift to the church. He addresses a relevant topic with the wisdom of a scholar and the heart of a servant.” —Max Lucado, pastor and bestselling author

    “The Blessing of Humility gives us Jerry Bridges at his best.” —Eugene Peterson, bestselling author

    “This is not just a message on humility. It breathes of a person who is humbly living out the message that he has put to pen.” —Tom Hughes, author and lead pastor of Christian Assembly, Los Angeles

    “Throughout this wonderful book, Jerry Bridges shows us the grace found when we walk humbly with Christ and the joy that comes from resting in his finished work on the cross.” —C. J. Mahaney, author and pastor
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTyndale House Publishers
    Release dateJun 1, 2016
    ISBN9781631466243
    The Blessing of Humility
    Author

    Jerry Bridges

     Jerry Bridges (1929–2016) served for over sixty years on the staff of the Navigators. He authored fifteen books and five devotionals, including The Pursuit of Holiness, which has sold over a million copies.  

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    Reviews for The Blessing of Humility

    4.5/5

    22 ratings3 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I only discovered Jerry Bridges relatively recently whilst working as a missionary in the Philippines. Since then I have read many of his books and found some of them invaluable. I was sad to learn that the author died last year, but his legacy will surely live on.

      The Blessing of Humility follows Bridges' usual style--simple Gospel truths highlighting the practical application. He works through the Beatitudes demonstrating that humility is found in those who faithfully exercise them. Bridges states that they are Jesus' pattern for humility in action. He points out that a humble person will naturally be counter-cultural because society instead values self-esteem and elevation of the individual. He explains true humility in the light of Scripture.

      Bridges concludes that the truly humble person

      -is poor in spirit
      -mourns over his or her sin
      -is meek towards God and other people
      -hungers and thirsts for righteousness
      -is merciful towards other people
      -is pure in heart
      -is a peacemaker
      -considers himself or herself blessed when persecuted or reviled for righteousness' sake

      He reminds us that none of us will ever perfectly live out these values. That is why we need the Gospel every day. He suggests practical ways that a person can grow in humility mainly through their study of different Scriptures, dealing properly with sin in their lives and through prayer.

      I have yet to find a Bridges book that I didn't enjoy and get something from. I recommend this short book.

    • 5/5
      I found this to be a wonderful book on humility.
    • 5/5
      Jerry Bridges believes the essential New Testament passage on humility is the Beattitude portion of the Sermon on the Mount. This brief work offers his insight into that masterful sermon of Jesus and how it can lead to a greater personal humility. In my opinion, the strongest chapters were the chapter on being poor in spirit, the chapter of mourning over our sinfulness, and the chapter on meekness. Everything else in this book builds upon and flows from Bridges arguments in these three chapters.Read this book! Jerry Bridges has been a blessing to the modern church through his writings and his work with the Navigators. The Blessing of Humility is his last authored book. I love that this accomplished man spent his last days writing about humility. What a testimony! It is definitely worth your time!

    Book preview

    The Blessing of Humility - Jerry Bridges

    CHAPTER ONE

    PRECEPTS AND PROMISES

    I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

    EPHESIANS 4:1-2

    I still vividly remember a statement I heard at a Bible study in January 1952. It literally changed my life. The essence of the statement was, The Bible is meant to be applied in your everyday life. As obvious as that is to me today, it was a brand-new thought that night. I had grown up in church and had never strayed beyond its moral boundaries, but as far as I can remember, the application of Scripture to one’s daily life had never been taught in our church.

    But that night, upon hearing that statement, it was as if someone had turned on a light in my mind. I was a young officer in the navy at that time, so on my way back to my ship, I prayed, God, starting tonight, would you help me to apply the Bible to my everyday life?

    Everyday life is the crucial part of that life-changing statement. In Ephesians 4:1, Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. In that context walk means to live out one’s ordinary daily life, whether it’s working at your job, doing the laundry, grocery shopping, or a myriad of other things we do in the course of an ordinary day.

    As Paul expands on the meaning of a worthy walk, the first thing he mentions is humility. Think of what that means: As I drive down the street, as I interact with my spouse or my children, or with my coworkers at a job, or with the clerk at the grocery store, I am to do all of it with humility.

    In the Greco-Roman world of Paul’s day, humility was a despised trait. They viewed it as a sign of weakness. And our culture today is no different from that world of two thousand years ago. Maybe it’s a little different in our Christian circles. We may even admire humility in someone else, but we have little desire to practice it ourselves.

    But when Paul wrote, walk . . . with all humility, he was not just speaking for himself; rather he was speaking as God’s spokesman. The Bible is not an ordinary book reflecting the thoughts of the various writers. Rather, as Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture is breathed out by God. Peter helps us understand what that means when he wrote in 2 Peter 1:21, Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. To be carried along means that the writers of Scripture were so guided by the Holy Spirit that they wrote exactly what He wanted them to write. That is why we frequently read in the Bible an expression such as the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David (Acts 1:16). God breathed out His words through David (or other writers). So we can confidently say, What the Bible says, God says, even though He says it through the mouth or pen of human beings.

    The issue here is one of authority, and one meaning of authority is the right to command. Paul does not have the right to command us to walk in humility, but God does. And though, speaking to his friends (and to us today), Paul uses a softer word (urge), he is still conveying the idea that a life of humility is not an option for a believer to choose or reject. It is a command of God.

    This is a crucial point, because in our frenetic world of today, such softer character traits as humility, gentleness, and patience often get ignored or even regarded as unreal expectations in the hustle and bustle of life. But if we want to apply the Bible’s teaching to our daily lives, we cannot ignore the call to live our ordinary lives in a spirit of humility.

    Ephesians 4:1-2 is not the only Scripture in which Paul urges us to practice humility. In Philippians 2:3 he writes, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. And again in Colossians 3:12, he tells us to "put on . . . humility. Peter adds his voice in 1 Peter 5:5: Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another." These are not offhand statements made in passing. They are all the very words of God and carry with them the implied authority of God to command us to pursue humility in our everyday lives.

    In addition to Paul and Peter, Jesus frequently addressed the subject of humility. Though He seldom used the word, the concept is scattered throughout His teaching. In fact the character traits in the Beatitudes, which constitute the major portion of this book, are all expressions of what I call humility in action.

    One of my favorite teachings of Jesus on humility is Luke 14:7-11, which I learned many years ago. I try (note the emphasis) to practice the principle He taught on appropriate occasions.

    Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be

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