Humble Yourself

Humble Yourself
A study from 1 Peter 5 (ESV)

1 Peter 5:1–4 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (ESV)

The first four verses here are directed to “the elders.” It refers to those who are older, and not directly to those in leadership. However, in Jewish life at the time this term was used to denote the heads of patristic families and elders were part of the ruling authority. Peter calls himself an elder, a witness of Christ, and a fellow believer—a partaker in the coming glory. He does not exalt himself. He recognizes his equality in the spirit, but he does recognize that he is in a position of greater experience and authority because he was with Jesus throughout His ministry.

Older people tend to be leaders because they have greater life experience and the wisdom that comes with it. Peter urges them to shepherd those in the fellowships of which they are a part. Shepherds watch over the flock to keep it from danger. They guide the flock to good pasture and fresh water. They protect the flock from predators. This is the picture here. Gentle oversight, leading, supply, and protection. As this chapter closes, we will get a sense of the familial relationship Peter has with the Church and toward which he is urging us.

Therefore, Peter makes it clear that the work is not to be done out of compulsion or duty, but rather out of desire. Not everyone is wired the same way. For some, this role would be burdensome, awkward, even laborious. For others it is energizing, freeing, and relaxing. Every thought of domineering is to be excluded. People do not respond well to such an approach, and it is harmful to the people of God. In the same way, pursuing the role of leader, teacher, shepherd out of a desire to become rich or otherwise inflate oneself is a motive that will backfire and hurt many.

Serving in this way out of an eager desire is the way Father would have it. The reward is promised to all who believe, so there is no need to seek after it, as the passage calls to mind in verse four. I used to believe that Father expected His children to grin and bear it as He called them all to tasks many were unsuited for. I no longer believe that. Rather, I think He created each of us with specific personality traits and talents and that our makeup plays a significant role in the calling He may place upon us. Jesus pointed out that in Him we would find rest for our souls, an easy yoke, and a light burden. Why wouldn’t we find that the good works He prepared in advance should characterize our lives fit us like a glove and engender eager desire?

1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (ESV)

The younger people in the fellowship are to submit themselves to this benevolent oversight, leadership, supply, and protection in the same way that it is to be provided. Not out of compulsion, but out of eager desire. Paul also taught this idea of mutual humble submission.

In Ephesians 5:15–21 he wrote, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (ESV)

This gentle, teachable, mutual submission what makes the system work. It is a wise course of action. We live in evil days and acting like those in the world causes discord and benefits no one. Notice the way Paul presents this. Many people deal with the stress and pressure in the world by external means. Such things can never truly satisfy and in fact lead to bondage in one form or another. Instead, he urges that we should be filled with the Spirit.

This in no way means that there are times when the Spirit is not within us or that we sometimes have less than all of His presence. For us to be filled with the Spirit in this context speaks of our mindset. We who are in Christ have a choice about how we interact with others. We can respond and act in the earthy way those without Christ do—according to the flesh. We can also respond and act the godly way Father has prepared us to act—according to the Spirit.

Peter clarifies this in saying that everyone should be humble in their relationship to the others. Paul agrees, urging us to submit to one another. Why? Out of reverence for Christ.

Verse five also includes a quote about humility from Proverbs 3:34. James echoes this thought, saying in James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” And in James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (ESV)

Some have taken the statement that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, as meaning that we as God’s children will somehow get less grace and blessing and even be fought against by God if we are not sufficiently humble. That is not what the passage is teaching. Notice that there is no period at the end of verse six. This is a single sentence in the Greek as well. The exhortation to humble ourselves is tied to the topic in verse seven, casting our cares, or anxieties, on God.

In reference to this, the translators of the NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005) write, “Although treated as an independent command in several modern translations (e.g., RSV, NRSV, NIV), the participle [casting] should be connected with the verb of verse 6, [Humble yourselves]. As such, it is not offering a new command, but is defining how believers are to humble themselves. Humbling oneself is not a negative act of self-denial per se, but a positive one of active dependence on God for help.”

Do you see it? We are not being asked to abase ourselves. We are not being told that Father will be against us if we don’t grovel before Him and those around us. In Hebrews 11:6 we are told that it is impossible to please God without faith. Of course God opposes the proud. The proud are those who think they can be their own source and achieve righteousness apart from Him. They are without faith and thus cannot please Him.

The humility being counseled here is submission to God by living in such a way that dependence on Him characterizes our lives and faith drives our choices.

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (ESV)

Verses eight and nine remind us that all believers everywhere struggle just as we do. This is a message that we all need to hear because our enemy is the accuser. He orchestrates people and events and even sends thoughts to make it seem as though we are alone in our struggles and in the difficulties we face. Like a roaring Lion, he wants to separate one of us from the herd so that he can devour our peace and joy. He knows if he can succeed, we will experience anxiety and to be overburdened with cares and thus ineffective.

It is no mistake that Peter moves from urging us to give all the things that keep us up at night to Father directly to warning us about the tactics of our enemy. When we humbly give our problems to God and simply rely upon Him to do what is best in our lives, we are acting in faith. By standing firm in our faith that Father is working for good in everything, we extinguish the fiery lies sent our way by that old snake. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:16 (ESV) “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;” So, we are to be vigilant, expecting this life to be difficult due to the schemes and antics of our enemy, yet we are to remember that he is a liar and truth is his kryptonite.

1 Peter 5:10-11 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

As he begins to wrap up this letter, Peter reminds us that Father has our backs. He says that after a time, Father will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. For sure, the opposite can seem to be the case when we are in the middle of terrible circumstances. Many of us have discovered that Father does not often remove us from difficult circumstances. If He did that, people would say what the enemy said about Job, that he loved and obeyed God because God blessed him. He said that the love Job had for God was not real, but rather it was a result of all the goodies obeying God brought his way.

Father may well never change our circumstances. He is with us as we go through them, and He uses them to deepen our faith in Him. I can tell you from experience that many of my darkest times have resulted in the greatest growth in grace and the knowledge of the Lord.

While I was experiencing the horrible situations, I wanted out. I was in good company because Jesus felt that way too. You may recall His prayer at Gethsemane for Father to let him avoid the cross. In the end He gave even that awful anxiety to Father, trusting Him ultimately to retore, confirm, strengthen, and establish Him. That is exactly what Father did, and I have seen Him do it in my life and the lives of others.

1 Peter 5:12-14 “By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.”

“Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” (ESV)

Peter closes the letter with a very personal and familial end note. He speaks kindly of Silvanus, who penned the letter for him. He sends greetings from a Sister in “Babylon”, which here likely refers to Rome, and from Mark who has been his longtime student and partner in ministry. So intimately does he view the relationship between believers that he urges kisses of greeting. To our western ears this may seem more remarkable than it did to those to whom the letter was addressed. Nevertheless, this is an activity reserved for those one knows well and cares for deeply. This closeness is fostered by the gentle form of leadership and submission Peter counsels above.

He declares the purpose of this letter as exhortation urging us toward godliness. This, he says is the true grace of God. Grace gives us good things we do not earn, and so it is with the truth in this letter. In the portion we have just studied, the benefits of mutual submission and humility before our Father are in focus. As he indicates, there is great value in standing firm in this truth. The unity of the Spirit and His fruit are the certain result.