The gospel in words: 'Humility,' Part 3

Editors Note: Fourth in a series on the "ity" words. Third part on the word "humility."

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." (1 Peter 5:6)

Last week we discussed the elusiveness of humility and how we become humble by subordinating our will and intentions to God and others. Indispensable to humility is putting off the natural man. This is a precondition to receiving the saving knowledge God has prepared to give to those who come down in the depths of humility.

In T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Four Quartets," he teaches that the "way up" is by way of the "way down." In commenting on that poem, Thomas Howard notes "that way is 'up' in the sense of an ascent toward a higher destiny and 'down' in the sense of the self-emptying that turns out to be, apparently, required of us if we are to reach that destiny."

The more closely we examine the nature of humility, the more we run into a bundle of conditions that are necessary for exaltation. In addition to humility, we need to be meek and lowly in heart. We also need to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In all of these conditions, we lose ourselves and become empty of self-promotion, selfishness, deceit and reliance upon material things. As in the story of Job, and for that matter, in King Lear (which in important material respects is a retelling of the story of Job), we are taught that only after we are stripped of pride and dependency upon material things are we in the right condition to be worthy of the Atonement. Only after Job is brought to this condition does he understand that "I uttered that (which) I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:3-6).

Until we truly lose ourselves and understand ourselves to be completely dependent upon the merits of the Savior's atonement, we are subject to the law. "And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off (both physically and spiritually). But, the Savior offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered" (2 Nephi 2:5, 7).

In order to be truly humble, and therefore prepared for exaltation, we must follow the Savior, who humbled himself before the Father and descended below all things that "God hath highly exalted him" (Philippians 2:9).