Not By Might

Our salvation, forgiveness, and spiritual blessings, are “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit! says the Lord of Hosts” (Zephaniah 4:6 ESV).

Last Sunday, at the darkest moment of Jesus arrest during the night, Peter stood up to protect Jesus. To prove his seriousness, he pulled out his sword and cut off the high priest’s servant's ear.

There is much to commend about Peter. He had left all to follow Jesus. He had stayed the course when others dropped off. And he aimed to stand alone in protecting Jesus from being arrested.

Yet Peter’s boldness and bravery was useless. “Put your sword away!” commanded Jesus.

For all his bravery, Peter was standing in the way of the very work of the Father through His Son. Jesus came to die!

How often we can feel this sense of standing up for the Lord in our own power and commitment when, in some cases, we too are hindering the work of our Lord in and around us. There are times when the Lord moves us through valleys to humble us and bring us low. These valleys are times we’re tempted to burst forth with our own power. It is intuitive.

Yet, the Bible tells us that a huge part of our spiritual growth or sanctification is God building humility in us. In fact, the Bible teaches us:

Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 ESV)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

So, when we want to rise up, Jesus brings us low. But with humility comes His promise that God will exalt the humble. This shows that, indeed, our growth is not by might or power but by His Spirit!

Let’s be counter-cultural and embrace humility. Let’s love the low place as a church. This is not only a place of joy and blessing, it is also the place of His power! As a church, let’s being today!