Humility
True humility comes from recognizing one's own deformity and uncleanness in God's sight, and being silent before Him.
D.L. Moody emphasizes the profound impact of encountering God, illustrating that true humility arises when one recognizes their own unworthiness in the presence of the divine. He references Isaiah, Daniel, and Job, who, despite their righteousness, were humbled and silenced upon seeing the Lord, realizing their own flaws and the need for repentance. Moody asserts that until individuals acknowledge their spiritual uncleanness, they will continue to boast of their own righteousness. The sermon highlights that true understanding of God's holiness leads to a necessary humility and silence before Him, as one cannot enter His kingdom without recognizing their own sinfulness.
Text
I suppose Isaiah thought he was as good as most men in his day, and perhaps he was a good deal better than most men, but when he saw the Lord, he cried, "Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." When he saw the Lord, he saw his own deformity, and he fell in the dust before the Lord. And that is the proper place for a sinner. As I have said before, until men realize their uncleanness they talk of their own righteousness, but the moment they catch a sight of Him their mouth is stopped.
If we hear a man talking about himself, we may be sure that he has not seen God. Look at that man Daniel. Not a thing can be found against him, but see when he came within sight of God. He found that his comeliness turned to corruption. And look at Job. One would have thought that he was all right. He was good to the poor, liberal to all charities; not a better man within a thousand miles. If they wanted to get a thousand dollars to endow a university, a thousand dollars to build a synagogue, if they wanted a thousand dollars for any charitable object, why, he was the man.
Why, you would have liked to get him into your Presbyterian, or Methodist, or Baptist churches; if you wanted a chairman of a benevolent society you couldn't have found a better man. yet look at him when God came near him. It is altogether different when he comes within our sight. It is one thing to hear Him, and another thing to see Him. He had heard Him with his ears, but now He saw Him with his eyes, and then he was silent. You couldn't get another word from him. Before he saw Him, he could argue as well as they could; but the moment Job saw Him he was silent.
When He said, "Gird up thy loins like a man," from that time he put no more questions to Him. He had got a lesson. No man can come into His kingdom till he knows he is vile, till he sees Him. He must come down to that. That is God's alphabet.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Humility
- A. Recognizing one's own deformity and uncleanness
- B. The need to fall in the dust before God
- C. The realization of one's own corruption
- II. The Dangers of Pride
- A. Talking about one's own righteousness
- B. The consequences of not seeing God
- C. The importance of being silent before God
- III. The Lesson of Job
- A. His outward appearance vs. his inner corruption
- B. The difference between hearing and seeing God
- C. The need to come down to God's level
Key Quotes
“When he saw the Lord, he cried, 'Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.'” — D.L. Moody
“If we hear a man talking about himself, we may be sure that he has not seen God.” — D.L. Moody
“He had heard Him with his ears, but now He saw Him with his eyes, and then he was silent.” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- We must be willing to fall in the dust before God, recognizing our own deformity and uncleanness.
- We must come down to God's level, recognizing our own vileness and corruption.
- We must be silent before God, rather than talking about our own righteousness.