Humble Souls
The sermon highlights how humble souls experience a profound closeness to God while recognizing their own sinfulness and need for grace.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that humble souls are closest to God, experiencing profound communion and clarity in their vision of both God's glory and their own sinfulness. He illustrates this through biblical examples, such as Job and Isaiah, who, upon encountering God's holiness, are struck by their own unworthiness and sin. Brooks highlights that true humility leads to a deeper understanding of our own flaws and a recognition of our need for God's grace. He encourages believers to embrace this humility as a pathway to a richer relationship with God.
Text
None on earth are so near to God, and so high in their
communion with God--as humble souls. And as they
have the clearest visions of God, so God gives them
the fullest sight and knowledge of their own sinfulness
and nothingness.
"I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear--but
now my eye has seen you, I abhor myself in dust
and ashes." says Job.
In a vision the Lord reveals His glory to the prophet
Isaiah, "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am
a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of
unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the
Lord Almighty." Oh, the vision that I have had of the
glory of God has given me such a clear and full sight
of my own vileness and baseness, that I cannot but
loathe and abhor myself.
When Abraham draws near to God, then he accounts
himself but dust and ashes, Gen. 18:26-27.
"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" That is
--a man, a sinner--a compound of dirt and sin! When
Peter saw that glorious miracle wrought by the Lord Jesus,
he cries out as one very sensible of his own weakness and
sinfulness. "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man." Ah! I
am not worthy to be near such majesty and glory--who
am a mere bundle of vice and vanity, of folly and iniquity!
The angels that are near God, that stand before Him,
in humility they cover their faces with two wings, as
with a double scarf, in Isaiah 6:2
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The proximity of humble souls to God - The clarity of vision granted to humble souls - The recognition of one's own sinfulness
- II points: - Job's realization of his own unworthiness - Isaiah's vision and confession - Abraham's humility before God
- III points: - Peter's acknowledgment of his sinfulness - The humility of angels in God's presence - The importance of recognizing our own baseness
Key Quotes
“I abhor myself in dust and ashes.” — Thomas Brooks
“Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.” — Thomas Brooks
“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Cultivate humility in your daily life to draw nearer to God.
- Regularly reflect on your own shortcomings to foster a deeper reliance on God's grace.
- Seek to understand the majesty of God to gain a clearer perspective of your own unworthiness.