Overview
Humility to the faith is the recognition and acknowledgement that we have what we have and we can do what we do because of another man’s work, the finished work of Jesus Christ. Opening the Leaders Are Examples series, Todd Grilliot goes to Ephesians 2, where access to the Father comes by one Spirit and salvation is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. He then turns to Acts 3 and 4, where Peter heals the lame man at the gate called Beautiful and takes none of the credit: not by our own power or holiness, but by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Good godly character in a Christian leader begins there.
Transcript
A New Series: Leaders Are Examples
We’re going to begin a series of teachings on Leaders Are Examples, and this of course is a very important topic for any Christian leader. Because our good character in the Lord is what influences our decisions and our example for others to follow. We want to lead others to Christ. Like it says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, Be followers of me, Paul says, even as I am of Christ. The leadership team for the network will be teaching in this series, which provides us with so many different facets of the same diamond for that light to shine through, and we’ll see that. So we’re very excited about this teaching series and understanding and applying this in our lives. And our first teacher is Todd Grilliot, so Todd, take it away.
Thank you, Rico. God bless you all. We’re going to begin in Ephesians chapter 2, and in this teaching on leaders as examples, we’re going to look at humility to the faith. Humility to the faith.
Everything Begins and Ends With the Faith of Jesus Christ
Everything in a Christian leader’s life begins and ends with the faith of Jesus Christ. It’s because of the faith of Jesus Christ, which is everything that he accomplished. It’s all his work. That’s what the faith of Jesus Christ is. And it’s because of the faith of Jesus Christ that Christian leaders exist. There are no Christians without Christ, right? There are no Christian leaders without his life, his crucifixion and resurrection. The faith of Jesus Christ is everything that he accomplished.
Access to the Father by One Spirit
What did he accomplish? Simply put, God’s will. God’s will for his life, perfectly and always. And he was able to carry out God’s will for his life because of his access to the Father, because of his access, unfettered and unrestricted, to the Father. We, like him, and because of him, his faith, can carry out God’s will for our lives together. Why? Because of our access to the Father. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Living With God, or by Ourselves
Now we have a choice: to move and live with God, or without God. Without is by ourselves. Ourselves, or self, comes in when we think that our work, our training, our skills, our knowledge or study has anything to do with our access to God and his power, his love and grace.
This doesn’t mean we don’t work or train or develop skills. In fact, God tells us whatsoever our hands find to do, to do with our might. And the Apostle Paul twice reminded the Thessalonians that he wasn’t chargeable to anyone for his food, for his bread. It says he worked hard, intense labor, night and day. That’s what it says. And he lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla for a period of time during his ministry.
The difference is doing those things with God. Like Paul, and as an example, we can do all things. We can do life with God, with our Father. These are good works because he’s the guide. His love, when he’s involved, he’s the guide, his love, his grace and power are in it. And the reason we can, we can, is because of the access we have. This access due to the accomplished work of Christ, the faith of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-10: Saved by Grace, Created Unto Good Works
Ephesians 2 verse 8: For by grace are ye saved through faith, the faith of Jesus Christ, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Why Acknowledging Another Man’s Work Is a Dilemma
Now this can be a great dilemma for mankind. Actually it is, to include the Christian leader, to recognize and acknowledge in all things that we have what we have and we can do what we do because of another man’s work. This requires humility. The reason it’s a dilemma is because we’re constantly being pulled by the world, by the systems of the world, by Satan, to think that we derive or gain our value or quality and successes from ourselves. It’s constant.
Humility to the faith is a recognition and acknowledgement that in him, in God, we live and move and have our being. It’s why we have this life. And this is where the Christian leader gets his or her strength and energy.
Where Many Christian Leaders Draw Their Strength Instead
And that’s certainly not the case within our culture, within and out of the Christian community. Many Christian leaders draw upon people or the masses for strength, lots of people, others, money or control, definitely ego or themselves. You know, a little success and we want to bow out our chest, you know. Especially, you know, salespeople. I’m picking on myself here a little bit. I’ve been in sales my entire career. I constantly have to check myself and recognize and acknowledge that I don’t have this life without Christ.
I don’t have this life without him. None of it. Then I can bow my chest out even more and acknowledge my Lord. You know, it’s all because of him.
Acts 3: Peter and John at the Gate Called Beautiful
We’re gonna look at one record, a very familiar one, and see these early Christian leaders recognize and acknowledge the faith of Jesus Christ. Very familiar. Acts chapter 3. And we’ll clearly see the Apostle Peter’s humility to the faith. And we’ll start in verse 1.
Acts 3 verse 1: Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received his strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
This is the first recorded healing and miracle after the day of Pentecost, and it sets a precedence for all healing in this grace age. It sets a precedent for all wholeness. Watch the response of Peter, verse 11.
Not by Our Own Power or Holiness
And as the lame man, which was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why ye marvel at this? Or why ye look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
Seriously, Peter. I mean, this guy couldn’t walk from birth, and now he’s walking, he’s jumping and leaping and praising God, and there’s not one iota of look what I just did. There’s not. Do you see his humility to what Jesus Christ accomplished for him?
Verse 13: The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus. Verse 16: And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Could it be any more clear? Do you see Peter’s humility to the faith, the recognition and acknowledgment where perfect soundness comes from? It’s reiterated in chapter 4 to the religious rulers and elders, those without humility of the faith, those who do not recognize and acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ, those who serve their own belly, self.
Acts 4: Peter’s Answer to the Religious Rulers
Chapter 4 and in verse 7: And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
So they’re in the midst of these very popular, very prominent religious leaders. How’s Peter gonna answer? I mean, wouldn’t it be cool to be one of these culturally acceptable and admired powerful leaders? Let’s see verse 10, let’s see Peter’s response.
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. And verse 12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Again, we see Peter’s example of humility to the faith by recognizing and acknowledging that wholeness and salvation and perfect soundness is because of God’s will carried out by his son Jesus Christ. This miraculous healing sets a precedence for all healing and wholeness in the grace age. This example of humility to the faith sets a precedent.
What Humility to the Faith Produces in a Leader
Having humility to the faith is simply recognizing and acknowledging that we have what we have and we can do what we do because of what Jesus Christ did, that our very existence in this moment is because of him, our Lord, our Savior. When we have humility to the faith, God guides, good works ensue, and spiritual fruit is produced. And it is not self-centered.
The Christian leader with humility to the faith helps others have what they have, wholeness, perfect soundness, and they help others carry out God’s will in their own lives. It leads us to esteem others better than themselves and to not look at our own things, but the things of others. This was certainly the example set by Jesus Christ in his humility to the Father, and it was the example set by Peter in this example of humility to the faith of Jesus Christ.
Good godly character for the Christian leader begins with humility to what our Lord and Savior accomplished for us. Humility to the faith of Jesus Christ. Thank you.
Key Takeaways
- Humility to the faith is the recognition and acknowledgement that we have what we have and we can do what we do because of another man’s work, the accomplished work of Jesus Christ.
- The faith of Jesus Christ is everything he accomplished, and what he accomplished was God’s will for his life, carried out through unfettered and unrestricted access to the Father.
- Ephesians 2:8-10 is the ground of it: saved by grace through faith, not of yourselves, not of works, and created in Christ Jesus unto good works God ordained beforehand.
- It is not a dilemma unique to leaders but it lands hard on them, because the world, the systems of the world and Satan constantly pull us to think our value and successes come from ourselves.
- Peter is the example: a man lame from birth walks, and Peter asks why the crowd looks on him as though by our own power or holiness, pointing instead to the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
- Where a leader has humility to the faith, God guides, good works ensue, spiritual fruit is produced, and the leader helps others have wholeness and carry out God’s will in their own lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does humility to the faith mean for a Christian leader?
It is the recognition and acknowledgement that we have what we have and we can do what we do because of another man’s work, the accomplished work of Jesus Christ. Todd Grilliot describes it as knowing that in him, in God, we live and move and have our being. That acknowledgement is where the Christian leader gets his or her strength and energy, rather than from people, the masses, money, control or ego.
Why is Peter’s healing of the lame man in Acts 3 an example of humility to the faith?
Because Peter took none of the credit. A man lame from his mother’s womb walked and leapt and praised God, yet Peter asked the crowd why they looked so earnestly on him and John, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk. He pointed instead to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who hath glorified his Son Jesus, and said the faith which is by him gave this perfect soundness.
Does humility to the faith mean a Christian should not work or develop skills?
No. Todd Grilliot says plainly that this doesn’t mean we don’t work or train or develop skills, and notes that God tells us whatsoever our hands find to do, to do with our might. Paul twice reminded the Thessalonians that he was not chargeable to anyone for his bread and worked hard, intense labor, night and day, and he lived and worked with Aquila and Priscilla. The difference is doing those things with God.
Scripture References
1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 2; Ephesians 2:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8; Ephesians 2:8; Ephesians 2:9; Ephesians 2:10; Acts 3:1-8; Acts 3:11; Acts 3:12; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:7; Acts 4:10; Acts 4:12
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
