Salvation: A Journey of Humility and Self-awareness

Humility is self-awareness,awareness of our fallibility, awareness of our human proclivities and our need for salvation.And salvation embodies a profound understanding of the human condition and our inherent struggles. It acknowledges that as humans, we often find ourselves trapped in patterns of self-destructive behaviour, misguided desires, and harmful tendencies. Whether it be our tendency toward selfishness, pride, greed, and the likes.

Recognising the need for salvation begins with humility, a humble acknowledgment that we are not perfect beings and that we are susceptible to making mistakes. It is through this humility that we become aware of the limitations of our own efforts and the realisation that we cannot overcome these challenges alone. Hence, the need to turn to a higher power, acknowledging that there is a greater source of wisdom, strength, and love beyond ourselves. God possesses the ability to truly save and transform us.

It is not enough to simply acknowledge our need for salvation; we must also actively respond to it. This response involves obedience to the teachings and commandments of God.

You see, when we obey, we surrender our wills to the authority to whom we obey, we recognise our place before this authority and very importantly we recognise the authority’s ability to provide righteous guidance. Whether we yield to our own selves by being our own supreme authority or whether we yield to our God, is a choice that we have to make every day of our lives. The fascinating thing is this, obeying God is to our own advantage. Because it helps our course to win the battle of life, it sets us up to be able to live peaceably with all men, it eradicates envy from our lives, it breeds joy, peace, understanding, empathy and all other virtues. 

To obey God, we must follow his guiding principles and procedures or should I say standard operating procedure. And that can be found in the bible, which provides a guide to life, a guide for character reformation and character building, a guide to social interaction and family life.

The perfect case for one who obeyed God and the consequences of that obedience is Jesus Christ. We see in Jesus Christ one who surrendered his will and obeyed God to the point of death. One might think that because he died in this context, that that is a negative consequence of obedience. But it is not; you see, all humans will die, but how we die matters, what we do before we die matters. Death on the cross for Jesus was the will of God for him, it was difficult, grueling, shameful, it was extremely painful to go through that, but it was already written and agreed for that to happen in order to bring about a once and for all sacrifice for sins and a path to salvation for mankind. See what the bible says about Jesus’ humility and obedience:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:8 – 11

As a consequence of his obedience, Jesus Christ inherited a name that is above every name, a name that all powers in heaven and on earth are subject to; he was crowned with glory; therefore serving as an example unto us today. Oh that we may be humble ourselves so that we can truly yield our hearts to God being aware of our frailty and fallibility, that God may use us to the glory of his name. Because, the process of salvation is a journey of self-awareness, humility, surrender, and obedience. It is a recognition that we cannot save ourselves solely through our own efforts, but rather through a partnership with a higher power. By embracing this partnership and allowing the divine influence to guide us, we can transcend our inherent human tendencies and live a life that reflects the qualities of goodness, righteousness, and love.

God Can Use Your Mistakes Too

Very often we believe that God wants our best and rightly so, He does want our best. He wants us to completely trust Him and rely on him for our provision. He wants us to obey him in all our endeavours. He wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

But what happens when we sins or make mistakes? Because sometimes some of the mistakes can be fatal, some can bring significant bodily harm or some can lead to living in prison. Now does God not use those mistakes at all. Does it mean that when we make major mistakes that have significant consequences that God is finished with us and can no longer use us? Perhaps some think that he can only use our best actions and wishes. But he can use our mistakes too. How so?

Consider the scribes and Pharisees who clamoured for Jesus to be killed. Or should I say, the devil who thought that the death of Jesus was the end of salvation for the human race. Some of the people who clamoured for Jesus to be crucified had come to a point where they realised that they were wrong. They were cut to their heart, and wondered what they had done to the one who was to be their saviour. “Oh how did we kill our very source of salvation. What is wrong with us? What did we do? What can we do now?”

Here is part of the realisation, part of the message which opened their eyes to their sins:

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” – Acts 2:22-24

And here is their response:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:36-37

Perhaps you have also seen yourself blow chance upon chance. Perhaps you have found yourself committing sins and your heart is troubled. Perhaps because of your mistake someone died and you cannot forgive yourself. Perhaps because of your past mistake you are now living in pain and agony and regret. The question is, what can you do now?

Before giving an answer to that question, consider another person who was also meant to be a “messiah” of Israel in the days of the Judges. His birth was also announced by an angel, who later appeared to the family again on the father, Manoah’s request. (Judges 13)

The child was born and named, Samson and he grew up and when he was of age he did sometime that the parents thought was out of place. Basically, he made a mistake as far as the parents where concerned. What did he do? He went down to his enemies’ territory, saw a beautiful girl and then asked the parents to get her for him as a wife. The parents were livid, asking, have you not found a woman in your locale to marry? Why would you go there. They persuaded Samson to change his mind but he would not. Here’s the story.

Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”

His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.) – Judges 14:1-3

Underline the part that says, his parents did not know that this was from the Lord.

Samson got married to the woman but she was later married out to someone else and this angered Samson. And he said, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” Judges 15:3. This gave him a CAUSE to do what he was born to do. That was the beginning of his anger with the Philistines and he set his heart to doing so.

How did he find his purpose? Through what the parents saw as a mistake or sin because the Israelites at that time were required to marry among themselves. You see, that one “mistake” led Samson to fulfil his purpose. He tormented the Philistines until the day of his death thus fulfilling the purpose of his birth.

Perhaps your mistake is meant to awaken something in you for good. Am I saying that God pushes us to make mistakes or tempts any man? No. But as James puts it, God does not tempt any man but evil desires lure and entice men (James 1:13-14). But be not alarmed because even if we fall into temptation, God can make something out of it. God can use those mistakes too. How so?

How can he use it?  If we allow him. If we “repent for the forgiveness of sins” and pray for God to use those mistakes to bless the world. I could tell you of another story of Saul who later became Paul. His mistakes prepared him to be a veritable tool through whom the gospel reached Gentile nations. Or Moses who was eager to fulfil his ministry but made a mistake by killing someone and fled for 40 years. Those years prepared him to go back to do God’s bidding. How about David who said, it was good that he was disciplined by God for his mistakes. You see, great people of faith are people who allowed God to use even their inadequacies and mistakes. But does it mean one should continue in their mistakes in hopes that God will use them? No, we shall not continue in sin because grace abounds, that is tantamount to giving the devil room. But we must repent and return to God.

So, know that God can use your mistakes too, if you surrender it unto him. Jonah when he was thrown into the sea, asked for God’s mercy and God heard him and sent him back to Nineveh to do what he was called to do. In life, if you find yourself in a situation that seems very far from what you know or perceive that God wants to do with your life. Just surrender unto him and ask for his mercies and he will always recalculate and retrace your steps back onto the path like a GPS which recalculates the route to your destination if you take a wrong turn. Don’t be discouraged but be encouraged, surrender and see God in action.