Murray shows that humility is indeed the "beauty of holiness", as the subtitle states. Murray defines humility as self-forgetfulness and complete dependence on God, the faith of allowing God to be everything so that self can be nothing. He shows humility in the life of Christ and in His teachings. The strength of this book for me was how Murray points out that humility does not come from emphasizing our sin and failure. Self-denunciation and self-condemnation are still focused on self! Humility comes from looking away to Jesus and focusing instead on the amazing grace that delivers us from sin. It is grace that then enables us to live out the meekness and kindness that are the hallmarks of humility.
I am astonished that this book is not one of the most popular Christian books around. I'd never heard of it until it was passed out to all the participants at a Renovare conference at our church. I finally got around to reading it, and read it 4 times this summer. Obviously, you don't become humble by reading a book about it, or even by trying to be humble. But what Andrew Murray understood is that humility is the appropriate basic condition of the human being. We were created to be in humble relationship with God. We are redeemed to that same humble relationship which is appropriate for creature to creator. He explains that we make too much of the humility that we should have because we recognize ourselves as sinners. While this is appropriate, it is not our foundational perspective. He explains true humility in the light of Christ's kenosis. He explains that that humility was appropriate of the Son unto the Father. Further, our redemption, our salvation is into humility, into the appropriate humble relationship of child to Father. And, as brothers and sisters, our only appropriate relationship to others is one of humility. I cannot begin to dispense the treasure that is contained in this little book. I've read other books by Andrew Murray -- this is the best. I read good Christian literature continually, and this belongs as one of the top books of all time. Read it, not because you think you need to be more humble, but because humility is the only true Christianity.
Definitely a must read. This is different than Mahaney's humility because it is going to hit on humility from more of a theological stand point and give the reasoning behind why we are called to be humble and how it is achieved. This will not give you a list of rules and different things to try. It is going to immerse you into who Jesus Christ is and what His humility has done for us and what it does to us through the working of the Holy Spirit. If you don't have this book, get a copy and read it. We can never be reminded to often that we are all prideful, undeserving, and continually desperate for the humble exhaustive work of our God.
I have long recognized that humility is a trait found in almost every man or woman used by God for any length of time as given to us in the Bible. However, I did not really understand what humility is all about. It is one of those things that you sort of recognize when you see the real thing, but it is hard to define or quantify. Andrew Murray was certainly used by God in my case, to lift the veil over this critical teaching.
Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate model of humility, as described in Philippians. Mr. Murray takes Scripture, and the life of the disciples and of Jesus Christ Himself to bring great clarity to a teaching that may be the most under taught area of the Bible, at least in the American church.
Do not miss this blessing. I have read the book over and over, trying to get it into my head, heart, and feet. I have probably given away 10 or more copies of this book. It has blessed me richly.
It's difficult to find teachings on Humility; perhaps because humility in the bibilical sence is so against the natural human state. This book is a must read but it will not ring well to the ears of a secular postmodernist.
The Journey Toward Holiness
When Jesus "made himself nothing...taking the nature of a servant," He modeled for all believers true humility. Andrew Murray calls this "our true nobility" and "the distinguishing feature of discipleship." With insightful, penetrating clarity, Murray calls all Christians to turn from pride, empty themselves, and study the character of Christ to be filled with His grace.
Often called the best work on humility ever written, this edition has been edited for today's reader.
based on 49 reviews
