HUMILITY - About the Author and Preface

About the Author   

Andrew Murray lived from 1828 to 1917.  Born in remote South Africa of Christian missionary parents, he was sent back to Europe to be educated in Scotland and Holland.  He himself then returned to South Africa, where he lived the rest of his life as a pastor, author and missionary.  There he was a major player in the world-wide Christian revival of the 1860's.  He wrote over 200 books in the course of his ministry.  Pertinent to this book, Humility, he is quoted by a biographer (J. du Plessis, The Life of Andrew Murray, www.christianbook.com,/html/authors/721.html) as saying about his work, ". . . I am held back by the increasing sense of my own unfitness for the work.  I lament the awful pride and self-complacency that have till now ruled my heart.  O that I may be more and more a minister of the Spirit."  That this prayer was answered is attested to by his success as a simple pastor, and his legacy of the many books which are considered to be of holiness, and major Christian classics.  Other examples of his many works include:  The Deeper Christian Life, Absolute Surrender, The Blessings Of Obedience (or With Christ In The School Of Obedience) and Divine Healing.

HUMILITY:  THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS - Preface

Pastor Murray starts this book with a brief Preface.  He states that there are three reasons for the Christian to seek humility:  1)  humility is seen in the heavenly hosts and the example of Jesus; 2) it is the natural result of our sinful state before God, and the means for restoration to Him; 3)  it is the recognition of the grace we have received as we lose ourselves in Christ's redeeming love.  Most Christians who have humility do so on the sense of worthlessness because of our sinful state (#2 above), but this book is not based on that.  Rather, Humility is a study of the divine character of Jesus Christ and His example of humility.  To truly know and be close to (and to be like) Him we must understand His humility.  He came as a Servant, and delighted in serving His Master and man.  Such humility is divine, and deeper than contrition; it is the highest fulfillment of man's destiny of being in the image of God.  Murray finishes his Preface by noting that humility does not seem to be esteemed as a major virtue among Christians.  It is little taught, nor is it observed much among Christian leaders.  Jesus the Lamb was/is meek and humble; to be truly His disciples we must master having His meekness and lowliness of heart.

Comment:  The concept of the Christian's humility was raised in Watchman Nee's Love Not The World in Chapter 8, which was based on Jesus' humble washing of the feet of His disciples, and the example we Christians have of the need to, in His humility, refresh one another.  We know the humility Christ was endowed with, but it rarely is the focus of Christian teaching or living.  And we don't think of God as having humility, but there is this beautiful passage from Psalm 113:5-6 in the King James Version:  "Who is like unto the LORD our God, . . . who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!"  We would have no contact with God or Christ without divine humility!  Now in this wonderful book from Andrew Murray we are going to go deep into Christ's humility in an attempt to brand it into ourselves.  For those who read this book and hold to its teaching, it is truly a life-changing event.