Clothed in Humility, Part One — K.P. Yohannan

The right kind of clothing, next on The Road to Reality with Brother K .P. Yohannan. We all get dressed before we start our day or go off to work. Some of us have a particular uniform that's vital to the job that we have, and in that sense, it's necessary to function correctly.

Well, likewise, in the Christian life, there's also a particular clothing that we need as well. Welcome to The Road to Reality with Brother K .P. Yohannan, President of Gospel for Asia. Today, we're going to bring you a message entitled, Clothed in Humility.

Brother K .P. will share some thoughts on the need for humility, especially that we learn to humble ourselves. And now, here's Brother K .P. to examine 1 Peter 5,.

Humility as the Essential Garment of the Christian Life

In verse 5. You know, there are only a few things that are cardinal, that really, really matters. When you talk the human body, obviously the heart comes as the number one thing on the list when you talk about health, especially when you hear of the number of heart attacks and people dying left and right and all those things.

Of course, kidney is another organ that is significant. If you could kidney stones, you know what that means. And when it comes to knowing the Lord, serving God, to be known by Him may be more significant, more important.

To have the absolute assurance, when I talk to God, He hears me, He understands me. What is that one thing on the top of the list when God looks upon this whole thing? Is it absolute perfect knowledge of all the doctrines?

Radical commitment to fundamental evangelical faith? Is it someone who is so given over to full of zeal for world evangelism? Or to have absolute integrity, say the most perfect individual in every way of their dealings?

He can go on and say many more statements like that. But to me, after this conscience journey I made at least from the age of 16 until now, to me there is nothing, nothing, nothing more significant in this whole world as far as God is concerned, it is humility.

I don't know how many times I read through this and studied this and learned my Greek and Hebrew and everything else with it. Because the whole book has to do with redemption, nothing else. And Adam, the first Adam, he lost and the whole humanity lost through the independent spirit and choosing his own way.

And the second Adam, Christ, came to redeem mankind and he did it by saying, not by will. And describing himself, the only place Christ talked about who he is, his nature, you only find in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 11, toward the end he says, I'm humble and therefore come and learn of me.

If you understand the verse correctly, he says, you cannot understand me, you cannot follow me, you cannot become like me, you cannot be part of my world, you cannot be mine unless you bend your neck and take your yoke upon you.

And I will not force it on you, that means you give up all your ways and take my yoke. For I am broken and humble. What is it that's going to make it possible for the living God to come to our aid? To go the extra mile to answer our prayers?

You see, in the Old Testament, the children of Israel did some dumb, stupid things. Although they saw God's work and his mercy and everything. But then you'll find them again and again, like in the book of Judges, end up in trouble.

And in their trouble, they cry out to God, beat upon their chest and weep and lament, say, God, we messed it up, please. And then says, and he saw their condition and their tears and he rushed to their help.

He said, I will not forget you. And you'll find this constantly, like the people at Nineveh, God said, I'm going to wipe these people out. I mean, there's no way I can walk away from it. But all of a sudden, after God made his decision, said, Jonah, go and tell these people, I'm going to wipe them out, just a few days.

And all of a sudden, they started repenting and humbling themselves. And God says, I'm going to change your mind. And he did change his mind. And Jonah get upset. And he says, you know, God, I knew this exactly what you will do.

This is the reason I ran away. There's this verse in the book of First Peter that I wanted to look at. First Peter chapter five, verse five, starting from the middle of that verse, all of you, all of you, clothe yourself with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Humble yourself, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time, on due season. When I'm at the airport, especially Frankfurt, there's a 10 million jillion airline landing there going, but I'm on Lufthansa.

And if I want to get some answer from Lufthansa, you know what I'm looking for? Somebody in the Lufthansa uniform. I know how excited they look. I don't need to look at their face. I didn't look at their hand, their hair, or I need to look what they're wearing.

When you're on train station in India, you've got too many suitcases to carry. You look for a coolie or a porter. How do you find them? They walk around in this red uniform with a badge, and usually a red turban.

You cannot miss them. You need someone to help. Here in Carleton, you're stuck on the road. Well, you look for a policeman, hopefully, and you can find him. Not in civilian clothes, you can find him because he's wearing a uniform.

And we are told here to dress up, to clothe ourselves in humility. That means young and old, Christian worker who is doing Christian for 50 years, somebody who just started, all of you, everyone, we are told to make a choice, not imposed upon us.

I have to make a choice, and that is something God will not do for me. If God were to humble somebody, then it's a whole different ballgame. And he does that with some people. But here my choice is, by the way, humility, he had nothing to do with the outside appearance.

You know, somebody can walk around like a sad donkey, you know, you know, saying I'm nobody and I can. No, I think it is much more serious. God is looking on the attitude, our heart's condition. Pharisees, who were militant in their doctrinal commitment, and they walked around with such holy face.

So humble, I've been praying and fasting, can't you see me? And the Lord said, you guys are going straight to hell. Because their heart was so full of pride and arrogance about who they are and what they believe and how much they do for God and on and on, things like that.

And I think you know this very well, Jesus spoke more harsh words to these people than anybody else. And the reason, I think, the Lord is telling us, humble yourself and submit yourself under the mighty hand of God and clothe yourself with humility.

I think it is so significant because God is desperately longing to demonstrate his authority, his power, his grace and his mercy to people on earth through those who are willing to come close to him. And the only way we can get close to him is through changing our attitude and humbling ourselves.

Christ’s Humility and the Mind of Philippians 2

Now, another scripture that says, put on Christ. Philippians chapter 2, you know the familiar verse, it says that, you know, have this mind, let this mind be in you. That was in Christ Jesus. He, who being in the form of God, didn't regard this to be something to grab hold of, but he laid all those things aside.

He became a servant and humbled himself even to the death on the cross. And says, therefore, the Lord raised him up and gave him a name above every name. I think God hears the prayers and the cries of the helpless.

That, you know, it's abundance of scripture portions we have. And the people that know God and talk to God, God hears them, are people who come to the place in their heart and attitude, no matter where they are, how long they walked with God or whatever, saying, Lord, I am helpless.

I need you. The sad thing is like, Uzziah, we read in the Old Testament, he began at the age of 16, nothing he had. And God, I imagine he constantly went to God, said, I just don't know what to do. I'm just lost.

I'm lost. I don't know what to do. And God said, all right, if you don't know what to do, I'm there. If you're weak and just don't know the way, I'm always a people like that. And God just helps him left and right.

And before he knew it, he became the strongest and the most powerful thing there is. But then all of a sudden we read this terrible statement. And when he became strong, his heart was lifted up for his own destruction.

And finally he dies as a leper. How sad, isn't it? So there's no guarantee. I've been doing this and preaching and teaching and serving God for 30 years. It has no meaning at all. It seems something that destroys everything a man, a woman has accomplished throughout life within seconds.

The Danger of Stubbornness and Spiritual Pride

It is that attitude, the stubbornness. I know it. Don't teach me.

You're listening to Brother K .P. Johannan today here on The Road to Reality. We'll return to Brother K .P. and his message titled Clothed in Humility in just a moment. We'd like to send you a free copy of Brother K .P.'s popular book.

It's called Revolution in World Missions. Simply visit our website at gospelforasia .org or call us at 866-WIN-ASIA. We'd love to send you a copy. And now let's return to Brother K .P. Johannan for more thoughts on our need to be clothed.

In humility. If I was wearing Christ all these years and choosing daily wherever I can to take the low road and all of a sudden I'm naked. I'm no more clothed in humility. I'm no more clothed in him who did not open his mouth when he was reviled.

When his rights were violated, spat upon, beaten, abused, he didn't turn around and call fire down and destroy them. It says like a little lamb that was taken to the slaughterhouse, he did not open his mouth and he just let it be and submitted himself under the hand of the father.

And when his beloved disciple would try to rescue him, his answer is, don't you understand, shouldn't I drink this cup my father gave me? Where is the father in all this thing? I mean this stupid wicked Romans and these Pharisees and Jewish people did this to you?

No, you don't understand. The one who holds this cup is not Pilate, it is my father and I will submit and will not fight. And so this is one of those times by God's grace I must say that I said, you know, I did not know the end of it.

There may be some pain and difficulties and all that. So what? Who really cares in the end? Because God's ultimate plan is not to rescue me right now from all the bad stuff and the pain and the ill reputation or whatever.

His concern is none of this stuff. His concern is finally when I see him face to face in what shape I'm going to be more like Christ or more like myself. And so I think when you pray for stuff that we talk about, I can assure you the Lord will answer those prayers because you come before him with the understanding I'm totally helpless without you Lord.

We are helpless without you. But here's interesting thing. As we talk to God about these matters, you know what? He turns around and answer your personal prayers. And finally Job stopped defending himself and arguing about his innocence and he was right.

I mean he was totally innocent. All his accusations friends made toward him. And finally he sees God. He says, oh no. Then he says, I'm lost. Then God said, all right, this is the end of the story. I will bless you.

But before that, Job should pray for his friends. I mean this take humility. So there is something more sacred, more sobering, more important than being righteous. Even proclaimed by God, the most righteous man on the whole earth.

Job, Repentance, and Forgiving Those Who Hurt Us

And that is coming to the place saying, I'm a nobody. I'm lost. God, I see myself how wicked I am. And then my willingness to forgive and forget and pray for those people who just tortured me, saying, God, please bless these guys.

And the Lord turns around and blesses Job. I can assure you, as we come before the Lord, as broken, humble, needy people, look like he take bigger steps to get to us. When we pray, as a prayer warrior, I think my imagination, he takes more steps.

But when he sees someone who is crying and lost and helpless and the idol of heart, he says, I'm going to get to them very soon. And this is how I think God works. And may we learn in our own individual life about the meaning of this verse.

God, resist the proud and give grace to the humble. And I thought about it, which is a serious thing. I did some reading on this thing, by the way. When God resists or opposes, it should mean he comes and squashes somebody and kill somebody.

I mean, he can just snap the finger and destroy the whole earth. He can do that. But somebody who's living with pride and arrogance and lack of humility and haughty attitude, it seems nothing happens to them just like that.

They're walking around healthy and strong, like Psalm 73. You read about that. There's nothing wrong with these people. But I was thinking through the scripture about individuals, and I saw something that is quite strange.

I won't say interesting, but frightening. That is, it seems God removes his grace, first of all. And then all of a sudden, the powers of darkness, they got the hair day. And how the enemy work with individuals, slowly but surely, their heart become hardened.

They become cynical. The glow in the eyes and the grace is no more there. The smile and the joy no more is there. And then people wonder what on earth happened. There's no way to put the finger on this thing.

There was a time like you take a ball of honey and then flies and ants just crawl all over the place. But now, it's look like the same plate, same ball. It looks like honey, but nothing is coming near.

The sweet, precious honey turns into bitterness, and it's deadly. Have you seen non-individuals? You just want to be near them. There's something about it that Watchmen talk about the spirit. It is not the external thing, just something about it.

There's nobody explain it. There's something that gives out. But then I know individuals over a period of years, something happened. There's no more joy in being near them, unless you become like them.

The gossiping, the carnality, and the evil talk, and the things of the world, and all other bunch of things. And you say, I used to be so close to that person. It was so wonderful, so beautiful, so nice fellowship.

They would cry out, oh, how you and I went to the house of God as one individual. And then, what would happen to you? I began tonight by saying, you can be a Christian or serving God for 30, 40, 50, whatever years you've been, your sacrifice, or whatever else you did, there is no guarantee tomorrow you will not fall apart.

And God takes grace, and you become hardened and cynical. And I'm saying that because I know this is my own story. It can happen. How do I know if this is happening? Maybe a few statements would become a test.

Examining the Signs of a Proud Heart

When our hearts are becoming proud, and stubborn, and resisting, and the grace is going to slowly, we're going to lose. These are some more things that we can watch for. Focus on the failures of others.

Our self-righteous have a critical, fault-finding spirit. Look at own life, falls with a telescope, but others with a microscope. Look down on others. These are the signs of person, individuals, a man, a woman, that is losing, are proud.

They are independent, have a self-sufficient spirit. They want to be in control, must have their way. They have to prove that they are right. They have a demanding spirit, my way or no way. They don't think they need revival.

They think everybody else does. I think God is so grieved when he sees somebody who's right, but wrong in the spirit. That's all about. I had to repent more times when I knew I was right, but the way I said things and my spirit was wrong.

And often I was convicted enough by the Lord that I would not even say, you know what, I told you I was right. Please understand it, but the way I said was wrong. No, I wouldn't say. I said, just forgive me.

I have done wrong. That's all. That's all it is.

A very convicting message from K .P. Ohana today here on The Road to Reality, the outreach of Gospel for Asia. If you'd like to learn more about Gospel for Asia, we'd love to send you a free copy of Brother K .P.'s most popular book.

It's called Revolution in World Missions. For your free copy, simply visit our website at gospelforasia .org. Or if you're in the U .S., call us toll-free 866-WIN-ASIA. Brother K .P. founded Gospel for Asia to train, equip, and support an army of Native missionaries to effectively share the Gospel with the billions of people currently residing in Asia, those who've never heard about the forgiveness and grace in Christ.

And what we'd like to ask of you is that you first and foremost consider what K .P. has said today. Let the Lord challenge you to take up your cross and follow Him. And then secondly, pray about helping to support a Native missionary through Gospel for Asia.

You can do this for as little as $30 a month, and 100 of your support will go straight to the mission field, enabling these Native missionaries to go out and literally lay down their lives for Christ.

You can find out more by visiting our website. It's at gospelforasia .org. And by the way, when you support a missionary, you'll also receive an information packet with the missionary's picture and background.

This will help you to pray for your Native missionary on a daily basis. And when you're ready to sponsor a missionary, visit our website. Again, gospelforasia .org. Or if you're in the U .S., you can call us toll-free 866-WIN-ASIA.

And then join us next time, won't you, for more teaching and updates from Brother K .P. here on the Road to Reality, sponsored by Gospel for Asia.