Humility: Actual or Demeanor?

This is a deeply penetrating post from The Gospel Coalition by author Ken Sande:

"Many leaders conceal a proud attitude under a demeanor of humility, which is not the same as actual humility. One of the many evidences of actual humility is the inclination to 'consider others better than yourself,' which results in valuing their thoughts and interests as highly as your own (Phil. 2:3-4). A closely related evidence of humility is to sincerely welcome critique and correction, no matter who brings the 'observation' (Prov. 13:10, 17:10). Therefore, wise leaders regularly meditate and pray about the 'pride and humility' passages in Scripture (see Prov. 11:2, 19:20; Isa. 66:3; 1 Pet. 5:5-6), asking God to help them put off self-confidence, pride, and every hint of arrogance, and to put on a humility that genuinely welcomes questions, suggestions, criticism, and anything else that might aid us in the process of presenting ourselves before God as empty vessels, so that we might be utterly dependent on and fulfilled in Him, which is the essence of true humility."

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/09/22/the-demeanor-of-humility-vs-actual-humility/

J.I. Packer Five Themes Embraced by The Gospel

J. I. Packer:
I formulate the Gospel this way:
it is information issuing in invitation,
it is proclamation issuing in persuasion,
it is an admonitory message embracing five themes.

First,
God: the God whom Paul proclaimed to the Athenians in Acts 17, the God of Christian theism.
Second,
humankind: made in God’s image but now totally unable to respond to God or do anything right by reason of sin in their moral and spiritual system.
Third,
the person and work of Christ: God incarnate, who by dying wrought atonement and Who now lives to impart the blessing that flows form His work of atonement.
Fourth,
repentance, that is, turning from sin to God, from self-will to Jesus Christ.
And fifthly,
new community: a new family, a new pattern of human togetherness which results from the unity of the Lord’s people in the Lord, henceforth to function under the one Father as a family and a fellowship.

J. I. Packer, “The Gospel and the Lord’s Supper,” in Serving the People of God: Collected Shorter Writings of J.I. Packer, 4 vols. (Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, 1998), 2:44 (emphasis and spacing mine).
For an interesting collection of attempts to define the biblical gospel, see this post by Trevin
Wax.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/09/22/packer-on-the-five-themes-embraced-by-the-gospel/

Greetings Brothers,

Please review the documents that have been newly posted on our site. Doctrinal and Theological clarity is absolutely essential in our Post-modern culture. Each minister must be able to articulate and defend these formational truths that shape the identity of our Family of Ministers.

Crucial to this reasoning is that our ministerial covenant is foundationed on the premise that Truth is objective, verifiable, knowable and transferable.

As relentless radicals in pursuit of "Scriptura Suprema," we are also committed to "Semper Reformanda" which means reforming the Church by guiding her into a better understanding of "It Is Written," and away from the unbiblical formulations and conceptions that have infiltrated us both doctrinally and pragmatically.

Finally, when resourcing the site, turn on your sound so you can listen to some great praise and worship.

RGH