John 3:27-30 "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease."
"With everything that is flattering to your hopes, every success which attends your labors in the Lord, look up to Jesus and lay every honor at His feet. Everything depends upon your walking in all humility of mind. Write the name of Christ upon your banner and never dishonor your colors." {Lt147-1896.7}
Titus 3:2 (NKJV) "to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."
"There are some who seem to have the impression that in order to be humble you must be odd, impolite, uncourteous; but this is an evidence, not of true humility, but of selfishness. The religion of Christ will never make you uncourteous." {ST August 4, 1890, par. 6}
"You are humility on stilts now, but just throw your stilts away and walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, and He will do the lifting up." {Lt46-1900.39}
1 Peter 5:6 "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:"
"Nothing is more essential to communion with God than the most profound humility. "I dwell," says the High and Holy One, "with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." While you are so eagerly striving to be first, remember that you will be last in the favor of God if you fail to cherish a meek and lowly spirit. Pride of heart will cause many to fail where they might have made a success. "Before honor is humility," and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." "When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died." "Many are called, but few are chosen." Many hear the invitation of mercy, are tested and proved; but few are sealed with the seal of the living God. Few will humble themselves as a little child, that they may enter the kingdom of heaven. {5T 50.2} Few receive the grace of Christ with self-abasement, with a deep and permanent sense of their unworthiness. They cannot bear the manifestations of the power of God, for this would encourage in them self-esteem, pride, and envy. This is why the Lord can do so little for us now. God would have you individually seek for the perfection of love and humility in your own hearts. Bestow your chief care upon yourselves, cultivate those excellencies of character which will fit you for the society of the pure and the holy." {5T 50.3}
1 Peter 3:4 "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."
"Those who are most loved of God are those who have the least self-confidence, and are adorned with a meek and quiet spirit; whose lives are pure and unselfish, and whose hearts are inclined, through the abundant measure of the spirit of Christ, to obedience, justice, purity, and true holiness." {RH, August 10, 1886 par. 6}
1 Samuel 15:17 "And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?"
"I saw that the strength of the children of God is in their humility. When they are little in their own eyes, Jesus will be to them their strength and their righteousness, and God will prosper their labors." {3T 307}
Proverbs 16:18 "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
"It is painful to learn lessons of humility, yet nothing is more beneficial in the end. The pain attendant upon learning lessons of humility is in consequence of our being elated by a false estimate of ourselves, so that we are unable to see our great need.—Testimonies for the Church 4:378." – {GW92 365.3}
2 Chron. 29:5 "And said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place."
"We must humble self, today, tomorrow, and constantly. With a willing, sanctified heart, we must cooperate with God. We are living in the time when Satan has come down in great power. He is walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. But the Lord is ready to take away the sin that hinders us from yoking up with Christ. If we wear the yoke of Christ, he will be our Immanuel, - "God with us" supplying every weakness with his strength, every inefficiency with his power and success. But if we take glory to ourselves, he removes his excellency from us, and we no longer ride prosperously." {SpM 89.1}
Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
I hope, my Brother ... that you will make decided efforts in God to be rid of yourself, praise, talking of self, taking glory to yourself that belongs to God. Self-righteousness in prayer is unblessed: humility in prayer is answered and blessed. These are the great subjects that concern us. {Lt31-1887} I wish, ..., you could be repentant as that poor trembling worshiper who scarcely dared to lift his eyes to God. Certainly he did not pray to be seen of men, when that bitter cry came from his lips, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” His business is with his God, and he must have pardon and peace. He does not go through with a relation of his good deeds. He felt his case was so desperate that no angel could help him. He was before the holy heart-searching God of heaven who reads the secrets of the heart. He must have help, he needed mercy and grace, and he had no claim upon God for this at all. How could he tell how the case would turn with him? It was a solemn moment, he was looking forward to the judgment, and onward to eternity. He bowed his head and smote his breast and threw himself upon the mercy of a sin-pardoning Saviour. Humility is not a mistaken sense of inferiority, which results from a false standard. Whatever a man thinks true excellence consists in, he will think humbly of himself for not possessing it; false humility consists in not condemning oneself for not reaching a false imaginary standard, and this degrades the soul. But true humility consists in recognizing the inferiority that mortals are subject to and feeling our utter and entire dependence upon God. Humility is self-abasement of the soul on account of sin, when the soul has the most distinct views of Jesus, the matchless love of Jesus. {Lt31-1887} Let go of [yourself] and forget him if you can, and remember Jesus; He is your only hope, your only helper. God help you to cling to Jesus, and lose sight of self, and no longer talk of self, not flatter self, and pity self, and extol self. All this comes as easy as your breath, and unless you are emptied of self, Jesus will not come in. Should He work for you, you would exalt self. May the Lord help you to see yourself, and surrender self, and talk of Jesus. When the soul is emptied of self and Jesus fills it, your words will be of Jesus, of His love, of His power. Your testimony will not be stale, or spiritless. You will know how to pray in the Spirit. May God help you, my dear brother, to be a free man in Christ Jesus. {Lt31-1887}