Humility Matters to God. Does It Matter To You?

November 14, 2025
Santa Clara Church Blog

Do you enjoy dealing with arrogant people?

Most of us don’t. We tend to keep our distance from those who act like they know it all—who pretend they don’t need help and never admit when they’re wrong. What we admire is humility.

It’s not just a social preference. Humility is a spiritual requirement.

Twice in the New Testament (James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5) we’re told, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” That message echoes Proverbs 3:34 and runs throughout Scripture:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Proverbs 16:18)
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, but humility goes before honor.” (Proverbs 18:12)

If we want to please God…and enter His kingdom…we must embrace humility. Not just in theory, but in action. This article explores three key areas where humility is not optional. When we cultivate it, we become better students, better teachers, and better Christians.

Humility in Our Understanding

First, what is humility?

Oxford defines it as “a modest or low view of one’s own importance.” The biblical idea is similar. Strong’s Concordance calls it “lowliness of mind” (G5012). But this doesn’t mean weakness. True humility is strength under control—a sober and realistic view of ourselves.

Paul puts it plainly: “Not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment…” (Romans 12:3)

That’s humility…thinking honestly, not arrogantly.

Paul knew what it meant to lose that arrogance. In Philippians 3, he reflects on his former life as a Pharisee—confident in his ancestry, training, and religious devotion. But when he found Christ, all of that pride melted away. He stopped relying on his own understanding.

The Pharisees’ Problem

In Luke 11, Jesus dines with a Pharisee who’s shocked that Jesus doesn’t ceremonially wash His hands. Jesus responds with sharp rebuke…not because handwashing was wrong, but because religious pride blinded them to God’s will.

“You have taken away the key of knowledge…” (Luke 11:52)

They had access to the truth but clung to tradition. Like their ancestors who rejected the prophets, they rejected truth when it demanded change (Luke 11:47–54). We must be careful not to do the same.

If I want to be a better student of Scripture:

I’ll test what I was taught growing up against the Bible.
I won’t let personal experience override what God says.
I’ll compare every preacher and commentary with Scripture (Acts 17:11).

If I want to be a better teacher:

I’ll stay open to learning, even after years of study.
I’ll choose truth over ego.
I’ll avoid guarding tradition more than I seek God’s wisdom.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Humility in Our Righteousness

The Pharisees not only trusted their understanding… they trusted their own righteousness.

In Luke 11:39–44, Jesus calls them out. They cleaned the outside of the cup, but their hearts were filthy. They sought praise from men instead of approval from God.

“Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

That’s sobering. The most religious people of their day weren’t righteous enough to be saved. Why? Because their religion was about ego, not about God.

Jesus warns in Matthew 6 not to do good works just to be seen. In contrast, Matthew 5:16 calls us to shine our light…so that God is glorified.

If I want to be a better Christian:

I’ll seek to please God first, not people.
I’ll remember that God sees my heart…not just my public image (Luke 11:44).
I’ll be honest about my own sin (Romans 3:10, 23).

This kind of humility makes us more approachable, more authentic, and more committed to real holiness—not just appearances.

Humility in Salvation

Here’s the truth: I can’t save myself. No strength, knowledge, ancestry, or good works can erase my sin. As Paul writes: “By grace you have been saved through faith… not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Even so, many twist that truth. They say:

“God’s gift means we don’t need to do anything.”
“All you need is faith.”
“If you teach obedience, you’re undermining grace.”

But Jesus said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father…” (Matthew 7:21)

Obedience Matters

Some say baptism saves…but baptize infants who don’t know Jesus. Others preach faith alone and ignore Jesus’s clear call to repent and obey.

We need humility to accept all of God’s word…not just the parts we prefer. Again and again, Scripture reminds us: Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 6:68; 14:6; Acts 4:12).

If I’m proud, I’ll reject His words. But if I’m humble, I’ll receive and obey them.

If I want to humbly accept God’s salvation:

I won’t pick and choose which parts of Jesus’s teaching to follow.
I’ll submit to what Scripture says about repentance, baptism, and faithful living.
I’ll stop trying to “earn” salvation…but I won’t ignore what God commands either.

The Kind of Heart God Exalts

Humility isn’t optional…it’s essential.

Without it, we become like the Pharisees: proud of our knowledge, confident in our own righteousness, and unwilling to surrender to God’s terms of salvation. But with it, we open the door to growth, to grace, and ultimately, to eternal life.

God doesn’t expect perfection. He expects submission. He calls us to listen, to obey, and to trust…not in ourselves, but in Him.

“The one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

So ask yourself: