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Humility, March 29
And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and
said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and
mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his
commandments; we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and
have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy
precepts and from thy judgments.
Daniel 9:4, 5
.
Spurious sanctification carries with it a boastful, self-righteous spirit
which is foreign to the religion of the Bible. Meekness and humility are the
fruits of the Spirit. The prophet Daniel was an example of true sanctification.
His long life was filled up with noble service for his Master. He was a man
“greatly beloved” (
Daniel 10:11
) of heaven, and was granted such honors
as have rarely been vouchsafed to mortals. Yet his purity of character and
unwavering fidelity were equaled only by his humility and contrition.
Instead of claiming to be pure and holy, this honored prophet identified
himself with the really sinful of Israel, as he pleaded before God in behalf
of his people: “We do not present our supplications before thee for our
righteousness, but for thy great mercies” (
Daniel 9:18
). “We have sinned, we
have done wickedly” (
verse 15
). And “for our sins, and for the iniquities of
our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach” (
verse 16
).
He declares, “I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and
the sin of my people” (
verse 20
). And when at a later time the Son of God
appeared in answer to his prayers to give him instruction, he declares, “My
comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength”
(
Daniel 10:8
).
Those who are truly seeking to perfect Christian character will never
indulge the thought that they are sinless. The more their minds dwell upon
the character of Christ, and the nearer they approach to His divine image, the
more clearly will they discern Its spotless perfection, and the more deeply
will they feel their own weakness and defects. Those who claim to be without
sin give evidence that they are far from holy. It is because they have no true
knowledge of Christ that they can look upon themselves as reflecting His
image. The greater the distance between them and their Saviour, the more
righteous they appear in their own eyes.—
The Spirit of Prophecy 4:301, 302
.
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