Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think… 1. Whatever is important is difficult. And it is exceedingly important and difficult to every man to take a right estimate of himself. 2. The cause of this difficulty is — (1) That a man's mind is too near a man's mind for a man's mind to see it clearly: (2) That in this court the judge, the witness, and the person examined are all one and the same. Note — I. TWO GREAT DANGERS. 1. Of over-estimating ourselves. (1) A man lives so much with himself and in himself. (2) Or is so fond of comparing himself with certain persons whom he likes to select for that purpose. (3) Or is so apt to compare himself with what he used to be. (4) Or is always seeing himself so entirely as a certain little loving circle sees him. (5) Or takes himself at the measure of what he is always hoping and intending to be. (6) Or has unworthy standards of what a man ought to be. (7) Or is always so fixing his eyes on his good parts, and intentionally turning away from his bad ones. 2. Of depreciating ourselves. Many, no doubt, do this simply in affectation. They "think" proudly, while they speak humbly. But besides these, there are others who "think of themselves" in a way that — (1) Is not true. (2) Brings with it much depression and distress. (3) Often incapacitates them for the very work which God sets them to do. (4) This darkens the grace of God in them, and His purposes are frustrated. II. THE TEXT STEERS US BETWEEN THESE TWO ROCKS. 1. Before God we are, all of us, utterly bad. There is nothing in us that comes up to His standard. The memory of the past is one great humiliation; the sense of the present is all conscious weakness; the anticipation of the future is overwhelming every man who sees only himself. 2. But we should come to a false conclusion if we rested here. In every one who is born of God there are now two natures. The old one is there to abase and confound all, to drive all to Jesus Christ. In this new nature there are numberless degrees. Either God has been pleased by His sovereignty to give to one man more than He has seen fit to give to another; or some have cultivated them more than others have; and so it comes to pass that there are real distinctions between man and man. (1) Now, with these distinctions God tells us that it is so far from being a proud or wrong thing that one man should be conscious that he has more than another, that no man can take a true view of himself, or be prepared for his duties in life, unless he takes it; because every man is to "think soberly" — i.e., accurately — of himself, "according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." We have all different degrees of everything in life. We have different degrees of stature, beauty, wealth, and intellectual gifts; and it would be utterly silly if a clever or rich man pretended to be ignorant of his superiority in these respects. Why then should it be less so with a man's spiritual possessions? Is not one man greater in his spiritual possessions than another? And are they not all equally the gifts of God? (2) And here I must put in a caution. We are never told to gauge other men's states, or to gauge ourselves in comparison to other men's states; but to gauge ourselves. Of course, it is impossible to do this altogether without reference to our fellow-creatures, for every man in this world is what he is comparatively to another; but we must not do it for the sake of comparison with a fellow-creature. (3) Every man's view of himself, then, is to be according to the facts of the case, neither degrading himself too low nor vaunting himself too high; but "thinking of himself" what he really is, and just as God has been pleased to make him.E.g. — (1) Your mind, perhaps, has been raising the question whether you are a child of God. Now you must not think there is any virtue in saying, "Oh! I am so bad! I cannot be a child of God!" You should examine the matter with a calm judgment. When you find some proofs in favour of one view, and some in favour of the other, then prayerfully, and with the Bible in your hand, set the one over against the other, and make your decision just as you would deal with any matter of business. (2) Or you want to know whether you are entitled to a particular promise, as, e.g., "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Does that mean a person absolutely without any evil thoughts or passions? Or does it mean one who is under the purifying influence of grace, who strives after purity, who is pure in Christ. Then how is it with me in this? Can I appropriate it? (3) Or supposing you have a distinct opportunity now opening to you. You must not at once put it away and say, "Oh, no! I am not called to that work." You must consider with yourself, "Is this a providential opening? What degree of knowledge and what degree of spiritual strength will it take? Have I so much? If not, can I obtain it? Has God been preparing me for this work, and this work for me?"(4) To guide you in such-like investigations, the apostle gives one rule — "to think according to the measure of faith." It is not, "Judge of yourselves according to your attainments," but "the measure of faith"; because everything that is good in a man's heart is "faith," and every other good thing, being proportioned to the "faith" we have, is the measure of everything that a man has or can attain, and so becomes the measure of the man — i.e., is the man. (J. Vaughan, M.A.) Parallel Verses KJV: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. |
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