Here are some thoughts from Jonathan Edwards Sermon 7 contained in Charity and Its Fruits and titled “The Spirit of Charity is an Humble Spirit.” How thoroughly biblical this statement is, and how entirely pertinent is the statement to our hyper-democratized, hyper-sensitized, hyper-victimized society that would level every human to the same level, with the exception that Edwards mentions. The true test of people’s characters is how, when no one is watching, they treat others who can do nothing for them.
Humility will further tend to prevent a leveling behavior. Some persons are always ready to level those above them down to themselves, while they are never willing to level those below them up to their own position. But he that is under the influence of humility will avoid both these extremes. On the one hand, he will be willing that all should rise just so far as their diligence and worth of character entitle them to, and on the other hand, he will be willing that his superiors should be known and acknowledged in their place, and have rendered to them all the honors that are their due. He will not desire that all should stand upon the same level, for he knows it is best that there should be gradations in society: that some should be above others, and should be honored and submitted to as such. And therefore he is willing to be content with this divine arrangement, and, agreeably to it, to conform both his spirit and behavior to such precepts as the following: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Rom. 13:7); “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work” (Titus 3:1).
The Christian is always ready to adapt oneself to one’s situation to take the lower place by elevating others above oneself. To the Christian, the follower of Jesus Christ, one regards others—without concern for social status or rank or ethnicity or race or sex—as superior to oneself. This is the way of love; this is humility; this is Christlikeness.