What Produces Humility?

Scripture tells us that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.  (James 4:6)  What produces humility?  Humility begins with an awareness of our own sinfulness coupled with a growing appreciation of what Christ did for us at the cross.     Being humble is not saying, "I am worthless."  It is saying, "I'm sinful and need a Savior."  Humility is produced with the realization that the perfect, spotless, Lamb of God bore God's wrath for our sin, when it should have been us - the sinner.  Humility is produced when we realize God withheld from us what we deserved and put it on His precious Son.  The favor of God is upon those who recognize they are bankrupt of any righteousness of their own.  The favor of God is upon those who acknowledge they are sinful and need a Savior.  They look to Christ and Christ alone for salvation.  We are commanded to grow in grace.  When we study Christ, we will gain a deepening sense of poverty of spirit.  When we spend time in the Word, He increases and we decrease.  A deepening sense of poverty of spirit is a sign that we are growing.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God."  Matthew 5:3