Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness (Gavin Ortlund)

Description

Cultivating Humility in a Gospel-Centered Way

There are many misconceptions about what it means to be humble. Some think that being humble means hiding your talents and abilities or being weak and inauthentic. But the Bible paints a different picture—defining humility as a self-forgetfulness leading to joy and explaining that it is a life-giving virtue that frees you from the restricting needs of your ego.

In Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness, Gavin Ortlund encourages readers that humility is not just an abstract virtue but a mark of gospel integrity. Ortlund examines humility both on a personal level and in the context of the church, giving examples of ways to cultivate it—including meditation on the gospel and practicing intentional gratitude. Drawing from Philippians 2 and historical texts such as C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “A Christian Spirit Is a Humble Spirit,” Ortlund defines humility in light of the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, casting a vision for a gospel-centered, humble life.

First Book in the Growing Gospel Integrity Series: Created in partnership with Union School of Theology

Written by Gavin Ortlund: Author of Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future and Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage

For Small Groups and Individual Study: Questions at the end of each chapter encourage small group discussion

Read Sample Chapter

Endorsements

“If humble people are realists (and they are), and if realists are humble people (and they are), then Ortlund’s concise work helpfully jabs us awake from our dreamy delusions of self-identity (whether too inflated or too deflated) and gives us very practical help in constructing our lives according to the plumb line of Christlike realism. Wisely, Ortlund wants us to not only understand humility but pursue it, experience it, feel it, and even enjoy it. Making reference to gems by Churchill, Lewis, Keller, Wesley, Edwards, Aquinas, Kidner, ten Boom, Augustine, Spurgeon, and more, Ortlund guides us away from misconceptions and toward genuine love, even tackling the dreaded concept of submission. I’m glad I read it.”

Sam Crabtree, Pastor for Small Groups, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota; author, Practicing Affirmation

Table of Contents

Series Preface

Preface

Introduction: Why We Misunderstand Humility

Part 1: Cultivating Personal Humility

Chapter 1: How the Gospel Defines Humility

Chapter 2: How the Gospel Fuels Humility

Chapter 3: Ten Practices to Kill Pride

Part 2: Cultivating Humility in Our Church Life

Chapter 4: Humility in Leadership: Creating a Culture of Freedom

Chapter 5: Humility among Peers: Overcoming Envy and Competition

Chapter 6: Humility toward Leaders: Understanding What Submission Really Means

Conclusion: Joy as the Acid Test of Humility

Epilogue: Humility in Social Media Engagement

General Index

Scripture Index

Product Details

Title: Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness 

Author: Gavin Ortlund

Publisher: Crossway Publishing

Pages: 136

Binding: Paperback

Size: 17.7 x 12.7 x 1.0 cm

ISBN: 9781433582301