__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, with future volumes written by Sinclair B. Ferguson, Joe Rigney, and Conrad Mbewe
- __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

In Humility, Gavin Ortlund explains that humility is not just an abstract virtue but a mark of gospel integrity, casting a vision for gospel-centered humility that is ultimately self-forgetfulness leading to joy.

Gavin Ortlund

Cover

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Endorsements

Other Crossway Books

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Series Preface

Preface

Introduction

Part 1 Cultivating Personal Humility

1 How the Gospel Defines Humility

2 How the Gospel Fuels Humility

3 Ten Practices to Kill Pride

Part 2 Cultivating Humility in Our Church Life

4 Humility in Leadership

5 Humility among Peers

6 Humility toward Leaders

Conclusion

Epilogue

General Index

Scripture Index

__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, with future volumes written by Sinclair B. Ferguson, Joe Rigney, and Conrad Mbewe
- __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

\["For small groups and individual reading","Gavin Ortlund help you see the blessings of Christ-like humility","The first entry in the spiritually enriching Growing Gospel Integrity Series"\]

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

“Saint Augustine once counseled that the top three virtues of Christianity are ‘Humility, humility, and humility.’ One suspects he said this because when humility is intact, all other fruit of the Spirit fall into place. What Gavin Ortlund has given us in this wonderful book is not only a description of humility but also a pathway that makes the reader desire more of it, for the smaller we become in our own eyes, the bigger Christ becomes to us. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.”

__Scott Sauls, Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee; author, Beautiful People Don’t Just Happen__

“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__

“In today’s high-pressure world of Christian ministry, it is all too easy to adopt attitudes that are antithetical to those modeled by Christ. Pride is often considered a necessary component in the advancement of the kingdom, and humility is viewed as a weakness that is to be overcome. In this insightful book, Gavin Ortlund reminds us that humility is the way of Jesus and the only real option for his servants. A much-needed word in our time.”

__Brian Brodersen, Pastor, Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, California__

“There are timely books and there are timeless ones; fortunately, Gavin Ortlund’s new book, Humility, happens to be both. In a culture of bravado and hubris, Gavin shows us the beauty and freedom of humility—not mere kindness, sweetness, and a non-offensive personality, but humility as the redemptive DNA of the gospel, the heartbeat of Jesus’s incarnation, and the culture God’s Spirit creates in a heart and church alive to the riches of grace. What a compelling, inviting, life-giving study.”

__Scotty Smith, Pastor Emeritus, Christ Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee; Teacher in Residence, West End Community Church, Nashville, Tennessee__

“In an age of self-creation and self-promotion, this book serves as a reset. The burden of creating one’s own image and work is heavy. We feel a compulsion to prove our worth and tell others about it. But Gavin reminds us that it’s self-forgetfulness, not self-promotion, that leads us to joy. He puts on display the relief of humility and the comfort that comes with personally knowing the goodness and compassion of God. In an age where we feel the pressure to put ourselves front and center, this book is a needed correction and a sweet exhortation to instead hide ourselves in Jesus.”

__Jen Oshman, author, Enough about Me and Cultural Counterfeits__

There is a deep joy in finding freedom from yourself. This first entry in the Growing Gospel Integrity Series helps small groups and personal readers explore humility in a powerful way.

Humility

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