To be holy is to be set apart, different, exalted spiritually because you're humbled personally. There is no other way. If you're prideful, arrogant, smug, or self-impressed, you're not spiritual, religious, or holy.
Holy humbleness is not like secular, materialistic modesty, masochism, or self-abasement.
Unspiritual people can have a semblance of lowliness that is fawning, subservient, sycophantic, demeaning, victimized, or manipulative. Some people enjoy humiliating themselves, because of lack of self-confidence or attempts to take another person off guard with a fake subordinate sincerity.
Holy humbleness is being afraid of, or adverse to, pompous self-congratulatory pride and the sense of invulnerability.
When you see an ascetic, monk, priest, pastor, youth ministry leader, Bible teacher, Christian musician, or inspirational book author fall from grace into error or sin, you don't sit in judgment. Before you even evaluate them according to the scriptures, you look in the mirror.
"Him today. Me tomorrow."
You know that only by the grace of God, and the momentum of previous efforts, are you preserved from the evil that the other person appears to have slipped into.
You know that, without God's protection and guidance, you suddenly, inexplicably, at any moment -- you could sully your testimony, contaminate your witness, cause a path walker to stumble, make a seeker offended at you, gradually and imperceptibly abandon the faith, or become a heretic.
Yes, we must compare what people and say with the example of Jesus Christ and the written Logos Word of God.
No, we dare not act superior or feel elite and safe in our "holier than thou" attitude.
Next time you see someone do something stupid, wicked, cruel, or insane, whisper to yourself:
"Him today. Me tomorrow. Have mercy, Lord Jesus, on him, and me, and the entire world. Amen."
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