Growing Downward: The Path of Christ-Exalting Humility

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Author(s): Nick Thompson
Publisher:  Reformation Heritage Books
Price: $2.99      

Author Nick Thompson recognizes that pride is our worst enemy. If pride is our chief foe, then humility is our chief friend, even though its company may be painful. But spiritual growth is a descent—we must grow downward. Defining humility as “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception,” Thompson walks us through the practical implications of this definition, leading us to embrace a God-centered perspective on the self. With winsome illustration and warm pastoral instruction, Growing Downward shows us that the path of humility, though difficult, is the way to true meaning and fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Table of Contents:

Preface

Introduction: Toward a Definition of Humility
Part One: Existential Humility
1. Dependent Creatures
2. Covenantal Creatures
3. Temporal Creatures
Part Two: Ethical Humility
4. Fallen Sinners
5. Delusional Sinners
6. Hopeless Sinners
Part Three: Evangelical Humility
7. Represented Believers
8. Foreloved Believers
9. Adopted Believers
Part Four: Ecclesiological Humility
10. Devoted Members
11. Imperfect Members
12. Missional Members
Part Five: Eschatological Humility
13. Grave-bound Mortals
14. Judgment-bound Mortals
15. Eternity-bound Mortals

Author
Nick Thompson is the pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he resides with his wife and three sons.

Endorsement
“Christians can become lopsided, leaning towards either how to think, live, or feel better. Thompson’s teaching on humility teaches us to view ourselves more accurately and realistically, affecting every aspect of our lives. His impressive breadth of application makes his teaching concrete rather than abstract. This book establishes the right way of thinking and living in light of who God is and who we are. What more could one want in any book on theology, or on Christian living?” — Ryan M. McGraw, Morton H. Smith Professor of Systematic Theology, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“When I was a child, my mother used to tell a fable about a man who won a medal for humility but had it taken away the moment he wore it. The point was obvious and has been proven by time: we are never as humble as we ought to be, nor even as humble as we wish to be. Yet by God’s grace we can be humbler than we are right now, and it’s for that reason that I recommend Growing Downward, a book that mines the Scriptures to show how to display a humility that is empowered by Christ and exalts the name of Christ.” — Tim Challies
“In this much-needed, well-written, easy-to-read book on a critical subject for every Christian, Nick Thompson reminds us that real humility springs from knowing God and ourselves as both truly are. His book is a model of how theology should be applied to practical Christian living. He offers no manual on how to act humbly but provides biblical motivations to be humble. May God use this essential book in all of our lives so that we may genuinely confess with John the Baptist, ‘[Christ] must increase, and I must decrease.’” — Joel R. Beeke, president, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan