“For they loved the praise of men more
than the praise of God.” – John 12:4
On occasion following the will
of God will take us in direct opposition with the opinions of some. This
happens to the righteous: it happened to the prophets, it happened to John the
Baptist, and it happened to Jesus; it will happen to those who follow
Him. “The preaching of the cross is to them that parish foolishness”
The chief rulers of that day
believed Jesus and did nothing. They could not part with their title and
rank, they could not humble themselves and “esteem the reproach of Christ
greater riches.” This would not only ultimately keep them out of
heaven, but it will forever hinder them from effectively leading the people; and
they are not the only ones who fall into this trap. How many preachers,
pastors, bishops, and church boards are currently leading their flock astray
because they desire the approval of the people more than that of God’s?
Constantly weighing the truth that needs to be presented against the response
of the majority; and voting for the latter. Oh but fear not, this doesn’t
happen in your church………it happens in every church, because it happens in
everyman. The praise of men strokes our pride and ego, and on top of that
it is often the easier route to travel. We have an innate
desire to please the people, and this is not all bad, but when you desire the
praise of men over the praise of God then the trouble begins.
A commitment to Christ is a
commitment to follow Christ and follow His example. Jesus “did always the will of his Father.”
No matter what happen or who agreed/disagreed; he did the will of God. He
preached to multitudes and he preached to one. He delivered sermons where
many flocked to him and he deliver sermons where many walked away. No
matter what happened, he did the will of his Father. He was totally
immune to the praise and promise that came from men. He desired their
well-being, and he loved them truly, but God’s will was always supreme. For the sake of the lost souls around us and
for the sake of our own souls, let us examine ourselves. Do we shy away
from the open door in conversation to talk about Jesus, because we know it
might make our co-workers awkward around us? Do we look to change the
conversation when God or church comes up, for fear we might be labeled and
ignored? Do we take the hush mouth on homosexuality or adultery or
drunkenness or various other besetting sins because we don’t want to offend our
cousin, or brother-in-law, or rather we just plain don’t want to offend?
Stop and consider, what is the greater offence to God: he who knows that these
sins will send a soul straight to hell and says nothing; or he who is ignorant
of the truth and continues in them? Loving the praise of men more than
the praise of God may not always but can potentially cost both you and those
around you a home in heaven. The idea of
salvation through Jesus Christ may be foolishness to the world, but that does
not absolve us from declaring it. May
God help us to “do always the will of God.”
The silver bullet to all
Satan’s devices is summed up in one verse: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:30) If we
love God we will do His will. We will say what he wants us to and keep
silent when he asks us to. If we love God supreme all: pride, arrogance,
cowardice, and ego is buried by that love. When we love God we want what
he wants and we cannot be confounded by the devil. When we love God the
praise of men and the trappings of this world blur out of vision as we focus
our entire being on Him. “Let us love
our God supremely.”
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