“FOR DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN, OR GOD? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
Galatians 1:10 (NKJV)
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, THAT HE MAY PLEASE HIM WHO ENLISTED HIM AS A SOLDIER.”
2 Timothy 2:4 (NKJV)
• Whoever God has placed His call upon should strive to please HIM WHO has called him or her.
- Some who claim to be ministers of God do things to please human beings.
- Those who want to please men would not obey God to the letter.
- In some instances, what God would ask you to do will not go down well with some people—they might even hate you because you want to obey God.
- Whoever wants to please men would not be a practical Christian.
- A number of Christian ethics are contrary to the belief system of the world.
• Paul said if he still pleased men, he would not be a bond servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).
- If you want to be relevant in God’s Kingdom, you want to be His bondservant, thus you should not persuade men or please men.
- Let your stand be known in whatever the matter, and be clear about it—about what you believe, how the situation should be or look like.
• Take note:
- Those who want to please men would not be raw in their message, when God sent them on an assignment, they would not deliver the message as they were given or sent to deliver it (1 Samuel 15:1-23).
- Some ministers would not hesitate to distort or pervert the message they were given to deliver to the people of God because of the fear of men or they want to please men (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5).
- God reposes trust or confidence in you, you should not let Him down (1 Timothy 6:10,11).
• Do not change the message given you by God to the people, because you do not want to offend some.
- Be ready to suffer persecution because you speak the truth.
MANY are against the truth, some would fight against you because you speak or teach the truth (2 Timothy 3:2; Jeremiah 1:7,8,17-19).
- "But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I am a youth,' FOR YOU SHALL GO TO ALL WHOM I SEND YOU, AND WHATEVER I COMMAND YOU, YOU SHALL SPEAK.
- Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the LORD.
- THEY WILL FIGHT AGAINST YOU, BUT THEY SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST YOU. For I am with you," says the LORD, "TO DELIVER YOU."
Jeremiah 1:7,8,19 (NKJV)
- If you preach or teach the truth of the Word of God, your message will always come under attacks.
SOME charlatans who claimed to be Ministers would also want to attack you (2 Corinthians 11:14,15).
- “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. CONVINCE, REBUKE, EXHORT, with all long-suffering and teaching.
- FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, but according to their own desires, BECAUSE THEY HAVE ITCHING EARS, they will heap up for themselves TEACHERS;
- and THEY WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, and be turned aside to fables.
- But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.”
2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NKJV)
• There must be a tie between the Sender, God; and the sent one, the minister; for you to stay focus on the assignment, and not compromise your stand.
- A minister that would NOT persuade men or please men would have the fear of God.
“We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.”
2 Corinthians 6:3 (NLT)
- “You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.
- I’M ASHAMED TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN TOO “WEAK” TO DO THAT!”
2 Corinthians 11:20,21 (NLT)
- Such a minister would have a strong communion with God.
- A minister that would not please men: would not be covetous, greedy for money, such would have been broken, delivered from the control of the flesh (1 Timothy 3:3).
- He or she would have unwavering submission to God, ready to accept whatever God allows, permits, or brings on his or her way (Philippians 4:11-13).
- “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have LEARNED in whatever state I am, to be content:
- I KNOW HOW TO BE ABASED, AND I KNOW HOW TO ABOUND. EVERYWHERE AND IN ALL THINGS, I HAVE LEARNED BOTH TO BE FULL AND TO BE HUNGRY, BOTH TO ABOUND AND TO SUFFER NEED.
- I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”
Philippians 4:11-13(NKJV)
• In contrast, a minister who pleases men would pervert and distort the Word of God.
- Such would do unwholesome things because of money, mundane.
- The conscience of such a minister would be callous after he or she has been fiddling with sin for a period of time—the conscience of such would permit him or her to do evil things or whatever contrary to the Word of God (1 Timothy 4:2).
- having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. THEY HAVE A HEART TRAINED IN COVETOUS PRACTICES, and are accursed children.
- They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, WHO LOVED THE WAGES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS;
- but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
2 Peter 2:14-16 (NKJV)
• The goal of every minister should be how to please God who enlisted or called him or her (1 Timothy 2:4).
- For this goal to be fulfilled, he or she has to behold Him, Jesus Christ, through His Word (Hebrews 12:1,2).
- When you behold Him through His Word, you bear His resemblance (2 Corinthians 3:18).
“But we all, with unveiled face, BEHOLDING AS IN A MIRROR THE GLORY OF THE LORD, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!