Am I Seeking Man's Approval Instead of God?
There's the problem and comfort that every Christian must face: they're saved from their sinful lifestyles but they're still not completely saved from sin. There's salvation from the power of sin then there's sanctification from sin and the final event will be glorification. I have a lot of sins to struggle with like lust, bitterness, impatience and wrath (just to name a few), the part of me that wants to seek approval from man instead of God is no different.
Why is it so easy to love the approval of man instead of the approval of God? It's because man is visible and God is invisible. It's because the whole world is in rebellion against God. It's because getting God's approval means that anyone is not going to get the world's approval. I wish I could be accepted by both God and the sinful world but that's impossible. John 15:18-19 shows that Christians will be hated by the world. Since the whole world is in rebellion against God then I shouldn't expect to receive the approval of men. The approval of men means I have to compromise with sin. Their approval is but temporary and fleeting compared to the eternal riches in Christ Jesus.
One of the many problems of the Pharisees is that they continuously sought the approval of man. Leaders of false religions usually seek the approval of man. They think too much about what others think of them instead of what God thinks of them. Although Christians are called to do good works so others may see God's power but it's no guarantee that the world will accept them. A lot of times, God's glory is revealed more during the times of bitter affliction and persecution than when Christians do everyday good deeds like helping the needy and the disabled or doing proper courtesy. Christianity grows the most in the face of opposition because Christians reveal that not only do they have something worth dying for but also because of showing love and forgiveness for the most wicked of people by God's grace.
This also makes me think about this truth about the Reformation and pre-Reformation martyrs. The Roman Catholic institution was the most powerful force on Earth. Opposing it meant having a lot of people against you. Today, there's over 5 billion or more Roman Catholics. The Pope gets the most attention. When one Pope dies, there's a lot of people who mourn for the Unholy Father. When Pope John Paul II died, it became a huge worldwide broadcast. When I read the Foxe's Book of Martyrs and other legitimate books about the Vatican, I really couldn't help but think they had the guts to stand up for what's right. Jan Hus, Girolamo Savonarola and William Tyndale were all burned at the stake like many others who were burned for their testimony as Christians. Martin Luther suffered a life of affliction.
The Bible never gives a single hint that the Apostles lived a glamorous life either. They were preaching the Gospel even if it meant going against the Pharisees and the corrupt Roman Empire. They didn't back down even if it meant dying painful deaths. That's why I don't buy that garbage called "Your Best Life Now" by the prosperity gospel crowd. From Matthew to Acts, I don't see the apostles living a glamorous life. Peter could have kept the fishing trade but instead he was made the first pastor for the New Testament Church. When Peter became a pastor I don't see him living in a basilica named after him. No, Peter's pastorate was never marked by glamorous splendor but by a life of persecution. When Saul became Paul, it meant abandoning his glamorous life as a Pharisee. Paul's missionary journey was not always well-received as he suffered persecution left and right. But they did what they did because they sought God's approval not man.
I know it hurts my pride. It's very easy for me to say you hurt my pride so you better watch out. Then I end up saying, "Wait a minute! What if I'm now shaking my fist at God?" God hurts the pride of people to make them better. Ephesians 2:8-10 is really that pride crushing because from salvation to sanctification it's never been about me or you. From the time the person gets saved to the time they bear fruit it's by God's grace. God saved me and ordained me to good works. God ordained me to good works and it's His power not mine. Every Christian has that power against sin by God's grace and not by their inherent selves. It may have made me lose my approval with man for the rest of my life but God's approval lasts forever.
Besides, getting the approval of the world means getting the approval of people who are on their way to Hell. Matthew 7:13-14 warns that there are more people going to Hell than to Heaven. Why should I care about what the majority thinks about me when they're wrong? Right is always right even when the world disagrees. Wrong is always wrong even when the whole world agrees.
Why is it so easy to love the approval of man instead of the approval of God? It's because man is visible and God is invisible. It's because the whole world is in rebellion against God. It's because getting God's approval means that anyone is not going to get the world's approval. I wish I could be accepted by both God and the sinful world but that's impossible. John 15:18-19 shows that Christians will be hated by the world. Since the whole world is in rebellion against God then I shouldn't expect to receive the approval of men. The approval of men means I have to compromise with sin. Their approval is but temporary and fleeting compared to the eternal riches in Christ Jesus.One of the many problems of the Pharisees is that they continuously sought the approval of man. Leaders of false religions usually seek the approval of man. They think too much about what others think of them instead of what God thinks of them. Although Christians are called to do good works so others may see God's power but it's no guarantee that the world will accept them. A lot of times, God's glory is revealed more during the times of bitter affliction and persecution than when Christians do everyday good deeds like helping the needy and the disabled or doing proper courtesy. Christianity grows the most in the face of opposition because Christians reveal that not only do they have something worth dying for but also because of showing love and forgiveness for the most wicked of people by God's grace.
This also makes me think about this truth about the Reformation and pre-Reformation martyrs. The Roman Catholic institution was the most powerful force on Earth. Opposing it meant having a lot of people against you. Today, there's over 5 billion or more Roman Catholics. The Pope gets the most attention. When one Pope dies, there's a lot of people who mourn for the Unholy Father. When Pope John Paul II died, it became a huge worldwide broadcast. When I read the Foxe's Book of Martyrs and other legitimate books about the Vatican, I really couldn't help but think they had the guts to stand up for what's right. Jan Hus, Girolamo Savonarola and William Tyndale were all burned at the stake like many others who were burned for their testimony as Christians. Martin Luther suffered a life of affliction.
The Bible never gives a single hint that the Apostles lived a glamorous life either. They were preaching the Gospel even if it meant going against the Pharisees and the corrupt Roman Empire. They didn't back down even if it meant dying painful deaths. That's why I don't buy that garbage called "Your Best Life Now" by the prosperity gospel crowd. From Matthew to Acts, I don't see the apostles living a glamorous life. Peter could have kept the fishing trade but instead he was made the first pastor for the New Testament Church. When Peter became a pastor I don't see him living in a basilica named after him. No, Peter's pastorate was never marked by glamorous splendor but by a life of persecution. When Saul became Paul, it meant abandoning his glamorous life as a Pharisee. Paul's missionary journey was not always well-received as he suffered persecution left and right. But they did what they did because they sought God's approval not man.
I know it hurts my pride. It's very easy for me to say you hurt my pride so you better watch out. Then I end up saying, "Wait a minute! What if I'm now shaking my fist at God?" God hurts the pride of people to make them better. Ephesians 2:8-10 is really that pride crushing because from salvation to sanctification it's never been about me or you. From the time the person gets saved to the time they bear fruit it's by God's grace. God saved me and ordained me to good works. God ordained me to good works and it's His power not mine. Every Christian has that power against sin by God's grace and not by their inherent selves. It may have made me lose my approval with man for the rest of my life but God's approval lasts forever.
Besides, getting the approval of the world means getting the approval of people who are on their way to Hell. Matthew 7:13-14 warns that there are more people going to Hell than to Heaven. Why should I care about what the majority thinks about me when they're wrong? Right is always right even when the world disagrees. Wrong is always wrong even when the whole world agrees.