Articles
Does It Matter Who We Please?
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, who was straying from the true doctrine that they had begun under. As he opened his letter, here are a few of the things he said:
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you" ie, Jesus Christ, "and are turning to a different gospel"...
When he referenced that different gospel, he said "which is really no Gospel at all".
He said "some people are throwing you into confusion, and are trying to pervert the Gospel of Christ"....
Paul then says twice, "but if we or an angel from heaven should preach a Gospel other than the one we preached to you (before), let them be under God's curse!"
A couple of verses down, Paul makes it clear that what he had preached to them was not of human origin, that he did not receive it from any man, but that it came directly from Christ himself.
He asks and answers this question, which is a good question for us to consider today, "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Today, if we have chosen to serve Christ, when it comes to the way we think, the way we believe, what we teach and even how we worship, are we trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Which one really matters?
We would all do well to look around us, and answer these questions for ourselves. In our worship, have we moved from doing what is authorized by Christ in His word, to what makes people happy? Have we allowed someone or some group to confuse us, and pervert the Gospel that we know to be the one Gospel? Have we allowed our doctrine to be altered? Have we watered it down to a feel good religion, or are we still preaching Heaven vs Hell and a God of both mercy and punishment?
In our motivation, are we trying to win the approval of man, or the approval of God? When we consider the answers to these questions, is it evident that we are trying to be a servant of God, or does it appear that we are making an effort to be people pleasers?
