Pleasing God

1Thess 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

We all want the approval of others. And as Christian, we do our best to please others and make the life of others easier and gratifying. It is not a sin to go out of your way to please someone if it is for the right reason. Seeking approval of others to gain their special favor for your selfish gain is to miss the mark. We all want to be accepted, and will sometimes do things to seek others approval. Such seeking is not restricted to the young and low self-esteem individual, but finds its way into adulthood. The things we do should not be dictated whether it will meet the approval of others, but ultimately does it meet the approval of God. Is He pleased with what we say or what we do? He who knows the heart right discerns our motive for seeking approval. He sees the reason behind everything we do. We sometimes have to make decisions that will not meet the approval of those looking on, but we must not let that influence our purpose or decision to do what is right and acceptable to the One we must give an account. May our action meet the approval of God and let the consequence fall into the hands of God who knows best.

Believing Without Confessing

John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

Believing without confessing. Such were many of the religious rulers in Jesus’s day. They could not deny the power of God. Pride blinded their eyes in taking the next step to confess His Name and follow Him. They took upon themselves all the rituals of a religion, having a form of godliness, but denying the true power of God. Why? Because they feared what others may think. They feared for their reputation and standing in the religious order of their sect. Many today, believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They go to church, follow many of the teachings of Jesus (The Word of God), but stop short of confessing that Jesus is Lord of their lives and proclaiming that He is the only way to the Father. They desire the approval of man, more than the approval of God. They still live in darkness, and their eyes have yet to be open to see the kingdom of God. Most of us who live in America, don’t face physical persecution for our faith, but we face the pressure of being reticule, rejected, and mocked for confessing that Jesus is the only name under heaven to obtain eternal life. Believing is good, but not good enough. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”