The Burning Bush Vol 9 No 2.pmd - Far Eastern Bible College

SCRIPTURAL DIRECTIONS AGAINST MAN-PLEASING
to them over us are from God, for God, and not against God. They are to
be honoured, obeyed, and pleased not in opposition to the higher
authority of God, but as unto God Himself. There are therefore limits and
ways as to how far we are to give our due respect to man.
Now if we obey man more than God, and in doing so, we go against
God; if we value the favour and approval of man more than God’s, or go
against God’s approval in order to gain man’s favour; and if we fear
man’s censure or displeasure more than God’s, we are putting man up on
a high pedestal, in the place of God. We are idolising man. This is a great
and grave sin against Almighty God. It is a violation of God’s
commandment to worship Him and Him only with no other gods or idols.
“Thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God” (Exod 34:14).
What is our chief end in life? Are the concerns of our hearts and
lives centred around man? Do we care too much how man observe us,
seek always to please man in all things that we do, and allow man to rule
our lives with regard to our joy or sadness in life? The chief end of man is
to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Man’s chief purpose in life is to
serve God; and if he will do it faithfully, he will enjoy the blessings of
God abundantly. Let not man compete for our hearts and lives. God
should be on the throne in our hearts and He should have the rightful
control over our lives. Let not man stand in between God and us. The
Lord Jesus should be the only Man to stand in between God and us, to
mediate for us before God the Father. “There is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).
The Holy Scripture forbids that man be thought above that which is
written (1 Cor 4:6). Man should be valued or regarded, like all other
creatures, as subordinate and subservient to God. There are many
injunctions from the Word of God that advise and warn us against the sin
of man-pleasing. “Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for
wherein is he to be accounted of?” (Isa 2:22). “And call no man your
father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven” (Matt
23:9). “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ;
and all ye are brethren” (Matt 23:8). “Cursed be the man that trusteth in
man, and maketh flesh his arm” (Jer 17:5). “The LORD is on my side; I
will not fear: what can man do unto me? It is better to trust in the LORD
than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put
confidence in princes” (Ps 118:6, 8, 9). “Let me not, I pray you, accept
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