Please God, not People!

Paul bluntly (sometimes harshly) gave warning/rebuked. This indicates that he's more concerned about pleasing God than seeking people's approval. As servants of Christ, we must never compromise God's message.  Remember that the true gospel always is and will be offensive to some people. When we Christians live by God's Word, follow and proclaim the true Gospel, we will inevitably offend some people even though we speak the truth in love. Let us continue to live and speak God's truth in love, humility, & grace, and with respect, gentleness, & boldness. People may still be offended...so be it. I'd rather them be offended and know the true gospel than be deceived thinking they are doing just fine without Christ when in fact, they're lost and heading to Hell. We must not remain silent for fear of offending unbelievers when we have an opportunity to share the true gospel that can save them from spending an eternity in Hell apart from God.

God calls us to stand out from the world for Him and His kingdom, not to be conformed to the pattern of this world. The disease to please people is dangerous. If you live your life trying to please everybody, you'll definitely be sorely disappointed and miserable. Is your fear of offending people greater than your fear (utmost reverence) of God? It must not be. If we're honest, we'll admit that the pain of rejection is real. More or less, we all still like to be liked and approved by others, especially our loved ones. However, our goal of pleasing God must come first. Our worth/value is not and should never be based upon human's approval. Remember that we are God's children, dearly & unconditionally loved by Him despite our flaws and imperfections. He has already loved us with an everlasting love. We should not base our decisions on the opinions of other people, either. Instead, we should aim at obeying, pleasing, and honoring God in all our decisions.

Prayer: Lord, please give me the courage to always do what's right in Your eyes, no matter what others may think or feel about me. Please help me to share the gospel boldly. May my attitudes, words, and actions please, honor, and glorify You!

"Religion in America is big business. Scads of money, powerful personalities, huge egos, and positions of prominence, influence, and recognition are at stake in the business of religion, just as they are in any other business. There was a time when the concern of churches and preachers in this country was the glory of God and the truth of God. Today, like any business, the concern is for success. 

Christianity today is market-driven. The goal of all marketing is to make both the buyer and the seller satisfied. Consequently, market-driven churches, in utter abandonment of God’s glory and God’s truth, in their insatiable quest for success and recognition--do whatever it takes to win customers and keep them. 

Be warned! False doctrine and worldliness always go hand in hand. Worldliness usually leads the way. The early modernists did not aim at destroying biblical Christianity. They simply tried to make Christianity palatable to an unbelieving world." (Don Fortner)