WE MUST always in our walks with Jesus Christ keep our eyes on the Lord and seek to please Him alone. The fact is that we belong to Jesus Christ. He has redeemed us with His precious blood and therefore we are not our own.272 This is a liberating truth if we can realize that all we do is in the clear view of God and therefore seek His approval alone. The early Church walked in the fear of the Lord273 and did not seek the accolades and esteem of men. “Then the Church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”274
The early Church sought to please God rather than men,275 for as our Lord had said: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”276 The fear of man is a snare277 but the fear of God is freedom to do His will.278
The religious men of our day exercise control and apply rules of men thereby bringing to naught anything born of the Spirit of God. Such men must be resisted in the fear of God.279 The early Apostles learned through the example of our Lord not to fear men even if it would get them killed. We must realize that when we fear men it hinders the work of God;280 may God keep us clear from this hindrance and allow us to have the fruitfulness of the early Church. May God keep us low always before Him as we seek to do His will,281 not caring about the opinions of men.
Another important aspect to this truth is that we will all stand before the judgment alone. In 2 Corinthians it says: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”282 So this should put a holy fear of God in our hearts that the decisions we make matter more before God than men. Each day as we follow the Lord we should seek to please Him knowing that one day soon we will stand before Him to give account. Sadly so few of God’s workers in our day clearly want to please God alone, for many struggle to get approval from men at the same time. We cannot please men and God always, there will be a dividing line that will come. In John 6 after the miracle of the loaves of bread, our Lord uttered some hard sayings and many were offended and left Him.283 We have to remember that Jesus said nothing except what was given to Him from the Father.284 May we follow in His example to speak the Words of God even if it brings great offense before men.