GOD'S APPROVAL OR MAN'S, WHICH DO YOU SEEK?

Dear friend, I am always baffled at people who are always bothered about what other humans would think of them when it comes to matters concerning God.

I once told a female colleague in the office not to use ear rings and jewellery as the Lord Jesus via revelations to many people says not to use those items because their origin is satanic and she asked me "what would my friends think if they see me looking so plain?"

I recently told a Muslim man about Jesus Christ and while this man revealed that his grandparents, mother and two of his 7 kids were Christians and further agreed from my submissions that Jesus Christ and Christianity was the right way to go, this man was still bothered more about what his fellow Muslim friends would think if he converted to Christianity at his age of 64 and he told me it was too late to convert.

One thing that rings out clearly in the two life examples I have given here is that many humans prefer men's approval to God's approval. Such people unfortunately forget that there is an eternity that beckons on every human being regardless of religious, cultural or moral affiliation and that eternity or life after death here on earth would be spent in heaven or hell.

Heaven would be for ONLY those who have heard the Gospel message of Repentance and Salvation, repented genuinely of evil, accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, lived a righteous life in obedience to Jesus' commands.

Hell on the other hand would be for those who heard the Gospel message of Repentance and Salvation of Jesus Christ and chose to disbelief and rebel against God or accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour BUT did not live a righteous life. One reason for not living a righteous life for many would be because such people sought man's approval rather than God's.

When the Pharisees told Apostles Peter and John not to speak again in the name of Jesus, the men answered in Acts 4:19-20 "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard."

Despite threats from the Pharisees, these men still continued to witness to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and God through His grace has made the Gospel message reach almost all ends of the earth today.

Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:10 "For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says in Matthew 10:37-39 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Please note that the Lord Jesus Christ is not asking people to disobey their parents because that would amount to sin against Him. What the Lord Jesus is saying is that a child CANNOT obey his or her parents and sin against Him (Jesus Christ) in consequence.

For instance, if a parent tells a child to steal, that would offend Jesus Christ. If a parent tells the child not to exchange greetings or pleasantries with a neighbour due to a quarrel between neighbour and child's parent, that would amount to sin against Jesus Christ if the child obeys.

In the same manner, a parent cannot love a child to the extent of sinning against God. For instance, if a parent gets or contracts someone else to sit for his or her child's school examinations because the parent loves the child and wants the child to pass, that would offend Jesus Christ.

A parent who embezzles funds at the workplace to provide for the needs of the family is offending Jesus Christ and needs to repent before it is too late.

Dear friend, I believe the message is clear now: Seeking God's approval over men is the right thing to do no matter the consequences because as our Lord Jesus Christ has said in Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Dear friend, beginning from today, in all you do, say, think or refuse to do, please seek to fear and please God above all things and respect your fellow human beings because everything we do is recorded in heaven and God will not overlook one tiny detail of our lives while alive here on earth and will use it to assess our eligibility for eternity with Him in heaven.

May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on it and share with others in Jesus' Precious Name, Amen.

Gabriel Ama.