Far too many Christians and those in ministry are not seeking the glory of the Lord today, but are seeking personal glory from men. They want to be recognised for their good works and good deeds by man rather than God.
But we ought to beware of those who seek the glory of man rather than that of God. Such people are pleasing their own appetites rather than pleasing the Lord.
And sadly today it is being preached as a good thing. This is the essence of the prosperity gospel because it looks to the things of man instead of the things of God. So again I warn as this scripture does, beware of those who seek the glory of man.
Seeking the glory of man
This scripture today gives us some good insights into what those who seek the glory of man might do.
5 For we never used either words of flattery, as you know, or a cloak for greed, as God is witness; 6 nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. (1 Thessalonians 2:5-6)
Look at these words. They speak of those who flatter, and not for any good purpose. They flatter for the sake of greed and to satisfy their own cravings.
Amongst those who preach the prosperity gospel are many who do exactly this. They flatter for the purpose of seeking gain from others. They flatter their congregations with silky words to get them to follow their ways.
And by so doing they are not seeking the glory of the Lord but their own. Beware of those who seek the glory of man.
Seeking the glory and the things of man such as wealth will not lead you to the kingdom of God. Wealth in particular is a trap for many people, and when it is preached in the church as though it were a good thing, it leads people astray.
There are so many scriptures that preach against seeking the wealth of man and how doing so can lead people astray. Let me give you just one as an example.
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
This scripture alone is evidence of the dangers of seeking the glory of man rather than that of God. It shows us that the love of money, which is greed, is the root of all evil. And there are those among the prosperity gospel preachers who are preaching greed. It is not right and it is not the way of the Lord
As you continue reading that scripture we see that by following this path, people fall into temptation, a snare and trap, hurtful desires that lead to ruin and destruction.
It is not physical ruin that this is necessarily speaking about, and that may occur too. But rather it is spiritual ruin where people turn away from seeking the things of the Lord to run after riches and wealth thinking that path will lead to security.
It is false thinking and false religion, so again I say beware of those who seek the glory of man. It will lead people away from the faith and back into the ways of the world.
Seeking the glory of the Lord
The contrast between seeking the glory of man and that of the Lord is easily seen.
The glory of man is selfish. It is self-seeking looking always for “what’s in it for me.”
But to seek the glory of the Lord is to seek to do as Jesus did and to walk in His ways. It is to serve rather than be served. It is to lay down your own life and the things of this life for the sake of others.
Basically it is to follow in the way of God’s love and to seek to be a help rather than a hindrance.
Jesus came as a servant and to serve the people of the Lord. He came to show us the way and to provide the perfect example of how to seek the glory of God.
He provided us with all the necessary teachings to learn how to follow in His ways so that we could serve as He did. And the promises offered to those who serve are immense: peace, joy, love, compassion, forgiveness, and in the end, eternal life.
When we seek the glory of God we recognise Him for who He is. We also recognise that He is worthy of praise and worship for without God we would be without hope.
Jesus is our hope. Jesus is the one that God put forward so that we could have life. And Jesus is the way by which we can come to God to be reconciled to Him.
So beware of those who seek the glory of man and instead seek the glory of God. When you do then your reward will come from God and that reward is not temporary or fading like the things that man glories over. God’s rewards are eternal and God’s glory is eternal.
Follow the gospel of Jesus Christ and not the false teachings of the worldly prosperity gospel. Prosperity gospel is a lie and will lead to death, but the gospel of Jesus Christ leads to life.
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Wealth Will Not Make You Secure
You Cannot Serve God And Mammon
Whoever Seeks To Gain His Life Will Lose It
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Render To God The Things That Are Gods
Life In Abundance
Its Not About Position
Love Shares It Does Not Take
Living Futile Lives
The Lords Prayer and Issues of Seeking Praise from Men
Jesus Chooses The Twelve
Knowing Gods Will A Good Rule Of Thumb
There Are None So Blind
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No Shortcuts
Hi! I’m John, the owner, author, and editor of this site. Over the past 50+ years as a Christian I have been teaching, preaching and writing about the Bible to help Christians gain a deeper insight into the scriptures that are easily understood. I also answer specific Bible related questions, so feel free to contact me.
