Dear Christian, Don't Seek God's Approval and the World's Approval at the Same Time

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Christians would have this struggle that they are tempted to seek the approval of both God and the world at the same time. This is foolish thinking for this very reason - John 15:18-19 warns that the Christians are not of the world and James 4:4 says that the friends of the world are enemies of God. A Christian is now a friend of God and therefore they have become enemies of the world. The world is in enmity with God and Jesus warned in John 15:18-19 that the world will hate the Christian because it hates Him before it hates His followers!

So how would one illustrate the very idea of pleasing God and man at the same time? One can think of the serious mistakes made by Solomon and Jehoshaphat. Solomon in 1 Kings 11:4 soon foolishly made alliances with pagan kingdoms. Ecclesiastes has Solomon regretting his very foolishness. Jehoshaphat soon made a foolish alliance with King Ahab in 2 Chronicles 18 and was rebuked for it in 2 Chronicles 19:4. Solomon knew better than to marry heathen women and add them into his harem. Jehoshaphat knew how Ahab was far more wicked than any kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. Both kings brought the revivals they so started into ruin. So why should godly men forge unequal yokes and seek the approval of ungodly men? Elijah took no hesitation to rebuking Ahab yet godly Jehoshaphat took no hesitation in having such a shaky alliance.

The New Testament can also have the very incident of Peter denying Jesus in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Why do you think Peter quickly said he was not a follower of Jesus? Aside from his pride - he was also now in fear. It would be very risky for him to expose himself as a follower of Jesus. What would have started as him being willing not to deny Jesus - he ended up doing so not only because of pride but because of fear. The very sin of Peter denying Jesus can be seen as him trying to seek approval of both his Lord and the world. Yet, Jesus stared back at him causing him to weep bitterly. Peter ended up regretting and repenting of what he did. He ended up figuring out that he sought the approval of the world and Christ at the same time. Later, Acts 15 records how Peter was rebuked for repeating the same mistake by his fellow apostle Paul who was concerned about him as a fellow preacher. 

Was the Gospel even meant to be pleasing to the world? Not at all. The world is hostile towards God to start with. The very Gospel may be good news but it's also bad news. The bad news in the Gospel is that man isn't basically good yet that idea is repulsive to secular thinking. he very idea of a righteous God sending His eternal Son to die for the sins of mankind is looked upon as disgusting because the world is opposed to the message of the Gospel. The good news in the Gospel is that salvation is free yet the very idea of the world is salvation by works. The Gospel promotes a makeover and a change from sin to the Savior yet the world is full of people who are so wicked, they love their sin yet they think that they are still morally upright at the same time. That's why it's very hard to believe the Gospel - it's because of a heart hardened to sin and pride! 

There's really the problem that society itself would rather please man than God. The reason is because you can see men but you can't see God. You have atheist scholars who would do anything to please their fellow men while expressing their open hatred and disgust for God. You have people who would rather please world rulers and be given obeisance by them (such as the Pope) yet they could care less about what the Bible says. You have fake pastors who would rather please the world than preach the Gospel. Yet, the mission of the Christian is to simply seek God's approval.

The truth is that the Christian life is called for blessing through suffering. Matthew 5:11-12 says that blessed are the Christians when men shall persecute them and falsely accuse them for the sake of the Kingdom. It's very easy to forget those verses especially if one relies on the flesh. The fallen flesh only wants to have the world's approval. The new man seeks to please God. It's the constant battle of every Christian that the old man wants to please the world yet the new man wants to please God. It's only by God's grace that Christians can continuously forget to forget seeking the please the world and focus on pleasing God.

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