The words of God are not always appreciated by people. In both the Old and the New Covenant, many people were not able to hear and bear the words of God, whereby prophets were killed, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Living Word, was crucified, the disciples and witnesses of Jesus Christ were (and still are) persecuted. But through the influence of the world (spirit of this world), the attitude of Christians towards God and people has changed. Instead of the approval of God, Christians seek to win the favor of people and have made it their business to be constantly pleasing people. And so many Christians have become people pleasers instead of God pleasers. But can a people pleaser be a servant of Christ? What does the Bible say about people pleasers in the last days?
Can a people pleaser be a servant of Christ?
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man (according to man). For I nether received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:10-12)
In Galatians 1:10 Paul wrote, that if he sought to please men, he shouldn’t be the servant of Christ. The gospel he preached was not after man. He didn’t receive it of man nor was he taught it, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul was a servant of Christ and spoke the words of God, which are not always believed and appreciated by people, let alone obeyed.
But Paul was not a people pleaser but a God pleaser. He didn’t seek to please people, but Paul sought to please God. Therefore Paul stayed faithful to God and kept preaching the words of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven, despite the reproach, afflictions, necessities, distresses, tumults, labors, stripes, and imprisonment (a.o. 2 Corinthians 6:1-10).
A good soldier of Christ speaks the words of God and proclaims the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation
For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6)
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16)
Paul stood in the service of God and not in the service of man. After all, Paul proclaimed the gospel, which he received by the revelation of Jesus Christ, and not a gospel after man (according to man), which he received from man nor was taught it.
Paul didn’t preach a powerless manmade gospel. But Paul preached the gospel of Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes (a.o. Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2:4-5).
Paul was bold and wasn’t ashamed of the gospel.
As a good soldier of Christ, Paul brought the gospel of Christ to the people, with much contention. Because his own countrymen, who didn’t please God, forbade Paul and the others to speak the gospel to the Gentiles so that they might be saved.
But Paul was not intimidated by them, nor did he allow them to hinder him and stop him from preaching the good news to the Gentiles. Paul continued to speak the words of God and preach the gospel of Christ and called the people to repentance, exhorted and taught them, and led them on the right path of the Word.
Paul was a faithful witness of Christ and a God-pleaser. He had a fear of God and had yielded his life to Christ. Because of that, Paul didn’t change the Word for the sake of the people, but Paul confronted the people and exhorted them for the sake of the Word, so that their lives would change according to the will of God and His Word, and they would put off the old man and put on the new man, and they would be and remain saved (Read also: Is once saved always saved Biblical?).
People pleasers instead of God pleasers
In contrast to many, who call themselves Christians, and preachers, who are not spiritual but carnal, and don’t seek to please God but seek to please people. They don’t speak the words of God, but they speak their own words and adjust the Word to the will and desires of man, so that the old man can stay alive and they can keep living after the flesh without feelings of condemnation.
And so the people pleasers have created a manmade gospel that didn’t derive from God and His Word and is not after His will, but derived from their carnal mind, findings, feelings and worldly knowledge, after the will of man. A manmade gospel that doesn’t lead to the salvation of people but the destruction of people.
The devil is the father of lies
For example, they consider lying as normal and don’t see anything wrong with it. Especially if it’s to their advantage or if they can substantiate it and there is a good explanation for it.
But God says, that He hates the lie and that lying is a sin. If God says that lying is a sin, then lying is sin, despite the opinions of people (a.o. Exodus 20:16, Deuteronomy 5:20, Proverbs 6:16-19, Romans 13:9).
People may disagree with the words of God and have another opinion about a matter, but it doesn’t matter what people think about something, but what God thinks and says about something.
After all, God is the Creator of heaven and earth and all there is within. God has determined and settled the laws.
Therefore God determines and not the people (Read also: Not my opinion but Your opinion).
But since many people are still the old creation, who have the nature of the devil that is prideful and rebels against God and His commandments and exalts himself above the words of God, they believe their lies and think their lies are the truth. And so they live according to their lies and preach their lies, just like their father, who is the father of lies.
In contrast to those, who are born again in Christ and are spiritual and belong to God and have His nature and study the Bible and listen to His words and obey His words.
They discern the lies from the truth, because they know the truth of God and know His will. Therefore they shall not believe and follow the lies of man, that are based upon their carnal knowledge, experience, and opinion. But they shall follow the words of God that are written in the Word and through the Holy Spirit, Who lives in the sons of God (this applies to both males and females) are written upon their heart (Read also: Why did God write His law on tablets of stone?).
God is the Father of truth
A son of God hears the words of his Father and believes the words of his Father and shall not lie, but shall speak the truth, just like his Father.
A son of God shall not be a false witness and shall not bear false witness and speak words that contradict the words and the truth of God. But a son of God is a faithful witness, who speaks the words of his Father, despite the consequences.
In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devil.
A child of God speaks the words of God and pleases God instead of man. A child of the devil speaks the words of man and pleases man instead of God. Therefore a people pleaser can’t be a servant of Christ, since a people pleaser speaks what people want to hear.
What does the Bible say about people pleasers in the last days?
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timotheüs 4:1-4)
However, the Word has warned us. Just like the Word warns us about many things.
We live in a time, where people, who call themselves Christians, can’t endure sound doctrine anymore. This is mainly because regeneration and sanctification don’t occur and the fear of God has gone and because of the pride of man, the human knowledge, wisdom, and will of the carnal man has been mixed with the knowledge, wisdom, and will of God. Very slowly the words of God have been replaced by the words of man, whereby the gospel is slowly adjusted to the will and desires of man and focuses on the flesh (Read also: I will give you the riches of the world and Why the prosperity gospel is preached).
The people have rejected spiritual preachers, who are born again and are witnesses of Jesus Christ and preach the words of God and call the people to repentance and the removal of sin and to follow Jesus; the Word and do the will of God, from the church.
These rejected preachers have been replaced by carnal motivational speakers, who are full of themselves and are witnesses of themselves, speaking their own words and constantly preaching new things that are inspired by the spirit of this world (the spirit of this age), the knowledge and wisdom of this world, their feelings, lying wonders, deceiving revelations and visions, experiences, and are pleasant to hear, because they are after the will and desires of the carnal man.
Motivational speakers, who don’t preach the words of God in the right context, but have taken the words of God out of context and twisted them and given their own interpretation, whereby they have defiled the words of God and preach a false gospel that doesn’t call sinners to repentance and doesn’t correct and exhort believers, but let them be (in their sins). Because according to their false doctrine, false love of Jesus, and the false way they preach. people can do whatever they want to do and keep walking after the flesh and live in sin without any consequences (Read also: Shall you not die if you sin?).
Spiritual preachers are persecuted, but carnal preachers are followed and idolized
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12)
These preachers are often charismatic and eloquent and because they speak flattering words and say what people want to hear, they are loved and draw a large audience. They are praised by people and put on a pedestal and are followed and idolized by people instead of persecuted.
This is not surprising, since the Word says that those who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If someone is not in Christ and doesn’t speak the words of God and will not live godly, they shall not experience persecution.
Because church leaders are people pleasers, church members have become people pleasers
Because preachers are no longer God pleasers but people pleasers and only speak motivational and positive words that people want to hear, the church members also have become people pleasers instead of God pleasers, who no longer speak the words of God but the words of man.
They are no true witnesses of Christ and don’t speak what Jesus wants them to speak by the Holy Spirit, but they speak what people want to hear, because they want to be liked, honored, and accepted by people instead of persecuted and rejected.
And so they withhold the truth and keep salvation from people and preach lies that allow sinners to have their way and lead people astray in ways that lead to destruction.
Through their false doctrine, they make people believe that Jesus loves them and that they are saved, while the Word contradicts their sayings. Eventually, it’s not man, who speaks these vain words, but it’s the Word, Who shall judge everyone according to his works (Read also: Let the Word be your Judge).
God pleasers speak the words of God and do His will
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please Go (Romans 8:5-8)
Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him (John 8:28-29)
The natural man has a carnal mind and does mind the things of the flesh and shall not submit to the law of God, but shall exalt himself above the law of God, by adjusting His words and commandments to the will of the flesh. Because of that, the natural man is not able to please God.
The carnal mind is enmity against God because it is not subject to the law (the will) of God. Therefore regeneration in Christ is necessary and the only way to salvation (Read also: Is there only one way to eternal life?).
Without the new birth and without faith people are not able to please God, since the nature of the (old) man does not believe in the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to them, and shall act against the will of God and shall not do what God has said and commanded.
The natural man belongs to the world and shall live in enmity with God and please people.
The spiritual man belongs to God and shall live in peace with God and please God, whereby the spiritual man shall be an enemy of the world (Read also: Why the world hates Christians?).
You decide to either believe the words of God or not, to become born again or not, to lay down the old man and put on the new man or not, to be a servant of Christ or not, to be a friend of God and live in peace with God or to be a friend of the world and live in peace with the world but in enmity with God.
Although the choices you make may not seem important and relevant to you now, but eventually the choices you have made on earth will determine whether you will spend eternity with God or not.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
