Who Is A Man Of God? Part 2.

The Man Of God Or The Man Of Himself. 

There are more examples in the old testament, of men referred to as men of God as in the case of Elijah(1 Kings 17:18) and Elisha(2 Kings 4:7); we will however, proceed to examples in the new testament, having cited two examples in the old testament and considering the scripture that says, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established(Deuteronomy 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1).

 

(4.) Paul, the man of God, not necessarily referred to as a man of God in scriptures, but he was an apostle who in the ministry/service of God's house/building, was very wary of speaking/doing anything of himself. 

Paul had such a caution and discipline in ministry, not to misrepresent the Lord; by presenting anything to God's people in the name of the Lord, which is yet not of the Lord. Even where he gave his own judgment by permission and not of commandment, he clearly noted that it is not the Lord's commandment but his own admonition, as one who has received mercy of the Lord to be faithful in ministry. In matters where he had no commandment from the Lord, he was sincere enough to admit and disclose to the brethren, that he had no commandment of the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 7:6-12, 25.

In 2 Corinthians 4:5 he said "we preach not ourselves but Christ the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake"...That's the man of God with the men of God, his co labourers in the gospel of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 2 and 3, he showed us how he chose to know/employ nothing of the world's wisdom or excellency of speech, in dealing with the people(building) of God. 

His emphasis was nothing but Christ Jesus and him crucified, Christ the only foundation laid. His fear, burden and jealousy, in handling the people of God who are the house of God, was purely the fear, burden and jealousy of God in expression, and solely for the interests of God in his people. He never turned the people of God to his people or the flock of God to his own flock; same with Peter the man of God, whose burden/concern as an elder was to see the flock of God fed with the unadulterated milk of the word, without reservation or constraint, and not for filthy lucre/gain; Neither as lords/owners of God's heritage, but examples to the flock as representing God's leadership(1 Peter 5:1-4). 

Those who lack these qualities, are surely not men of God but men of themselves; they represent their own authority and leadership. 

They are the owners of the churches of today, and have assumed spiritual headship/lordship over the people of God.

(5.) Lastly, Timothy the man of God, of whom Paul testified - in dealing with the people/house of God - that he had no man like minded who will naturally care for their state. For all seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

Philippians 2:19-24; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 3:17.

Those who seek the things of Jesus Christ like Peter, Paul and Timothy, the men of God, maintain the truth that the people are the flock/heritage of God and not their own; but those who in setting out to serve in ministry work, quickly turn the people of God to their own flock and the members of Christ to their members, are surely representing their own interests and are not men of God.

Just like satan is said to be a murderer from the beginning, these can be said to be men of themselves from the beginning. They've never really been the men of God, though wrongly branded as such.

In seeking their own flock, to have a following and to disciple men after themselves, they thus cause divisions and different sects in the body of Christ, with different spiritual heads, speaking diverse doctrines/words of confusion. This explains the root of the confounding doctrines of different denominations and sects in Christendom today; God is surely not the author of this confusion, but men seeking their own and not the things of Jesus Christ. 

Concerning such men of perverse and diverse tongues, Romans 16:17-18 warns "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

Philippians 3:18-19 also warns of these saying "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."

They are indeed "many" who walk this way, as enemies of the cross of Christ; not gathering together with Christ but gathering together for themselves, winning souls not for the kingdom of God but for their own earthly kingdom/religious empires. As in the earlier chapter(Chapter 2) of the same Philippians, Paul noted that "All seek their own", here in chapter 3, he goes further to say "Many walk"; while Peter, in 2 Peter 2:2 tells us that "Many will follow their pernicious ways" In juxtaposing these threads of scripture, we see clearly that it begins with men seeking their own, seeking to draw disciples after themselves, seeking to have their own flock, their own church, their own members and adherents. The next thing is that in seeking all these, they most spontaneously arise to begin to speak perverse things, to pervert God's order of leadership in the church, to preach and present themselves as the spiritual heads God has placed over his people, as the set men over the house of God.

Having risen to speak/teach perverse things, the next thing is they begin to walk/advance in ministry and to command a following; thus the next thing is that, many begin to follow the pernicious ways of these many who are walking contrary to the cross of Christ. 

They have the crowd/masses in christendom and you can't take that from them, for scripture foretold that they will have a large following.

After reading all these, you might be that convicted one who will say to himself or herself, "but I never consciously walked into all these perversion as seeking my own". The truth is you were gradually discipled, drafted and absorbed into the system, with it's order and form; which you didn't conceive nor ever perceive as evil. The system has formed in you over the years, thus you embraced it as the right ways of the Lord. It is however, the way of Cain, which though in the worship and sacrifice to God like Abel, yet represents what is of man, as conceived in man and done/executed in the power and strength of the flesh.

It is a religious and seeming pious system, that can never yield/submit to the verdict/truth of God's way and order. 

Being of the flesh, it is enmity against God for it is not subject to the way of God, neither indeed can be (Romans 8:7-8). God can never be pleased by such system, no matter what those in it do to please him. It is not the way of faith, thus it is impossible for God to be pleased with it(Hebrews 11:4-6).