We read from 1 Thessalonians 2: 4, don’t please mortals, but please God who tests our hearts. Pleasing mortals means making mortals happy rather than making God happy. In other words, when we are torn between choosing and doing the pleasures of mortals against God’s will, we must be on God’s side rather than mortals. Peter said in Acts 5: 29, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. Paul wrote in Galatians 1: 10, if I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Pleasing mortals is synonymous with rejecting God.
What constitutes pleasing mortals?
Paul listed some works which we are led to believe constitute pleasing mortals although he mentioned them with reference to the last days. He wrote in 2 Timothy 3: 1-7, people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to the outward form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid them! For among them are those who make their way into households and captivate silly women, overwhelmed by their sins and swayed by all kinds of desires, who are always being instructed and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Paul says further how we may avoid pleasing mortals and for that matter pleasing sin. Colossians 1: 9-10 says,.. you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.
By the words of Paul, we will please mortals when we lead lives unworthy of God, do not bear fruits of good work in Christ Jesus, and do not grow in the knowledge of God. Paul says we cannot achieve these on our own except when we are filled with knowledge of God’s will, possess spiritual wisdom, and have spiritual understanding.
Why do we please mortals?
We please mortals because we fail to appreciate the consequences of eternity. Our attitude reflects what is written in Isaiah 22: 13, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Death is inevitable so we must prepare for the events after death. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 21; Luke 12: 34 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If our treasures are in the flesh, we cannot transition to heaven. The only alternative will be hell, the home of the flesh.
We allow ourselves to be deceived. It is written in 2 Corinthians 11: 14, and no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds. We crave for power and authority, wealth and fame, and doctrines that are contrary to the word of God misled to believe them as coming from God. We need spiritual discernment to separate true light from darkness.
We read from Lamentations 3: 40, let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD. This is a personal decision for each of us to take. Colossians 2: 8 says see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.
We are not self-auditing against pleasing the flesh. Galatians 6: 4 says all must test their own work; then work, rather than their neighbour’s work, will become a cause of pride. We must take pride in the works of others. Each will account for his own stewardship so Paul warned in 1 Timothy 4: 1 guard against paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
We read from 1 John 4: 1 beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. Are we pleasing mortals or pleasing God? Proverbs 14: 12; 16: 25 say there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death. God helps us to be pleasing in his sight always in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, by our own designs, wisdom and desires we have please the flesh, people and authorities rather than pleasing you. We are sorry and repent of our iniquities and sins. In your mercy forgive us and redeem us by grace through your precious blood. Save our souls today in your holy name, Amen!!
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