I Am Not God
By Joe Keim
January 1, 2023
In part 1 of this article (Nov 2022 AV), we took a moment to prove God’s existence and concluded that belief in God is a matter of faith in that what He reveals to us in His Word is true. Man has a desire to JUDGE and CONTTOL others, but once we accept that God has created all things, we understand that He alone has the right to determine a set of rules for all people and judge all people by His standards
QUESTION: Are you a judgmental and condemning kind of person? If so, consider the following passage, taken from Romans 14:10-13:
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? … for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So, then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another anymore: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.”
Paul was citing this Old Testament verse to show that each one of us is accountable to God. Therefore, we don’t have to judge our brethren; God will do it.
QUESTION: Do you try to change people? If so, who are you trying to change now? How is it working out for you?
In Eph 4:2, Paul wrote to forbear one another in love, with all lowliness, meekness, and long suffering. I am very much aware of how difficult this can be, particularly when that challenging brother or sister is someone that you must live with, or work with daily.
Maybe you’ve wondered why you feel so judged, condemned, and unforgiven all the time? Is it because you judge, condemn, and do not forgive others? According to Jesus, in Luke 6:37-38, that may very well be the case. Jesus said:
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Give, and it shall be given unto you…
For with the same measure that ye mete withal [you use], it shall be measured to you again.”
With the same measure of judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness you and I hand out to others, so we ourselves will be judged, condemned, and unforgiven.
I once saw a quote that said:
QUESTION: Do you seek praise from other people?
The answer is most likely, “Yes.” We all do – even though everything we have – looks, talents, possessions, abilities – come from God. The Lord spoke through Isaiah 42:8:
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
Jesus said in John 12:42-43:
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
Let that sink into the depth of your heart. These chief rulers were more concerned about man’s short-term praise and acceptance than they were about God’s eternal and final praise and acceptance. How totally absurd!
QUESTION: Do you seek approval from others? In simple terms, are you a people pleaser?
When the chief scribes and Pharisees warned the apostles to stop preaching in Jesus’ name, they had to decide … if they should please men or God. In Acts 5:29, we are told that
“Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.”
People who seek praise and live for acceptance of others may feel hurt, rejected, unappreciated, and insecure.
Now that we have looked at ourselves, let’s switch gears and look at the life of Jesus. He is our perfect standard, and example! Let’s see how Jesus always trusted God’s control.
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:23:
“Jesus, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; instead, He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously.”
Jesus did not judge anyone. Passing judgment on others is not why He came to earth. He had a greater purpose!
John 12:47 says:
“If any man hears my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”
In Philippians chapter 2, the apostle Paul asked us to think of ourselves the same way Jesus thought of Himself. Think about it! Jesus knew in His heart that He was equal with God; however, He never once clung to the advantages of that status. When the time came for Him to go to the cross, He set all His power, His status, and His privileges aside. He humbled Himself and took on the status of a slave. Not only did He die a selfless and obedient death – it was the worst and most humiliating kind of death – a crucifixion. Let’s read the passage.
“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant [slave], and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-8).
Think about it! Jesus Christ, who being in the form of God, emptied Himself and became a man. He took one great step down from heaven to earth. The Sovereign Lord of the universe—He who existed …
- in eternity and perfection
- in glory and majesty
- in dominion and power
…stepped down and became a man. But more than this: He who was the Lord and Master of the universe—who deserved all the honor and service of all living creatures—took upon Himself the form of a servant.
- The Lord whom we are to serve, came and served us.
- The Lord whom we are to love, came and loved us.
- The Lord whom we are to adore, came and adored us.
- The Lord whom we are to wait upon, came and waited upon us.
- The Lord whom we are to minister to, came and ministered to us.
- The Lord whom we are to seek, came and sought us.
Jesus did not come to earth as a prince or some great leader upon earth. He did not come to receive the homage and service of men. He came as the humblest of men, as a servant to serve men. “He was brought up meanly, probably working with his supposed father at his trade. His whole life was a life of humiliation, meanness, poverty, and disgrace; he had nowhere to lay his head, lived upon alms, was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, did not appear with external pomp, or any marks of distinction from other men. This was the humiliation of his life” Matthew Henry.1
The POSB Commentary describes Jesus in the following way:
“Jesus willingly allowed men to kill Him. He did not have to bear such hostile humiliation and rebellion, but He did. Just picture what is involved in the death of the cross.
- Christ humbled Himself to die.
- Christ humbled Himself to come out of the spiritual and eternal world (dimension) into the physical and corruptible world in order to die.
- Christ humbled Himself to lay aside His eternal glory and majesty and become a man for the purpose of dying.
- Christ humbled Himself to suffer rejection, denial, cursing, abuse, arrest, torture, and murder at the hands of rebellious men—whom He had originally created for the joy of eternity—rebellious men whom He had come to save.
- Christ humbled Himself to take all the sins of men upon Himself and to bear the weight and suffering of them all.
- Christ humbled Himself to bear the judgment and condemnation and punishment of sin for every man.
- Christ humbled Himself to suffer the awful experience of having God the Father turn His back upon Him.
- Christ humbled Himself to suffer the terrible justice and wrath of God against sin.
- Christ humbled Himself to bear the pain of suffering for sin eternally. Christ is eternal; therefore, His death is ever before the face of God. (Just imagine! It is beyond our comprehension, but the Lord’s eternal agony is fact because of the eternal nature of God.)”2
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-5:
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1 Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 732f.
2 Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Galatians–Colossians, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 276.
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