1 Cor. 4:5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
We seldom think of praise for men as a godly act, but here in 1 Cor. 4:5, Paul tells us God will praise men for their deeds. He points this out again in Romans. 2:28:
But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
So, How do we get praise or commendation from God? Well, we know God doesn’t look at the outside but at the heart. We see this with God’s choice of David to be king of Israel:
1 Sam. 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
It’s not our appearance or social status, our wealth or fame. God will commend the man or woman who is like David and has a sincere heart for the Lord.
But, even with this, those of us who have a good idea of the sinners we truly are can hardly believe God might praise us even for a sincere heart. We need to remember God says He wants praise us if our hearts are right. It is that grace thing again where God favors us for no other reason than because He loves us.
Paul’s mention of circumcision in Romans 2:29 speaks of holiness, of dedication to the one true God. Circumcision in the Old Testament was a sign to foreigners that those with that mark were to be considered holy, were the people of the great God YHWH. The New Testament speaks differently of circumcision. It speaks of the heart, that God has set us aside, holy and separate from the world: His people.
When our hearts fully seek to separate from worldly thoughts and desires, God commends us for this.
There is another type of praise for men that I need to mention here, of course, and that is the praise of other men. Jesus, in Luke, tells us to be careful of the praise of other men:
Luke 6:26 (ESV) “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
We can fall into a heightened self-image, think better of ourselves than we should, become puffed up, conceited:
Rom 12:3 (ESV) For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
Why is this important?
As Christians we need to keep our minds and hearts on the path of seeking God’s will and His good pleasure. In this way, we seek God’s praise and commandment regarding our faith in Him.
Next week, ways we can praise God.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 