"Let's be straightforward with strangers as well as kind. The traits of a skilled-con-man seem to appear the same to me -- trustworthy, believable, and they're so charming. How else could they be effective in conning otherwise? Many are quick to hold out an opportunity, a title, a position that looks desirable as well. It takes street smarts from the Lord to discern if you're being conned." ~ Liney von S.
Con-man/person: They trick someone via the process of gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something that is not true. Let's stick with what's so instead.
Q: Back In The Day Who Was It That Sought To Have Spiritual Preeminence? Who Tried To Con?
Several have desired preeminence and have even taken action — they’ve cleverly yearned sought after it (the inner fleshly nature sure doesn’t mind), but going after this has been to their own hurt. Ever read about Deotrophes in Third John?
Other than Saul and Absalom in the OT who else in the Bible really loved the preeminence? How did it go for them? (Perhaps you’d like to add in some names to this list below).
Some feel so desperate for spiritual preeminence and they live unsatisfied. Jealous Saul while going after power and trying to cling to it continued with his attempts to slaughter David. Remember when Priest Ahimelech in Nob helped David (who had just lied to him) with some sacred bread and Goliath’s sword?
King Saul wasn’t at all happy so he commanded Doeg, “‘You turn around and attack the priests.’ And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.” (1 Samuel 22:18–19)
Now read about Diotrephes. Was he a good self appointed church-boss? Nope, Diotrephes was a power-hungry control freak — he was addicted to acting like the church-screener. Self-appointed, he simply wanted to be first.
“I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first, does not accept what we say and refuses to recognize my authority. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, unjustly accusing us with wicked words and unjustified charges. And not satisfied with this, he refuses to receive the missionary brothers himself, and also forbids those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. The one who practices good exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity is of God; the one who practices or permits or tolerates evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].” 3 John 9–11 amp
What was up with Diotrephes? What was the personal itch like that he was trying to scratch? He was an interesting type for sure, we can learn from him of what not to become. His name means reared by Zeus. Yes, reared by Zeus or nursed by Zeus — it was a name found only among nobility in ancient families. But his family background really wasn’t his problem. He had a bigger deficit, much larger issues. It didn’t really have to do with his background at all. His problem is clearly identified in verse 9: he loved to be first. Loved, loved, LOVED that idea of FIRST! That’s was the core-issue and this needed to be addressed.
Not only was he arrogant and perverted by his selfish ambition, but this also led to perverted action. It’s not just an attitude oh no! You can’t really contain an attitude in someone anyway; whatever an attitude is.. it’ll become words or an action of some sort. People with an attitude can’t hide it all that long.
Basically, John is going to properly expose the man, if he comes there.
“..Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction. So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.” The fool loved to exclude and oust decent leaders.
John will bring up this subject of Diotrephes’ conduct and will make it an issue in the church because it is indeed an issue for righteous discipline there. John basically indicts Diotrephes on four counts (See 4 parts emboldened above in verse 10).
The arrogance leads to unjustly accusing people with wicked words. And this is characteristic, in every occasion, of these fools who like to rise up to preeminence. They falsely accuse other people. And it’s how they seek to gain trust from the people for self.
They don’t gain trust by the virtue or holiness of their life. They don’t gain trust by their selfless godly character. They don’t gain trust the long, slow, and true way as a servant by exposing all that they really are to people and then letting people make evaluations and a good judgment on their righteousness, spiritual maturity, and on their integrity. They seek to get the trust of the people by (slowly.. or not slowly) destroying the people’s trust in others who don’t deserve to have it destroyed. They are malicious and destructive jerks. Malevolent and seditious inside. Accusing The brethren (like religious Satan does). The word “accusing” in the text here is actually a word that occurs only once in the entire New Testament, but a more cognate form of it occurs in 1 Timothy 5:13, where it can be translated into “tattlers.” Tattletales out for their own benefit.
And they are egotistical tattlers; who go around telling malicious, gossipy tales.
The root word in the Greek comes from a boiling up or a bubbling on over. And there’s good reason for that — bubbles are hollow and we’re talking about their hollow talk, their mean spirited, foolish, destructive talk.
The arrogance involved with loving spiritual preeminence leads to viewing all others as threats (everyone’s a threat to em). Then they’ll unjustly accuse— yes their hubris leads to undermining and trying to dilute the impact of those within. You know, marginalizing with clever efforts to minimize their influence, and/or deleting others (all who are the perceived competition). And this leads to ousting or annihilation. Think about David spending 10 years of his life on the run hunted by Saul as God was forming his character with the trials. Ten long years!.. as God worked all of the Saul out of David. It potentially can lurk inside all of us if we choose to walk selfishly in the flesh. Stop it, cuz it’s so malicious and at the root of many family, national and church skirmishes!
The self-promoters foment foolish nothings, yes bubble-talk that pops, that bursts when it’s poked. Often with false communication, so unfounded. Yes, very foolish words and contrived too, manipulated accusations to cause people to distrust others in any delegated authority of leadership. And then the people are left with who? With them of course, the one who cruelly tore down the others to so many, as the only one they can really trust.
They practice a lot and get good at this —they are weird inside yet adept at it. They bring up hurtful malicious charges in churches across the nation. It happens in churches around the world even. They don’t make them minimal or superficially. They use evil words over and over again with personal gain in mind. There’s a certain vindictiveness, a cold and callous viciousness with it.
From the context did Diotrephes stop with his fleshly works? No. This dude named Diotrephes was even falsely accusing the Apostle John. No! Oh yes he did. If anybody was a threat to his personal kingdom, it was John.
God in the word gives many heads up regarding people who are power-hungry self-promoters in His church. Let’s prayerfully study the Bible warnings and take heed.
Arrogance is exactly where it starts. Hubris isn’t a small ecclesiastical problem, it is a major prob! Then this arrogance produces narcissistic-ambition. What kind of ambition? It’s not the proper type involved with righteously serving the Lord and others. Then this selfish type of ambition produces the evil accusations, and then accusations lead to annihilation. These really small people (in character) are driven by their well-nurtured pride. Who are they bitter at? Their pride produces a big desire to Lord-it-over people and to remain preeminent. Perhaps it makes them feel big and significant.
Lust for preeminence drives them like a drunk and weathered cattleman. They let it, then, this behavior of wrong-seekin’ it leads the person to falsely accusing everybody else so that they can clear the field of all other claimants. Then eventually ..many of them “feel the need” to put the others out of that classroom, department or church door ..or to annihilate them in the most effective way they can get away with.
They SO enjoy puttin' em out too if their perceived competition doesn’t just lay down or roll over for em. It’s so sad when this happens in a local church — it’s not a good witness for Jesus at all!
It’s sad that it’s happened so many times in our land. And even today several local churches aren’t willing to address or deal with it. Many so called leaders aren’t willing to even face it; they aren’t willing to overturn such a troublemaker, because many of them have been deceived as well. Others, in the name of agape love and spiritual church unity allow this ugly religious-craziness to be perpetuated. Please don’t let that be you.
You and I know there have always been people like this, and that there will be more to come.. who have a deep love for preeminence inside. Christ is enough for me — He’s enough for you, but they can’t seem to fill that hungry void or be satisfied! Hey no worries, the Lord will deal with it all very soon cuz we all be in the last of the last days here.
What other types of fools will show up in these last days?
Why should we want God to teach us to number our days (Psalm 90:12)?
What was it like in the days of Noah?
What does it mean that sin shall not have dominion over you (Romans 6:14)?
God’s dominion shall endure until the very end and beyond (See Daniel 6:26)!
Surviving the end times — what do I need to know?
What is Christian dominionism?
Will the end times one-world religion and it’s leaders dominate people?
How does God make me to know the measure of my own last days (Psalm 39:4)?
These fools try to supplant the Lord even. They are puffed up with devilish-pride, with slippery-rebellion and selfishness.
For many their ongoing sneaky campaign of religious schmoozing and elbowing (creative politickin’) often appears to work out. Sin can be fun for a season, but the consequences will eventually show up. I say repent early, like today.
Go check out how polished Absalom became at this.. how he did all this in his attempt to steal away the throne from his father David. Absalom had a hankering for power and he gained a bit of momentum going after it. Remember how Lucifer earlier tried this, to put himself up into the top spot? He got put downward by Almighty God. Didn’t this happened to Absalom as well? His own choices and vanity wiped him out. He clearly reaped what he sowed.
Is “you reap what you sow” biblical?
What does the Bible say about backbiting?
What is seed faith? What is a seed faith offering — is that even biblical?
What is sowing to the flesh instead of to the Spirit all about?
What does the Bible say about karma? We often hear about that!
What does it mean to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7)?
What more does the Bible say about sowing and reaping?
Is there good that can happen from sowing to the Spirit (Galatians 6:8)?
What does Numbers 32:23 mean when it says, “Be sure your sin will find you out”?
For those craving-power and acting on it.. for those with a hankering after preeminence — even their service is self-centered! They constantly seek the places of power with adequate funding (or to gain a platform for funding). They seek the places of fame and applause, and the places of high-profile prestige. They are manipulators who often try to appear loyal to God and His Kingdom. Boldly witness to them, but limit your time with em!
The Bible speaks of several people like this because God wants us to be warned about them. He wants us to learn from their stupidity. Their consequences preach loudly.
The Bible literally abounds with such sinful climbers who fall into this category of arrogance.
The word is instructive, inspiring and practical for us. In the pages we can meet some in this hall of infamy, people who would never show up in that great eleventh chapter of Hebrews. These climbers are the antiheroes who hinder growth in the Kingdom and in local churches!
It’s kind of different living in this day of wokeness, this day of canceling others, this day of elevating self at any expense.
Go check out Genesis 4:23. God tells us about another creepy dude who loved preeminence named Lamech. Let’s also keep his idiotic attitude in mind.
“And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah” (he had already broken God’s commandment by being a polygamist), but “He said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, ‘Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me, and a boy for striking me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
Lamech is the very first bully that we find in the Bible. He wanted to be macho and have preeminence.
Lamech composed his own song here; it is Hebrew poetry. “I have slain a young man who merely wounded me, a young man who merely hurt me. God may take care of Cain sevenfold, but I’ll take care of myself seventy-sevenfold. Such an illustration of blasphemous arrogance!
The first murderer, Cain, had produced a grandson who also became a murderer. Take note of this: the first murder that happened was the result of envy.
This hateful murder by Lamech was the result of his pride. And what you have there in Scripture is a picture of Lamech boasting about it, and strutting before his two wives, and pontificating about his bloody deed, and how able he is to defend himself even to the seventy-seventh limit. Such a He-Man was he.
Interestingly enough, Lamech was the seventh in the line from Adam. And God calls Lamech’s cousin, Enoch, the seventh. In the book of Jude verse 14, it says, “Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds which they’ve done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’”
Lamech here was an object of Enoch’s testimony, since Enoch lived in the same generation. Lamech was one of those ungodly people who did ungodly deeds in an ungodly way, and spoke harsh things against God. Lamech was a hardened sinner, and he flaunted his horrific wrongdoing thumbing his nose at God. He viewed himself as above God craving spiritual preeminence.
There’s another proud man in Genesis 10. The man’s name is Nimrod. check him out in verses 9 and 10, “He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; so it is said, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the LORD.’ His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
Yes, Nimrod was a talented “hunter before the Lord,” and what does the Hebrew carry with this? His horrible story is one of desperate rebellion against God. It’s by a man who wanted to be preeminent.
“Cush begat Nimrod”.. We learn “he began to be a tyrant in the land. He was a terrible subjugator, defiant” says our Hebrew aids. He did this "before the face of Jehovah.”
Yo, guess what Mr. Saddam Hussein, you weren’t the first of all such Middle Eastern tyrants over there. They all have their little day in the sun, but are at the right time brought to an end. Nimrod appears to be the first of such dictators, the first one who brought together an organized rebellion against God. It’s cuz Nimrod wanted to be first, and it all ended up in Babel and Babylon, the mother of all false religion on this planet. Where can it be traced to? Yes, it can all be traced back to Nimrod.
Let’s also go to Judges 9. There, you and I meet another one of these types of sinners. His name is Abimelech. He’s the son of Jerubbaal, named after Baal, and he went to Shechem. He was the half-breed son of Gideon, and SO he SO wanted to be king. Felt he just had to be!
Abimelech longed for this. How long had he had these aspirations to become king? Dunno, but he diligently sought power, prominence and preeminence so that he gathered together all of his brothers to support him in his effort to become king, and then he killed them all. He annihilated them because that’s what many of them do. He committed fierce atrocities in order that he might eliminate any perceived competition. Yes, so he might get rid of other potential claimant to “his throne.”
And what did God do about this? God dealt with him in a most bizarre way. He did ascend to that power that he wanted. Three years later, however, he was trying to smash down the tower while his army was attacking an enemy at Thebes. And while he was there with his army, going up against Thebes, from the top of the tower a woman dropped a millstone, and she had tremendous aim. Bam! It hit him on his head, split his skull open. He immediately cried for his armor bearer to run him through with a sword before he died from the crushed skull, lest it go down in history that he was killed by a woman. Wow! Thinking only of his pride down to the very end he sought preeminence. He wanted to look good in future history books.
Now read the book of Esther about another hideous man. His name was Haman. You surely remember him and all the dear Jews he sought to annihilate!
Remember King Ahasuerus ruled all the way from India to Ethiopia, and he had raised up a dude by the name of Haman to a very high rank in his kingdom. Haman became tipsy with power and drunk with prestige. He demanded that everybody obey him, and even bow before him, and then pay him homage to show him honor. And there was one Jew who did not do that. His name was Mordecai. Remember him? He decided that because of what Mordecai had done, he would literally annihilate the Jews. He would commit genocide. He loved the preeminence to such a degree that he would literally obliterate a whole race of people because of one man who would not bow to him.
The story of Esther is a pretty incredible story. Haman wound up, by the way, being hanged on the gallows he built to hang the Jews on.
And as long as we’re thinking about these types of sinners, we would be remiss if we didn’t make a comment about one other very famous man who sought the preeminence.
His name was Nebuchadnezzar. You can find him in Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar sought to exalt himself and because of his choice to exalt himself, God turned him into a crazy-maniac and left him out grazing like an animal for seven years. Yes, until he finally came to his senses. He too is a model of self-centered, proud, power-mad love for preeminence.
And then, of course in the New Testament, there was Herod.
We find the true story of Herod in the twelfth chapter of Acts.
Herod wanted his day in the sun — he declared it “Herod Day” in all modesty, and he, on an appointed day, (see Acts 12:21), dawned his royal apparel. Put it on with delight. And then he came out before the people, took his seat there in Caesarea, sat in his throne and began delivering his address to them. And the people kept saying, “The voice of a god and not a man!”
Sure, it was exactly what he wanted, but then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he didn’t give God the glory; he was eaten by worms and he died.
And so that ended his Herod Day. That was not at all the way he had planned it though.
In Matthew 23 we see not one but a whole collection of religious fools who love to have the preeminence. Scribes and Pharisees — hypocrites!
Jesus identified them as whited sepulchers, as tombs full of dead men’s bones. Jesus identified them repeatedly as hypocrites; He identified them as snakes and vipers. And who were they? They were “The scribes and the Pharisees who seated themselves in the chair of Moses..” Matthew 23:1. They just loved to be noticed out in public praying long in front of men. If they had cell phones it’d be online today. They broadened their phylacteries, the little leather boxes that held slips on which were written passages of the Mosaic Law. Hateful posers! They carried them around religiously, only they made theirs very big so that people would know how devoted to Scripture and Biblical prayers they were. They lengthened the tassels of their garments. Tassels were supposed to be evidences of their holy devotion. And they made theirs as long as possible, extending them down so that they were dragging on the ground so people would exalt them for their piety. They just loved the place of honor at all the banquets, and the chief seats and the synagogue, and the respectful greetings in the marketplace. And they enjoyed to be called rabbi or teacher and they loved to be called father too. They loved to be called spiritual leader. There always have been these kinds of people. Did the Sadducees join in? Cuz they too were sad you see. These type in religious circles seem the same yesterday, today and forever. I think they’ll stay weird even in eternity if they don’t repent.
Outside the church and sadly inside the Church we can find this love of preeminence. Yup, even among the people of God at times. It can indeed become a temptation even for decent believers too, and that’s why we all need to put on the whole armor and keep our spiritual guard up. See Matthew 20. Will the anti-Christ be one who loves preeminence even to the hurt and destruction of others? Yes.
What does it mean to put on Christ in Romans 13:14?
What does it mean to cling to what is good (Romans 12:9)?
What is the full armor of God?
What are the wiles of the devil in Ephesians 6:11?
What does it mean to set your mind on things above (Colossians 3:2)?
What is the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14)?
What does God mean when He says, “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6)?
What is the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)?
How can we rely on the power of God? .. Is there power in the name of Jesus? .. What is the power of the Holy Spirit?
What does it mean to make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14)?
What does the Bible say about how much power Christians possess?
Talk about believers and power-struggles.. really? Should we? Remember that James and John had the audacity to get their mother to go to the Lord and plead with Jesus to give them the preeminent place in His Kingdom because they thought they were worthy of it. Can you imagine that?
In Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus said, “You know, that’s something for the Father to give, but it goes to those who’ve suffered the most, not those who’ve sought the preeminence. If you want to be first, you should seek to be last. You should be like the Son of Man who didn’t come to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom for many.” And that ended their conversation.
In 3rd John we meet a man who belongs in the hall of infamy with all the rest of those people I’ve just kind of rehearsed for you.
Ever read about the prideful man named Diotrephes? He loved Loved, LOVED to have the power, the preeminence, the prestige, the prominence, the chief seat in the chief place.
Focus in on verse 9, “Diotrephes, who loves to be first” ..that’s phileō, one who has a strong affection prōteuō to be first. That term prōteuō is used only one other place. It’s in Colossians 1:18, and right there it talks about the preeminence of Christ.
Listen, Jesus alone is the head of his Church! He alone is to be worshiped, but here is a man who is trying to supplant Jesus. The one competing with Christ. Here is one who doesn’t believe that Jesus alone is to be first, but he literally seeks to supplant Christ and to rule the church in the place of Christ. He’s like a New Testament version of power-hungry Absalom, so craving preeminence that he would try to murder his own father just to take David’s throne.
And Diotrephes was a very proud hardhearted man. He was so proud that in seeking his place of preeminence, he was actually busy supplanting Christ, busy replacing Christ in the church. How did he do it? By rejecting those who were serving Christ.
Now, if this sounds a little bit familiar, this is an old, old story and a new one as well. We see this all the time with young men that come out of the seminary, and they go into a church. They are the servants of Christ; they are prepared. They are heart ready; they are mind ready; they are soul ready. They’re ready to labor, to pour their lives into the congregation. They run right into a Diotrephes who loves to have the power in the church, and before they know what hit them, they’re out of the church. It happens all the time. It’s a constant battle, so common.
Now remember, this is in the middle of a letter about hospitality. Right? This letter is basically about how we are to open our hearts to the servants of Christ, how we are to accept them, as verse 7 says, “For they went out for the sake of the Name. They accepted nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore, we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth,” as we pointed out last week.
And yet, though it is our obligation as a church, to open our arms and embrace the faithful servants of God, here is a man in the church who, because he loves to be first ..the church boss.. sees everybody as a threat to his power.
So, in this local assembly, Diotrephes was forbidding anyone to receive the traveling preachers. He saw the traveling preachers as a threat. And there were believers who wanted to open their arms to them. And so, John writes to one, beloved Gaius, whom he loves in truth, and wishes him well, and tells him about what good reports he hears from the brethren who came to him to tell him of Gaius. And then he reminds him, as I just read in verses 5 to 7, to make sure that he continues to love the truth by loving those who are the messengers of the truth. And then he stops, and there’s a — almost a startling change in verse 9, and injects this whole section about this man who, contrary to the call for loving hospitality, is doing everything he can to prevent the servants of the gospel from having any reception in the church, because he sees them as a threat to his power, a threat to his preeminence. Is there anything as ugly as spiritual pride? Anything? I don’t think so.
See the opening eight verses, we see Gaius, the man who generously gave hospitality. See verses 9 to 10. Diotrephes was the man who refused to give hospitality. As graciously hospitable as Gaius was, so ungracious and inhospitable was Diotrephes. They were poles apart. They are absolute opposites. Gaius is seen knowing truth, walking in truth, loving the brethren, entertaining strangers who are faithful ministers of the gospel. Diotrephes is seen loving himself, refusing to allow anyone to come in who might somehow receive the accolades, the love, the affection, the response of the congregation which he wants for himself. The conflict is not doctrinal; it’s not theological here; it’s not a spiritual issue per se; it is a personal issue of loving oneself most.
Therefore John addressed this issue that had been arising in the church. See verse 9, “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.”
John wrote a helpful letter to this church cuz that’s who he is, and Diotrephes had managed to put himself in a position to filter everything incoming.
“And so, Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.”
We do not know about this letter, written earlier to this church. It was not written to Diotrephes; it was written to the church. It got lost, perhaps Diotrephes outright destroyed it. It probably never got read to the church, and that’s why John tells Gaius, who’s in that church, that he wrote that letter. Diotrephes had managed to manipulate moving himself into the position of power and he chose to become the screener for anything and everything that came to that church, and he literally rejected a letter from the Apostle John. Amazing! Sinful to the max!
John says, “Diotrephes does not accept what we say.” And another way to translate this is.. “Will have nothing to do with us.” Diotrephes is his own self-appointed authority, even to the point where he rejects a person with apostolic authority. Double WOW! Brazen dude — zero healthy fear of God in this guy!
Think about that awhile. Pray about it even longer. Never become like this clueless dweeb!
Muse on it longer. Rarely ever is a local church in the USA here dismissing a pastor for poor preaching. All kinds of stuff get’s preached in the name of Jesus. That’s true. And rarely ever is it for poor living (though living the life is also very important especially for an elder), but it’s almost always due to power struggles inside the walls. It’s because somebody loves to make them self first ahead of all others. Yes, that type of arrogance is what causes hard feelings, prideful arguments, drawn out fights and it splits churches. That’s what destroys para-church ministries as well. Please humbly turn, trust Christ, change and never be like that.. seeking to be first in God’s church.
Proverbs warns all of us: “He who covers his sins will not prosper” (28:13).
Why Saul failed as a leader seems multi / manifold to me. David knew the kingdom was God’s from the get go, but Saul thought the kingdom was his own.
It drove the control-freak of a king mad from all the jealousy he felt inside.
Six times we see a spear thrown by Saul. Haters are gunna hate.
Listen, I ain’t a doc, but much of schizophrenia involves the demonic, not all but much of it does. Factoid people can still be possessed but Christians cannot be. Was Saul? He was certainly oppressed and harasser by an evil spirit.
Goliath was the easiest giant David ever had to down. Saul was the other giant of sorts that he had to face.
All the Giants after Goliath were not as easy for David to dealing with! Saul was the hardest one for David to deal with.
It’s hard to develop godly character when you come into rulership fast and easy without some hard won battles. If you come into power, please don’t let the giant of your fleshly nature cause you to fall. Be careful with your mind.. with your mouth-gate, with your eye-gates and ear-gates. Stay pure and tight in fellowship with God.
Religious Saul’s kingship was ended, he was fired, but he didn’t leave. Man, Mr. Lucifer is sorta like that too. The cross at Calvary ended his future hopes of rulership and gaining the top spot. He so craved to be worshipped, but he’ll get the lake.
Who was Alexander the coppersmith in the Bible?
Diotrephes — “The man who loved the preeminence” would face his own consequences. He wanted to remain the church boss due to his hardhearted arrogance.
“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.” 1 Samuel 15:30
King Saul wanted to be and stay the boss in the Kingdom and to do things his own way for life.. in a kingdom that wasn’t even his. Wasn’t going to happen. When David was king he knew it wasn’t his kingdom and that he was a steward of it.
Choose not to become merely religious and puffed up — have a real relationship with God, and stay humbly obedient to His Word. What are religious people and leaders like? Dead.
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men..” Isaiah 29:13
“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4
Let’s not mimic weirdness ever. Let’s simply walk in God’s humble love!
“Do not imitate what is evil” — do not mimeomai, do not become a mimic of what is evil; don’t follow that model — “just do what is good.” Everybody follows somebody, don’t they? And you choose whether you’re going to follow those who do good or those who do evil. And he goes right back to the basic principle, verse 11, “The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” It’s that simple. That sounds like 1 John, doesn’t it?
Don’t be self promoting a little or a lot! Stop it. Let’s exalt, magnify, worship and glorify the Lord! Thanks Apostle John for these three great points that stand out.
1. “Know the truth and walk in it.”
2. “Be hospitable to others who preach the truth.”
3. “Pattern your life after godly examples..”
If we wisely apply God’s word here, there’ll be peace and harmonious fellowship upwards and outwards, and yes, God will indeed be glorified in His church.
What does it mean that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6)?
What does it mean that love is not self-seeking (1 Corinthians 13:5)?
Vaunteth huh— to make a vain display of one’s own worth or attainments. To brag.
The Bible says, “Charity [agape love] suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 kjv (That's how Jesus lived. You can interchange His name with the word charity here. Can you also do that with your own name?)
