Praise of Men or Praise of God?

"And many believed on him there." — John 10:42 (KJV)

Our verse this week sounds simple. Many people heard about Jesus, looked at Him, and believed. But believing on Jesus isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Just two chapters later, John shows us a group of people who believed on Him and still held back.

Believers Who Stayed Silent

"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." — John 12:42–43 (KJV)

Notice the same word shows up here as in our memory verse. In John 10:42, many believed on Him. In John 12:42, many of the chief rulers believed on Him too. The difference is what they did next. The crowd beyond Jordan came to Him openly. The rulers kept it quiet.

Why? John tells us plainly. They were afraid of being put out of the synagogue, and underneath that fear was a love problem: “they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” They knew who Jesus was. They just valued their standing with people more than their standing with God.

Jesus had already put His finger on this earlier in John’s gospel:

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" — John 5:44 (KJV)

Chasing the approval of men gets in the way of believing the way we should.

We Can Do the Same Thing

It’s easy to read about those rulers and shake our heads. But we can do exactly what they did.

Jesus told His followers:

"Ye are the salt of the earth... Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." — Matthew 5:13–14 (KJV)

That’s what we’re supposed to be known for. But a lot of times we’d rather people know something else about us.

Maybe you like being known as the movie nerd, or the one full of science facts. Maybe you’re the fingerstyle guitarist of your group, or the funny one that everyone wants to be around.

There’s nothing wrong with having interests and gifts. God gives people real talents. The question is which one comes first. When people think of you, what’s the first thing they’d say?

When the World Calls It “Cringe”

Here’s the hard part. The world might look at a sincere Christian and call them “cringe,” or “too strict.” That’s the modern version of being put out of the synagogue. Nobody likes being on the outside.

But Scripture doesn’t tell us to avoid that. It tells us how to see it:

"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye." — 1 Peter 4:14 (KJV)

And Jesus gave a serious warning about hiding our faith to fit in:

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." — Mark 8:38 (KJV)

Paul put the choice in front of us just as directly:

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." — Galatians 1:10 (KJV)

You can’t serve two audiences.

The Honor That Actually Matters

Now here’s what Jesus says, in the very same chapter as those silent rulers:

"If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour." — John 12:26 (KJV)

Isn’t that incredible? Why chase the honor and praise of men, when you could have the honor of the Creator of the universe?

The praise of men fades. People’s opinions change from one week to the next. What’s popular now will be embarrassing in a few years. But when the Father honours someone, that honour doesn’t wear off.

• The Praise of MenFades. Changes from one week to the next.
• The Honour of the FatherDoesn’t wear off.

What Men Esteem, God Rejects

We should also remember what Jesus told the Pharisees, the same group those rulers were afraid of:

"Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." — Luke 16:15 (KJV)

That’s a sobering verse. The things people admire most are often the very things God finds disgusting. So if we’re building our reputation on what the world applauds, we may be building on something God rejects. And notice the middle of that verse: “God knoweth your hearts.” We can fool people. We can’t fool Him.

There’s Hope for the Quiet Believer

If you recognize yourself in those silent rulers, it isn’t too late. Two men from that same ruling class eventually stepped out into the open.

"And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight." — John 19:38–39 (KJV)

At the moment when it was most dangerous to be associated with Jesus, they stopped hiding.

You can do the same.

Examine and Pray

So here are the questions we all need to ask:

• Do People See It?Do people look at you and see that you believe the gospel?
• Whose Praise?Do you seek the praise of men more than the praise of God?

All of us, even JoJo and Micah, have to examine our hearts and our attitudes.

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith." — 2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)

And we can ask God to do the searching:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." — Psalm 139:23 (KJV)

Then pray for God to embolden us, so we please Him and don’t cater to the world. That’s exactly what the early church prayed when they were threatened:

"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." — Acts 4:29 (KJV)

And God answered. Verse 31 says “they spake the word of God with boldness.” He’ll answer that prayer for you too.

This Week’s Verse

"And many believed on him there." — John 10:42 (KJV)