God and Man

Index
(Proverbs 3:4)

"So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Proverbs 3:4

Page after page of the Kings and Chronicles tell the often redundant tale of men and tribes who either did right or did evil "in the sight of the Lord." Each account is given at the end of a reign so as to define the view of God regarding how that period ought to be described. Among the first of these is the author of Proverbs, whose story can be summed up with the following: "Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father" (I Kings 11:6). This truth may shock many who rightly praise King Solomon as the wisest of all men.

When called on the carpet for their actions or their conduct, a common trend among modern believers is to use God as their out. In other words, we jump on the bandwagon of saying that our testimony is only before God and what man thinks is irrelevant. Using Scripture as a proof-text, many will run to passages that speak against being "menpleasers" (Ephesians 6:6-7; Colossians 3:22-23; I Thessalonians 2:4, Galatians 1:10). We are correct if we understand the error of living to gain glory among men (I Corinthians 3:21), but when it becomes our scapegoat to live as we please regardless of anyone else, this is an even greater error that proves we did not and do not fully recognize our place in this world.

Standing before Felix in the governor's court, the Apostle Paul testified that he had "a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Perhaps most strikingly, he speaks to the Romans noting that they who are servants to Christ are both "acceptable to God" and "approved of men" (Romans 14:18). The contrast is drawn more clearly when Paul speaks to the Corinthians declaring that they "be not the servants of men" (I Corinthians 7:22-23) while later saying that he has been made a "servant to all" (I Corinthians 9:19) for the sake of man's salvation (I Corinthians 10:33).

As the Lord remains patient in His grace, we as believers remain a "spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (I Corinthians 4:9). Therefore, Paul affirms that we should be "careful to maintain good works" as they are "good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8). Likewise, we are not to "render evil for evil unto any man" as that would be contrary to the grace we have received and live to illustrate before "all men" (Romans 12:17; I Thessalonians 5:15). Such practical lessons are wrapped up in the interest of "providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (II Corinthians 8:21).

Here we return to Proverbs after surveying the ageless wisdom of our testimony before God and man. As the last passage makes clear, an honest life is not merely witnessed "in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." Thus, he who walks by the light of "mercy and truth" and does not forget what he has been taught shall "find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." When you find favor in the eyes of men, there is an open door to share the gospel. Live not to please man; rather, live for the cause of his salvation.