Persuading God Not Men

“For do I now persuade men, or God?”
– Galatians 1:10

God cares more about truth than persuading people to like him. Man often thinks differently to their shame.

God wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). God does not leave the truth to be with people in their error. He calls them out of their error.

In contrast, I’ve heard men give this excuse for going where wrong doctrine is taught: “I don’t agree with the doctrine they teach, but my friends are there, and I like the people.”

Godly ministry stands with the truth calling people to come to a knowledge of it. Ungodly ministry suppresses truth to go stand with people in wrong doctrine.

Now, read the previous paragraph replacing the word “stand” with “sit in pews.”

Where we sit is just as important as where we stand. If your decision to sit or stand in a church is because of people and not because the doctrine is right, who are you trying to persuade?

Persuading man involves convincing people you love them more than truth. This is wrong.

Persuading God involves standing for truth even if you can’t persuade your friends. This is right.

Go where the truth is taught. Make your friends there. Invite your other friends to come to the knowledge of the truth. This means they must come out of their church that teaches wrong doctrine.

If there is no place to go that teaches truth, then the place you need to go is home. Invite your friends there.

They may choose not to come, but it’s better to risk losing a friend by speaking the truth, than to keep a friend by living a lie.

“For do I now persuade men, or God?” – Galatians 1:10

If you are not yet persuaded in your own mind, the answer to Paul’s question can be found in Romans 3:4.

For His glory,

Justin “persuaded” Johnson