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If we are looking for perfect men, we need look no further than the man, Jesus Christ. We need not look elsewhere. For He is where we find the only perfect person.
Christians, especially new believers, often idolize their favorite preacher and become candidates for disillusionment when he disappoints them; to idolize men--to look to men inordinately--to follow men too closely, is to prepare oneself's for disappointment and even possible spiritual shipwreck.
There are no perfect preachers or those who could be considered 'the best'; there are not even any great ones; the Bible says they are all 'unprofitable servants' and are 'nothing'.
'Cease from man', Isaiah 2:22 says, 'whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?' Isaiah is speaking of admiring and esteeming man too much. We are to cease from man, as far as wrongly admiring them, following them, giving them praise, and humanly extolling their giftedness; they are only servants and sons--and unprofitable ones at that! No man deserves accolades or human praise. Many today ought to take seriously God's words: 'Cease from man'.
Yet human heroes can still be heroes, even though they are imperfect men who have been redeemed by sovereign grace.
Imperfect men whom we wrongly view as perfect will always disappoint us, but imperfect men who have been redeemed and walk with God and are used by Him will always give us hope that we also can be used by God. It's the treasure of grace in the vessel, and not the vessel itself, that makes all the difference.
-- Mack Tomlinson
Imperfect Men
If we are looking for perfect men, we need look no further than the man, Jesus Christ. We need not look elsewhere. For He is where we find the only perfect person.
Christians, especially new believers, often idolize their favorite preacher and become candidates for disillusionment when he disappoints them; to idolize men--to look to men inordinately--to follow men too closely, is to prepare oneself's for disappointment and even possible spiritual shipwreck.
There are no perfect preachers or those who could be considered 'the best'; there are not even any great ones; the Bible says they are all 'unprofitable servants' and are 'nothing'.
'Cease from man', Isaiah 2:22 says, 'whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of?' Isaiah is speaking of admiring and esteeming man too much. We are to cease from man, as far as wrongly admiring them, following them, giving them praise, and humanly extolling their giftedness; they are only servants and sons--and unprofitable ones at that! No man deserves accolades or human praise. Many today ought to take seriously God's words: 'Cease from man'.
Yet human heroes can still be heroes, even though they are imperfect men who have been redeemed by sovereign grace.
Imperfect men whom we wrongly view as perfect will always disappoint us, but imperfect men who have been redeemed and walk with God and are used by Him will always give us hope that we also can be used by God. It's the treasure of grace in the vessel, and not the vessel itself, that makes all the difference.
-- Mack Tomlinson
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