Topical Bible: Unbelief: Proceeds From: Seeking Honor from Men

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Unbelief, as a spiritual condition, is often rooted in the desire for human approval and the pursuit of honor from men rather than from God. This tendency is highlighted in several passages of Scripture, where the quest for earthly recognition leads individuals away from genuine faith and trust in the divine.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus addresses this issue directly. He questions the religious leaders of His time, who were more concerned with their status and reputation among their peers than with the truth of God’s message. In John 5:44 , Jesus asks, "How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" This rhetorical question underscores the incompatibility between seeking human accolades and possessing true faith. The pursuit of honor from men creates a barrier to belief, as it shifts focus away from God’s glory and truth.

The Apostle Paul also touches on this theme in his epistles. In Galatians 1:10 , he writes, "Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Paul’s words reveal the inherent conflict between serving Christ and seeking human approval. The desire to please others can lead to compromise and a departure from the faith, as it prioritizes human opinion over divine command.

The Pharisees, as depicted in the Gospels, exemplify this struggle. Their unbelief was often fueled by a desire to maintain their social and religious standing. In John 12:42-43 , it is noted, "Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved praise from men more than praise from God." This passage illustrates how the fear of losing human honor can suppress the expression of faith, leading to a form of unbelief that is more concerned with societal acceptance than with spiritual truth.

The Scriptures consistently warn against the dangers of seeking honor from men as it relates to unbelief. This pursuit can lead to a hardened heart, resistant to the transformative power of the Gospel. In contrast, true belief requires a humble submission to God’s will and a desire for His approval above all else. The call to faith is a call to prioritize the eternal over the temporal, the divine over the human, and the glory of God over the fleeting praise of men.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 5:44
How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

John xv. 11, 12
... one another, then the abiding in God proceeds from love ... wickedness and pride were
the cause of their unbelief. ... 5.] Let us then not be ever seeking security here ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily lxxvii john xv 11.htm

Second Sunday after Epiphany
... Reference is to spiritual whoredom"unbelief"which never ... Paul now proceeds to enumerate
duties pertaining to every ... effort to serve him, not seeking our own ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday after epiphany.htm

Evans -- the Fall and Recovery of Man
... and opening the door to pride, unbelief, enmity, and ... Evil speaking" proceeds from
malice ... images and relics, praying to departed saints, seeking absolution from ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/evans the fall and.htm

Matt. Iv. 1
... with vain hopes, and brought them to unbelief, and so ... at random what comes uppermost:
and proceeds to his ... cold and senseless, as to be always seeking only the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xiii matt iv 1.htm

Rom. x. 1
... at the promise of God through unbelief; but was ... For the Scripture saith," he proceeds,
"Whosoever believeth ... things thoroughly, is so far from seeking after them ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xvii rom x 1.htm

Divine Grace.
... great majesty; for grace, as it proceeds, has a ... offence, should be the first in seeking
peace; but ... his heart, in its hypocrisies, pride, unbelief, hardness of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/vi divine grace.htm

Rom. xi. 7
... For after saying, "were blinded," he proceeds; "according as it ... And indeed he goes
round about seeking to veil ... of blessings to them through unbelief, but these ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xix rom xi 7.htm

Rom. x. 14, 15
... But as the Jews were forever seeking a sign, and ... Wherefore he proceeds to say, "Even
so then at this ... Some branches were cut off because of unbelief and Gentile ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xviii rom x 14.htm

Third Sunday after Trinity Humility, Trust, Watchfulness ...
... himself everlasting and intolerable damnation by seeking to make ... Such must be the
consequence of unbelief, which has ... it commits to God, and proceeds with vigor ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/third sunday after trinity humility.htm

The Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... unspeakable manner; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeds from both ... nevertheless, when
the sailors were seeking flight, he ... fault is in men, whose unbelief doth not ...
/.../ 55 the second helvetic.htm