There is the need to understand God’s standard for our lives because many times, we perceive ourselves in the light of certain standards and specifications that have been approved by systems existing even before we were born. By these standards, we define ourselves and the actions we take in life. There is always the need for us to evaluate standards that will be the defining factor by which we live our lives as Christians who have believed in Jesus and repented of our sins; this subject is one that cannot be shoved aside because Jesus, our Lord and King, himself spoke of this standard.
THE STANDARDS JESUS REVEALED
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, ‘WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I THE SON OF MAN AM?’ Mat 16:13 KJV
Jesus asked his disciples what other men thought of him; they gave very interesting responses:
“And they said, ‘Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.'” Mat 16:14 KJV
So the first of the revealed standards was that which men invented as a result of their encounter with him and comparison with the knowledge they had gotten from time past.
1. MEN’S PERCEPTION: MEN’S STANDARD
Everyone on the surface of the earth has, at one point in time or another, been evaluated by a fellow human being. Based on their evaluation by what they perceive or is a set standard, they pass judgment. This is the most common, consistent, and accepted system worldwide, but the flaw of this standard is this: “man is not all-knowing.” It usually relies on limited knowledge available to make an assessment of who a person is and what they could be capable of.
In the above scripture reference, Jesus was trying to help his disciples see and discover the standard by which they should judge things. He did this practically by bringing up the question: ‘WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?’
Many times people have judged us to be who we are not and at times wrongly. But that is not the focus of today’s article; rather, we look at this by also asking the question, ‘who do men say that I am?’, who does my pastor say I am, who does my family say I am? When you sit to answer these questions, what conclusion do you come to? Most of the time, the truth is usually that these people don’t know up to 10% of who you are.
So why then do Christians live their lives by the standard and judgment of men? They praise the Christian for being upright, but he knows he only did the act because every eye was on him. Most times, we live our lives based on the approval and standard of men we admire and look up to, but there’s a flaw in this. In that, if the standard were to be of men, then the place and death of Jesus would be in vain.
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for FLESH AND BLOOD HATH NOT REVEALED IT UNTO THEE, but my father which is in heaven.'” Mat 16:16-17 KJV
2. THE GOD STANDARD: NOT FLESH AND BLOOD
So finally, the right answer! And to our amazement, Jesus said, ‘My father in heaven revealed this to you.’
The Father that sees all and knows all, the one who we serve is the revealer of secrets; there is nothing hidden from him. In fact, the Bible tells us in Psalms 7:9b: ‘…for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.’
The standard from which we should judge ourselves and identify ourselves by is the knowledge that God sees that which men do not see. Because when men look at a thing and perceive it to be white, the Lord God of the heavens will look and say, ‘IT IS BLACK.’ Why? He looks and understands all things beyond the surface level.
So from time to time, when men praise us for doing certain things, we must not yet rejoice and glory in it. But we must ask ourselves the question:
‘WHO DOES GOD SAY I AM?’
‘WHAT IS GOD SAYING CONCERNING THIS MATTER?’
It is easy to get swayed by the praises of men, for they will indeed support evil so long as it is favorable to them or to their flesh. But the standard by which we must evaluate our actions and dealings with men by thoroughly screening ourselves is by the God standard.
Conclusion
Mankind evaluates things based on certain standards because there is a need to; it is the right thing to do, always trying to make sound judgments. But for the Christian, he must move beyond the standard of men into the God standard to judge matters because he is now of the Kingdom of God and not of the kingdom of men. If your standard is of men and you have found yourself wanting according to God’s standard (his word), then you must repent today and pray to God to help you, by his Spirit, live the life he has called you to live.”
