God's Opinion Must Matter to You

God's Opinion Must Matter to You by R.T. Kendall

Probably the most neglected teaching of Jesus is what He has to say about hell and eternal punishment. But the most underestimated feeling of Jesus is His attitude toward sin today. Equally overlooked is His present opinion of what is going on in His church.

In this generation of "What's in it for me?" we tend to see Jesus as we want Him to be—kind, loving, gentle, humble, meek, fully human and lowly—mirroring the Father's tenderness.

Yes, you can be sure He is all these things. But He is equally impartial, fearless, fully aware, observant, changeless, fully God and mirrors the Father's wrath.

This surprises some people. It shouldn't. The same Jesus who chased the money changers out of the temple with a whip—showing His anger toward abuse of worship (John 2:13-16; Mark 11:15-17)—is the one John saw on the Isle of Patmos who had eyes like "blazing fire" and feet like "bronze glowing in a furnace" (Revelation 1:14-15).

Jesus Christ is the same "yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Also often forgotten are the words of this same Jesus from the right hand of God to the seven churches in Asia (see Revelation 2:5, 16, 22; 3:1-3, 16).

These observations of Jesus show us how aware He is of what is going on in His church on the earth. He knows everything.

The book of Revelation, among other things, unveils how Jesus feels about what us going on in His church.

Do not forget also the way in which our Lord Jesus Christ revealed His total awareness, sympathy and approval of what was going on in parts of His church. These words also show not only that Jesus knows everything, but also that He is aware of our faithfulness (see Revelation 2:2-3, 9-10, 13, 19; Revelation 3:4. 3:8-11, 19).

I wonder how many times I have seen people whom I admired but have never known God's opinion of them. Countless people, of course. If God were pleased to do so, He would let me discern His opinion of every person I ever meet! I suppose some prophetic people may have this gift, but God has not chosen not to give it to me.

But the truth is He has an opinion of every single person I meet. Every person I see at a distance, shake hands with or get close to. Yes, God has an opinion of every one of them, as He has an opinion of everyone who has ever lived.

What is more, what matters is not how people are regarded by us here on earth but how they are regarded by God in heaven.

Here is the most sobering news of all. One day, God will reveal His opinion of every single one of us. "...He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart" (1 Corinthians 4:5).

The word "praise" or "honor" in John 5:44 comes from the Greek word doxa—from which we get the doxology: "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The root word for doxa means "opinion."

That gets to the heart of the meaning: God's glory is His opinion. If we want the honor of God, we must esteem His opinion more than the praise of people.