Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts.But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak—not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.but even as we have been approved of God to be intrusted with the gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God who proveth our hearts.
3 sermons cite this verse
… nor was it in deceit but as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God who tests our hearts for neither at any time did we use flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covetousness God is witness nor did we seek glory from men either from you or from others when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. Don't you love this guy? I love Paul. He could have rolled into town in a black donkey, tinted windows and got out and said, I'm Paul the apostle. I mean, people would have freaked out. This is Paul. This is the guy. He didn't do that. He didn't do that. He did everything possible so that nobody could bring some reproach against the ministry or against his life as a bad witness. I love it. Verse seven, but we were gentle among you just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. …
… here's the word, the language, to be entrusted with the good news, the gospel. Even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests the hearts. Paul said, I didn't make this stuff up. You know, if you think about it, the gospel isn't something anybody would make up. People say, oh, you're making up Christianity because you want to have some philosophy to make you feel better in a meaningless and purposeless world. Really? That's what you think. Well, you haven't studied the Bible then. because no one would make up the message that says the whole world is condemned and under the wrath of God. Nobody would make that up. And the other part to that is there's only one person you can believe in to get saved from all that. Not two, not 10, not many options, only one person, one name. That is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody would make that up. That's offensive. Paul said, I didn't make this up. It wasn't in guile. …
… In fact, this is what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2, verse four. He says, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. Now watch what he says. We are not trying to please people, but instead we're trying to please God who tests our heart. You know, we never use flattery. Here's where he's kind of defending himself because they were criticizing. and he said, hey, we never used flattery. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else. He's driving at home. We're not here trying to please people. We're here to serve God. Why was he saying this? Because he knew that in times, the biggest danger to your faith is living for the approval of people. It's so easy. It's easy for me to get sucked into it. Why? Because we wanna be light and we wanna be accepted. And so without even knowing it, sometimes we'll know what the right thing to do is according to God's word, but we may go along with the crowd because we don't want them to laugh at us and we don't wanna be left out. …