We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

1 The 2:4

³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

Rom 2:29

²⁸ A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. ²⁹ No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.

John 12:43

⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only,

We learn the following from the above verses

1)      We speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.

2)      A person’s praise is from God, whose circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.

3)      Many leaders believed in Jesus could not openly acknowledge God

for they loved the human praise more than the praise from God