Undoubtedly the term could have been appropriately used for leaders like Isaiah, Daniel, and Paul. Perhaps there is no higher honor to be given to anyone than to be considered to be a man or woman of God. (Google image, Spiritual discipline).
None of us would feel worthy of this term. At times in the Old Testament it seemed to be used for a prophet of God or one specially sent by God. Some well-meaning people have sometimes used this as an honored term for all Christian leaders, pastors, and missionaries.
But no leader is automatically a person of God just because his ministry relates to the church, includes sacred duties, or because he has dedicated his life to Christian service.
Who is a true person of God? Perhaps we feel more free to note personality traits which should not be in persons of God than to define who is one. Yet all of us recognize those aspects of godliness that place the stamp of God upon one.
MARKS OF A PERSON OF GOD
1. A person of God lives a consistently righteous and holy life. Only God is perfect in holiness. Only God is infinitely and eternally righteous. Each of us has sinned (past tense) and falls (present tense) short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).
But God can give us an unwavering commitment to His will, His truth, and His glory. We can live in present victory and blessing moment by moment. We can walk in the light as He is in the light and experience the continuing cleansing from all sin (1 John 1:7).
We all stumble in many ways and find often that we are at fault (James 3:2). But the set of the soul, the habit of the walk with God can be a life of consistent righteousness and holiness. And if we sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the infinitely Righteous One (1 John 2:2).
By God's grace we can live in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days (Luke 1:75). Any sin or moral defect in a Christian leader brings instant scandal to the name of Christ and to the church of Christ. Every person of God must live in holiness and righteousness.
2. A person of God lives a life of love. God is love, and the more godly we become the more the love of God will be manifest in us. "live a life of love" (Eph. 5:2) "Do everything in love" (1 Cor. 16:14). "The fruit of the Spirit is love " (Gal. 5:22). There is no commandment greater than to love (Mark 12:31).
If there is anything that adds beauty to character and personality, it is love. If there is anything that marks a Christian leader as a person of God, it is the love of the Spirit flowing constantly out of his life to others. Our love for God is no greater than our love for those about us. This marks us as Christlike. This alone can make our leadership Christian.
3. A person of God serves others.We must serve one another in love (Gal. 5:13). Loving service added to the other Christian graces places a special seal upon a person. Love always serves. Love expresses itself to others by blessing them, helping them, and gladly serving them.
Jesus tolerates among His followers no lording it over others (1 Peter 5:3). No one is too good to serve. No one is a follower of Christ unless he is willing to serve as the Master did, who girded Himself with a towel and washed the feet of His followers.
4. A person of God manifests the beautiful fruit of the Spirit. Jesus assured us that if the tree is good the fruit will also be good (Matt. 12:33). If the Spirit controls us, He will manifest His holy fruit through our attitudes, moods, words, and deeds. All people, said Jesus , are recognized by their fruit (Matt. 7:16).
5. A person of God is filled with the Spirit: "Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19), "fullness in Christ" (Col. 2:9), "Filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18), Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God" (Phil. 1:11).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.
Ablaze for God
#92 You Must be a Person of God
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 275- 278) ZondervanPublishingHouse
Let's pray together-
Father, as only You are perfect in holiness, and each of us has sinned and do sin, we ask for Your guidance and help to live consistently righteous and holy lives, given us through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
We ask that the beauty of Your love be added to us and to our leaders, so the character and personality of Your Spirit can then flow out of all our lives to those around us.
As You are love, the more godly we become, and the more You will manifest Your love through our lives by blessing, helping and serving others.
When Your Spirit fills and controls us, we'll show Your love through our attitudes, moods, words and deeds. We can be recognized as "Your people," whether in the pulpit or laymen and women of faith in everyday life.
It is our prayer that You bring us into closer fellowship with Your Spirit, so we can become "persons of God," to Your glory.
May we effectively minister in love through whatever way You lead us. In the name of Jesus, we ask this. Amen
We ask that the beauty of Your love be added to us and to our leaders, so the character and personality of Your Spirit can then flow out of all our lives to those around us.
As You are love, the more godly we become, and the more You will manifest Your love through our lives by blessing, helping and serving others.
When Your Spirit fills and controls us, we'll show Your love through our attitudes, moods, words and deeds. We can be recognized as "Your people," whether in the pulpit or laymen and women of faith in everyday life.
It is our prayer that You bring us into closer fellowship with Your Spirit, so we can become "persons of God," to Your glory.
May we effectively minister in love through whatever way You lead us. In the name of Jesus, we ask this. Amen
Today's Bible verses-
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)“Trust in the Lord with all your
Today's quote-Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)“Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways submit to him and he will make
your paths straight.”
1 Cor. 16:13, 14 (NKJV) "Watch, stand fast in the
faith, be brave, be strong. (v. 14) Let all that you do
be done with love."
Rom. 5:1, 5, 8, 9) (NKJV) "Therefore, having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. (v.5) Now hope does not
disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to
us. (v.8) But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us. (v.9) Much more then, having now been justified by
His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
~ Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- "To be filled with the Spirit means to be saturated with the Spirit, overflowing with the Spirit, fully possessed by the Spirit, controlled and dominated by the Spirit implies that one is fully available to the Spirit, fully influenced by the Spirit, and made beautiful with the grace and fruit of the Spirit."
(from p. 278 of the above post).
Today's popular post-
Why It's Too Soon to Give Up
Ron Hutchcraft:
"Ten more minutes and my wife would
have never been born.
The story that changed everything is hope for any of us who love someone who's making some very bad choices."
"Ten more minutes and my wife would
have never been born.
The story that changed everything is hope for any of us who love someone who's making some very bad choices."
Upcoming posts-
The Flood that Follows Your Storm
20th- Saturday's post by Ron Hutchcraft
#93 Others Recognize a Person of God
23rd- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
#94 The Cost of Being a Person of God
25th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
Like Jesus
27th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes
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