1Pe 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
1Pe 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Over and over again it is revealed that God did not man to think of himself greater than any other man. Over and over an equality is stressed. No man was to think of himself as better than another. Remember this…
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
And this…
Mat 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And this…
Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And this…
Mar 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
Mar 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
1Pe 5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
Examples to the flock, not LORDS over.
Men of God, witnessing of God, desiring to reveal the love of God to others so that they too would desire to know the love of God must LIVE the love of God. We can't TELL of the love and expect people to believe. We have to LIVE the love. Our mouths can flap all day long and it won't matter a single bit. It's what people witness in US that reveals the love of God. We are to be EXAMPLES of God's love, not hold the position of authority over others demanding they love God.
Jesus was our GREATEST example, never did He LORD over others oppressively. Never did He assert His authority needlessly. Jesus always treated others as HE would want them to treat Him, always!
We must live as Jesus lived. When our base flesh nature would have us ruling over others with unnecessary oppression, when we are ruling over them as masters thinking we are in someway superior to others then we fail miserably.
The greatest are the least of all, not those that our sinfilled society deems great for whatever reason.
Many people who hear about Christians hear that they are a people who believe they are better than everyone else, and that is a very, very sad way to be spoken and thought of by others.
Christians are NOT better than anyone. They are the least of all! It is only Christ who is better than all, only Christ. We don't become better than others when we accept Christ, that's not what it's about at all. IF anything our filthy faults are revealed, our state of horrifying sinfulness is made so much more apparent. We are far from superior human beings because we claim to follow Christ. He will forever be the ONLY ONE who is superior to all humanity, always only -the only one!
May we be the examples to others that God would have us be, never, ever putting on airs, never lording over others- never.
All by HIS GRACE!
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