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Every kind of group, society, and even countries have their ideal leaders, be it in business, learning, emotive needs or religion. Also sects, cults and mainline churches have their examples that are meant to infuse people with enthusiasm and to make and keep them loyal followers. Thankfully God has taken care that there have been apostles and prophets and he still gives us prophets and prophetesses (people that speak in the name of the Lord; such as Corrie ten Boom), evangelists, shepherds and teachers and many people with talents and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
"Recognize those that labor among you and that stand at your front." "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." | |||
"... lest you think more of me than is proper." |
"Let two or three speak and let the others judge." | ||
Literal or physical aspect |
Intellectual aspect |
Emotional aspect |
Spiritual aspect |
The Christian Creationists and scientists like Pascal, Kepler, Linnaeus and Louis Pasteur |
Theologians like Athanasius and Anselm |
Mystics like Thomas à Kempis and Samuel Kooboo Morris |
Spiritual Bible expositors like Darby and Kelly |
Rationalists like Aristotle and to some extent Thomas Aquinas (his student) |
Mysticists like Ruysbroeck and to some extent the Neoplatonists | ||
Practical greats like Confucius |
Pantheists like Spinoza, some Eastern thinkers and to some extent Hegel. | ||
Evolutionists like Lucretius, Democrates and Darwin |
Hindu gurus | ||
Elymas, Simon the magician and Aleister Crowley |
In the above survey we first have relevant bible texts, then those Christians that live in accordance and then, on the right and left side, those that veer off and spiral downwards.
The human being is motivated by his heart and it is the heart that steers the body, mind, soul and spirit. In these four human aspects we may learn from previous sages the following things. Carpe diem.
Pluck the day. Sapere aude,
dare think and Fides quaerens intellectum.
Faith seeking understanding. Omnia vanitas, praeter amare Deum et illi soli servire.
Everything is vanity, except to love God and to serve only Him. Know the Lord.
(Jer. 31.34).
Many teachers have gone before us and still many are active. Like the creationists. Theologians as Athanasius and Anselm. Mystics like Thomas à Kempis and Samuel Kooboo Morris. And faithful bible expositors as Darby and Kelly. They, each in their heyday, satisfy the literal, intellectual, psychological and spiritual needs that occupy us.
The above mentioned Christians were all wise and followers of the Lord (with all their fortes and foibles), but the Lord was and is our greatest example. He is the Man of the Heart. Apostles like Paul and John learned from Him that it was His life bread to do the bidding of My Father.
His will and ego are in perfect harmony with our heavenly Father. He is the Word. His conscience was always totally pure. His body, mind, soul and spirit worked together to form a holy God-Man. He was called this holy thing
at birth. And yet as a human He learned obedience through suffering. He did no sin,
in Him was no sin
and He knew no sin.
Yet He was intuitively aware even of people's evil thoughts. This and much more was what prompted the apostle Paul to say: Be joint followers with me.
Great men from the Bible were all men of the heart. David was a man after God's heart
. Solomon, his son, was called Jedid-Jah (the beloved of the Lord), already when he was young. Moses had a heart of gold. Abraham is the father of faith and of all that have come to the true belief and confession. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is full of people that are examples of men of faith that lives richly in the heart. That is why the Bible calls us up to fight for the faith once delivered to the saints.
Also these men are pre-eminently examples of true love and wisdom, besides courage to speak up and to preach their godly insights.
The so-called great men of the world fill the gamut of every taste and fashion that has led and seduced groups, churches, opinions and even entire societies throughout history. They are ranked in worsening positions away from the truth, until you arrive at the nadir of depravity. They all preach, what is in fact, in some form or another rebellion against God and are examples of original sin. At best they are will-o'-the-wisps. The first letter of John however encourages Christians that are recently converted that their sins have been forgiven.
And more mature ones are told that they have conquered the evil one.
The fathers in faith are told that they know the One that is from the beginning.
And indeed that is the goal, that we mature through the unadulterated milk of the Word and grow up to the solid food to be able to distinguish between good and evil.
This is all possible because He (the Holy Spirit) that is in us is stronger than he that is in the world (the spirit of antichrist).
Christian creationists teach us that the Lord, as Maker and King of the universe, is also the God of science. He is the omniscient One. Faithful theologians who do not fall into the empty deceit of worldly philosophies, are true knowers of God. Anselm, who is to be ranked among these, came up with the phrase fides quaerens intellectum (faith that seeks understanding or intellect). Christian mystics, like Thomas à Kempis, that are moved by ardent desire of the soul and who do not lapse into occult mysticism and worship of angels, show us the mysterium tremendum. And faithful Bible expositors, like John Nelson Darby and William Kelly in his footsteps, show us the spiritual beauty of Holy Writ. Because of such things David exclaimed: I have asked one thing from the Lord, that will I seek, to dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to search matters out in His Holy Temple!
These important Christians are good company and they represent the literal, the intellectual, the emotional and the spiritual aspects of life respectively. They are all motivated by hearts that love the Lord, Who granted them the wisdom and insights they asked for.
Modern scientists claim that early scientists are the progenitors of their evolutionist convictions and they scoff at those ignorant Christians that do not know better. But it is the other way around. Early scientists believed in the God of orderly creation. Even Newton, though an Arian and antitrinitarian, attempted to harmonize science and the Bible. Also Einstein, in a religious reaction to quantum mechanics, exclaimed that God does not throw with dice.
What is high with people, is an abomination with God.
Not who is praised by people, but who is praised by the Lord; he is truly praised.
In Dutch there is a saying that Good wine does not need a laurel wreath.
I am afraid therefore that worldly fame stinks. I do not want to be too negative however. I do enjoy good musicians, actors, inventors, scientists, artists and also I am benefited by the accomplishments of physicians and specialists. In as far as people, also unbelievers, are inspired by creation (nature for them) they can be a blessing. Test all things and keep what is good.
But we must be ever on our guard that ultimately they have ulterior motives, because they do not recognize the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Inspirator. Let this serve as a warning for us. And let us be appreciative of those Christians that have the gift of discerning the spirits.