REPUTATION OR THE FATHER'S HEART?

Written by Christian Uzoechi

Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Many believers are after their own will, and not after the Father's heart. And sometimes what will make you a king here on earth is often a barrier to what will make you a king in heaven. At the end of our earthly lives, we must receive our eternal rewards, and our earthly lives will determine our ranking and position for eternity. Some people's reputation can be a barrier to them sitting next to the King of kings because they idolizes their reputation, and despises the will of the Father. "There are eternal rankings and positions (See Rick Joyner's books - The Final Quest & The Call)". 

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our great and perfect example. Jesus Christ was not after His reputation, He was not after what the angels would say or think, He didn't care about what the universe might feel or think, He didn't consider these things because He was after the Father's heart. Maybe you don't really know who Jesus is. To the Jews, the Son of God means God in the flesh. The original meaning of the Son of God is God manifested in the flesh. Jesus Christ is not the second Member of the Trinity, He is an equal Member of the Trinity. The purpose of this article is not about the study of the Godhead, but I am making little emphasis on it to show you who Jesus is, Jesus is God.

This same Jesus Christ is the very Jehovah who would not allow Moses His faithful and holy servant to see His glorious face, yet we saw Him in the Scriptures, the Creator of the universe walking the earth among sinners about 2000 years ago, endured the cross and despised the shame. Why? His heart's desire was to do the Father's will. 

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7).

We also saw St. Paul the Apostle, who made himself of no reputation, who abandoned himself for the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostles of the Lord set great examples for us.

MY QUESTION

Are you after your own heart or are you after the Father's heart? Are you like king Saul who rebelled against the Holy Spirit and the word of God just to please himself and satisfy his fleshy desires? Or are you like David, a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), a man who would sacrifice anything just to please Jehovah? 

Some people don't mind walking in great pride, don't mind killing people, don't mind putting others down, etc. Just to keep and elevate their reputation. David was a man lifted by God, even before his kingship, he already had notable followers and a good reputation in the land of Israel. This man was so blessed by God that he was a millatry commander, even in the wilderness. He had the opportunity twice to kill king Saul and further his reputation as the next king Israel, but he didn't because he was after the Father's heart and not after reputation. His heart was, what would God think? Not what men would think, he was a God pleaser, not men pleaser.

GREATER GLORY

Doing the will of the Father brings greater glory and great joy. Joseph, the husband of Mary could have still chosen to protect his reputation and send the virgin Mary away secretly with the pregnancy as he purposed in his heart even after the angelic visitation, but he chose to please God. How many men would accept such a story, "that a maiden who was betrothed to you was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit"? Such thing had never happened in the history of creation, neither will it ever happen again. Do you know what it means for him to tell the world that his fiancee was impregnated by the Holy Spirit? Brothers and sisters, it made no physical sense whatsoever. Some men would never keep her with the pregnancy even if God came down from heaven and tried to convince them, in order to protect their reputation. No wonder Joseph was called a just man, he was a righteous man (Matthew 1:19).

What followed next? Glory! 

My brethren, greater glory follows obedience to the Father's will. Search the scriptures concerning those who did the Father's will, many of them looked controversial at the beginning, but greater glory followed. 

Will you walk with God and please Him just like Enoch? Will you walk with God and please Him just like Abraham, the prophets and the Apostles? Will you surrender your heart to God just like Hosea (a prophet of honour and dignity), yet he put God first before his reputation and married a prostitute according to the word of the Lord? 

Whatever you do in rebellion to the Holy Spirit just to protect your reputation will someday bring you to a place a terrible shame and disgrace, but He who does the will of God abides forever (see 1 John 2:15-17). 

What followed after Jesus did the Father's will?

Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

~ Evangelist Christian Uzoechi