That No Flesh Should Glory In His Presence

by H. A. Ironside

     As teachers and preachers are presented to audiences, it is considered the right thing, the proper thing to laud them to the skies, to expatiate on their brilliancy and learning and wonderful personality, until I myself have often felt grieved and shocked and thoroughly ashamed as I listened to such laudations. 

     One cannot imagine the apostle Peter so introducing his beloved brother, Paul, nor can we think of Paul presenting his fellow-laborers, Epaphroditus, Titus or Timothy in such a manner to those to whom they were to preach. He does indeed say the kindest things of them all, for he loved them truly and was grateful to God for all the good things seen in them; but as he speaks of them, he does not dwell upon their ability or personality or charms or wonderful gifts, but rather on their devotedness to Christ in suffering for His name's sake. 

     Surely there is a lesson in all this for us. If we give to man the glory which belongs alone to God, we may be certain that we shall incur Divine displeasure.

from the April 1990 issue of Milk & Honey