The Man of God

Reverend Alex Bowman

Trinity Community Church

Titusville Fla

I recently considered what it means to be a man of God and what He required of us.  God answered that for me in Micah 6:8. But before we look at the answer; we need to look at what a man of God is not.  Verses 1-5 presents the Lord’s case against His people Israel through Micah (v.1) where the mountains are His witnesses (v.2).  The Lord delivered Israel from Egypt and redeemed them from the land of slavery to display His hesed (covenant loyalty).  He provided for them leaders in Moses, Aaron and Miriam through the wilderness (v.4). He turned Balak’s evil desire to curse Israel into blessing.  He did all of this by His grace, but the people didn’t remember all His mighty acts.  They broke the covenant they renewed with God at Gilgal. As God’s people, it is good to know His mighty acts in the past so that we can be grateful and see His provision in the present.  Why?  Because if we don’t know what God has done for us in the past, then we will be prone to rebel against and reject Him.  Psalm 106:7 tells us that Israel forgot God’s steadfast love in the past, as a result they rebelled and rejected Him.  Should Israel come before the Lord with burnt offerings?  Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Should Israel offer up their first born for their transgressions and sin (vv. 6-7)?  Micah used sarcastic talk to let us know how absurd their response was.  Each question screams a loud answer of no!!!  There is nothing they can offer God to completely take away their sins and be forgiven.  God cannot be bought.  No amount of offering and no amount of good works can atone for their sin.  Finally, Micah offers up the answer to what it means to be a man of God in verse 8.

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

What’s clear here is that a man of God is not someone who offers God many things in worship while his heart is far from heartfelt repentance and obedience.  The man of God is not someone who does works of righteousness in order to be forgiven of his sin and be saved from the wrath of God.  No, Titus 3:4-7 says this…

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The man of God is not saved by works done in righteousness, no he is saved from the holy wrath of God by the mercy and grace of God alone.  This is how any man can become the man of God.  What does God require of us?  He requires us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with Him.  How can we do this?  By looking to Jesus as our perfect example.  After all, Jesus lived rightly.  He loved kindness and walked humbly with God His Father.  The good news of the Gospel is that for those who repent of their sins and trust the Lord for their salvation can be empowered to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.