What is a man of God?

A Man of God is first of all committed completely to God. This goes well beyond actions to the heart. A man can do all the right things and still not be a man of God. For example, the Pharisees of Jesus' day were very careful to do all the right things, but Jesus said they were "like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). So it is possible to do all the right things and appear to men to be a Man of God but not to be in the sight of God, for "the LORD looks on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

Therefore, the Man of God's overriding desire is to follow God's direction. This can be encapsulated in the command Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount, when He said, "…seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). Another scripture that defines succinctly what it means to be a Man of God is Micah 6:8, which says, "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?" In order to "walk humbly with" God, a person must have a heart after God's own heart like David (Acts 13:22) and must obey His commandments. The only requirement to be a Man of God is to have a heart aligned with God's heart. Then, the Man of God will be molded by God to be and to do what God desires.

There are numerous characteristics that the Man of God will have. One is that he will love the brethren. As Jesus said in His Upper Room Discourse, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Another is that he will have the attitude of a servant to all. Jesus said of Himself in Mark 10:45, "… the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve …", and the Man of God will strive to be like Jesus. There have been many sermons and books about what the Man of God does, but it all comes back to the attitudes of the heart.

Becoming a Man of God is a simple thing that is very difficult. It requires total submission to God, which goes against our fallen human nature. As a matter of fact, it is so difficult that it can be achieved only by yielding to the Holy Spirit and relying on Him for the power to submit. We cannot do it in our own strength. When a man yields to God and allows Him to change us into what He wants, that man will become a Man of God. Then that man will truly seek first the kingdom of God and walk humbly with God.