Lesson 3: Seeking the Right Approval
Read Galatians 1:1-24 - www.bible.com/bible/59/gal.1
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

It is much too easy for us to seek approval for who we are and what we do from other people around us. In this verse we are charged by God not to do so. If this is true, then why does the Bible say we are to hold ourselves accountable to other believers? Today’s lesson is about what our relationship should be with people around us.

Our relationship with those who do not yet believe in Jesus should be one of pointing them to Jesus Christ. All through the book of Proverbs we are warned not to associate ourselves too closely with such people or we will allow ourselves to be drawn down into their opinions and actions as we find ourselves seeking their approval.

Our relationship with believers is to be one of accountability and fellowship rather than seeking approval. We go to Scripture to see the difference. Romans 14 is a good chapter about the issue of seeking approval – written from the point of view of the person who is judging another.

Ephesians 4 and 5 are great chapters about relating to other believers in love and respect and fellowship. We relate to other believers with humility (not pride), gentleness (not judgment), patience, love, peace, and above all unity. Where we have differences of opinion, we must sometimes agree to disagree. Where there is a difference in doctrine or someone is sinning against God, it is our responsibility to correct them in love. We do not correct someone with our own opinions but rather hold them accountable to the Scriptures themselves.


We never use other believers for our own purposes – whether for sexual desires, business ventures, or even to gain power or positions we want. In Ephesians 5 we find the word “submission” used – not only in family situations, but also among believers of a church. Submission is not the same as seeking approval; it is seeking the good of the other rather than seeking what is good for us.

James 5 also talks about our relationships with other believers. Someone who has more than others do should not be proud or think themselves better than someone who has less. We are the same (see Galatians 3:28), we are equal before God no matter what our earthly family or cultural status or differences might be.

We end this lesson with a return to Romans 14:4. We are to seek approval from God, our Lord/Master. When anyone else chides or scolds or corrects us, we should accept it humbly and then take those words to Jesus through the Bible to see if they were words to us from Him. We do not argue with the one who spoke to us, but ask Jesus to show us His will through the Bible. If this person asks us about it again, we can then tell them we have asked God and He led us to the Scripture (giving the reference), and we are following His leading – whether it is confirming or changing what the individual said to us. Then thank the person for caring about you to hold you accountable to following God closely.

*How has another Christian held you accountable to remain true to Jesus?