Who Is the Great Man of God?
Just for your thoughts
Who Is the Great Man of God?
In today's Christian community, we often hear statements such as:
«"He was mightily used by God."»
«"He was a great man of God."»
These expressions are usually reserved for full-time Christian workers or ministers.
Whenever I hear such statements, two questions come to my mind.
First, are such titles appropriate only for full-time ministers? Why do we rarely use such expressions about ordinary believers?
Second, does the New Testament ever single out any individual and give him the title, "the great man of God"?
Let us reflect on these questions in the light of Scripture.
Granting such titles exclusively to full-time ministers does not seem to reflect the balanced teaching of the Bible.
God may call one person into full-time ministry and another into a different vocation. However, there is no superiority in the calling itself. The glory lies in obedience to the One who calls.
Whether a person is a full-time minister or an ordinary believer, God evaluates both by the same standard:
- To what extent does he fulfill God's will?
- How faithfully does he use the gifts, talents, and grace entrusted to him?
- How sacrificially, holy, and wholeheartedly does he live for God's purpose?
These are the standards by which God measures true greatness.
In reality, everyone is running the same spiritual race. There is no separate track reserved for full-time ministers. Every believer runs on the same track.
Therefore, when we repeatedly elevate only certain spiritual leaders as "great men of God," we may unintentionally create the impression that ordinary believers are not even participants in that race of greatness. Such an approach unknowingly produces a form of spiritual inequality.
Furthermore, if any full-time minister harbors even the slightest thought that he is somehow spiritually superior to an ordinary believer, such an attitude inevitably creates unnecessary divisions within the body of Christ.
This is, in essence, a form of spiritual untouchability.
The truth is that countless believers have faithfully fulfilled God's perfect will and finished their race victoriously. Yet we rarely acknowledge them as "great men of God." Instead, we confine them within the limited label of "good believers," failing to give them the honor they deserve.
Both church leaders and congregations should be careful to avoid such an imbalance.
The New Testament Perspective
The New Testament never bestows upon any individual the honorary title, "the great man of God."
Instead, Scripture never measures a person's greatness by popularity, position, spiritual gifts, miracles, or the size of his following.
A person's true greatness is measured by the extent to which he fulfills the will of God.
The very center of Jesus Christ's earthly life was the fulfillment of His Father's will, and He called His disciples to walk the same path.
Whether one receives five talents or two (Matthew 25:14–30), God does not expect comparison; He expects faithful stewardship.
What matters is how faithfully a person uses the grace, gifts, opportunities, knowledge, and influence God has entrusted to him for the advancement of God's kingdom.
The Apostle Paul declared:
«"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I labored more abundantly than they all—yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."
(1 Corinthians 15:10).
Paul was not exalting himself. Rather, he was testifying that he had faithfully responded to the grace God had given him.
God's kingdom operates by an entirely different standard of greatness.
Jesus said:
«"Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant."
(Matthew 20:26)»
Here, greatness is measured not by authority, but by service.
Therefore, God's standards of greatness include:
- To what extent does a person fulfill God's will?
- How faithfully does he use the gifts and grace God has entrusted to him?
- How holy, sacrificial, and devoted is his life?
Only God is fully qualified to make this evaluation.
Finally
In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, Paul writes:
«"...that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."»
Although this statement was addressed directly to Timothy as a servant of God, the principle of being equipped by God's Word applies to every believer.
Therefore, every believer who faithfully fulfills God's will, fully uses the gifts and grace entrusted to him, and remains faithful until the end is, in God's sight, a truly great man or woman of God.
Conclusion
In the Kingdom of God, greatness is not determined by:
- How many people know us?
- How large a church we lead.
- How many miracles we perform.
- How many titles we possess.
Rather, it is determined by these questions:
- Have we fulfilled the will of God?
- Have we faithfully used the talents entrusted to us?
- Have we received God's grace without wasting it?
- Have we glorified Christ through a life of sacrifice and obedience?
These are God's true standards of greatness.
Therefore, from the New Testament perspective, "a great man of God" is not an honorary title but God's own evaluation of a life that faithfully fulfills His will and remains faithful to the very end.