ONE FATHER IN HEAVEN
- UnstoppableRevKev
- Sep 9
- 2 min read
📖Scripture: “And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.”
-Matthew 23:9
🔎Reflection: The WORD of God rebukes not only the Scribes and Pharisees for their love of titles, honor, and religious showmanship… but every subsequent manifestation of it. This includes the Roman Catholic Church with its “Holy Father” as its “head,” when the Scriptures are clear that Christ alone is the “Head” of His Body & Bride, therefore, any perversion or deviation of such is not of God, but of the devil (Eph 1:22–23; Eph 4:15; Eph 5:23; Col 1:18; Col 2:10; Col 2:19; 1 Cor 11:3).
King Jesus’ disciples (which included Peter, the so-called “first Pople”) were warned not to fall into the same scandalon (trap): God alone is our one true Father, and Christ alone the Head of His church (Col 1:18). Roman Catholicism’s exaltation of the Pope as “Holy Father” or infallible head of the church is a direct contradiction of Christ’s words. Like the Pharisees, such leaders only seek honor for themselves while leading others astray. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment isn’t about knowing the difference between right and wrong, it's knowing the difference between right and almost right.”
The divinely inspired, God-breathed holy Bible insists there is one mediator between God and man—the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim 2:5). Elevating men in all their regal attire… with all their fancy titles… living in mansions and gilded cities… with their supposedly “divine” roles… it’s nothing short of heretical, blasphemous idolatry, i.e., the overt denial of Christ’s sole sufficiency. The apostles never claimed divine titles or infallibility; Peter himself was rebuked by Paul (Gal 2:11–14).
Therefore, our devotion must never rest or remain in regal robes, rote religion, relics, rituals, routines, rigid regulations, revered reputations, or redundant… repugnant religious ranks, but in Christ alone, who relinquished His rights, removed our ruin, realized our ransom, and reigns in resurrection royalty forever (Phil 2:5-11). To follow King Jesus means our embracing humility in God’s call and commission to service and obedience, rejecting the world’s obsession with power and status. Anything else is counterfeit religion, not Christianity.
🤺Action: Ask, examine, and test yourself (2 Cor 13:5): "Do I seek approval from men through titles, positions, or religious appearance—or am I content with humble service under Christ’s headship? “Does my devotion ultimately seek to exalt Christ in the church, or me?”
🙏Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, please crucify every bit of pride within me that craves titles, power, and recognition. Holy Spirit, please teach me to delight in King Jesus as the only Head of the Body of Christ... and the ultimate Good Shepherd. Please make me a humble and devoted servant in Your church, content with obscurity so long as You are glorified. I pray this in King Jesus' holy and precious name, Amen!
Click this link for a super short (under 3 min) video version of today's post:
Blessings and love,
Kevin M. Kelley
Pastor
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