Luke 12:42-43 (CSB): Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than praise from God.

From the narrative account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert, we see plainly the three tactics that Satan uses to get a person to sin: Appetite, Approval, & Ambition. Every person on earth faces an ongoing struggle with these three tactics daily. But what I’ve discovered in years of working with people considering taking next-level steps with Jesus is that the approval temptation is a powerful deterrent.

At some point, people face the reality that to step into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus, they’re going to step out of the comfortable relationships they have with most of their crowd of contacts. It isn’t that they’ll have to abandon or have nothing with their crowd of contacts; instead, by deciding to follow Jesus more intimately, it would put them out of step with the cadence of their peers.

Deep faith in God is only obtained away from the shallow waters of your comfort zone.

 The pull of approval from our parents, siblings, household, friends, and neighbors is strong, for they are the means to human praise. But with Christ as our Lord, the pull of eternity is much greater than this brief moment on earth.

Many believed in Jesus but refused to confess Him because they loved the praise from people and the creation more than the creator.

 What is keeping you from the deep faith into which God is pulling you or your church?