This is a very old saying and it’s author seems to be unknown. Many people have used it as a topic to write about. My favorite would be Charles Haddon Spurgeon, known as the “Prince of Preachers”.
The Best of men….We all know people we would put on that list for one reason or another. Pillars of the community, strong leaders, heads of families. We all know someone that we would say is the best or one of the best. You may be the best or one of the best that someone puts on their list.
Are men at Best…. here is where the quote levels the field. This is where the truth exposes our flesh. The best of men(people) are in the end merely men(people). They have flaws, often major flaws. They have secrets that they work hard to keep hidden. They are human and all humanity fell in Adam. Romans 5:12 reads “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned”. There is no way around this.
Think of the best person you know. Imagine if you could view their secret thoughts. Imagine if they could view yours! You most likely wouldn’t say they are one of the best after peering into the secret thoughts that goes through the mind of that person or any person. In our natural state/unsaved we can see a picture of our corrupt nature and heart, Matthew 15 :19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders”.
Personally I would be ashamed if someone could view my thoughts. At times its pure random thoughts that just pop up, but at other times it’s intentional thoughts that show certain desires that haven’t been put to death. This goes for everyone.
Our outward appearance, attitude and works may put us on a pedestal and grant us access on someone’s list of exceptional people, but reality is still reality. We are still sinful men at best.
The best we can do is still far less than what we owe to our creator and our neighbor. Sin will be a constant in our lives. It is something the worst, wicked man and the best man will deal with while on this earth. It’s what makes us men at best.
Apart from God we have no hope and will remain as we are, lost and men at best. Thankfully Christ came to this earth in flesh and accomplished all that was demanded of his people. And with his perfect life of obedience, and his death and ressurection we can be confident that our best isn’t what God sees in those who believe. God sees the righteousness of Christ in us.
While Christ was burdened under the guilt of our sin, through His payment we have His perfect righteousness placed upon us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
This has a very humbling effect. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we begin to see that we are not the super special, highly important, angels we think we are. We begin to see just how depraved and helpless we really are and we see where our hope rests.
Charles Spurgeon writes “The best of men are but men at the best, and the brightest saints are still sinners, for whom there is still a fountain open, but not opened, mark you, in Sodom and Gomorrah, but the fountain is opened for the house of David, and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that even they may still continue, with all their lofty privileges, to wash therein, and to be clean. This is the kind of humility, then, which is consistent with the highest moral and spiritual character, nay, it is the very clothing of such a character, as Peter puts it, “Be clothed with humility,” as if, after we had put on the whole armour of God, we put this over all to cover it all up. We do not want the helmet to glitter in the sun, nor the greaves of brass upon the knees to shine before men; but clothing ourselves like officers in mufti, we conceal the beauties which will eventually the more reveal themselves.”
No King but Christ 