Oswald J. Smith, the legendary missionary and revivalist, once wrote a sobering book titled The Man God Uses. The phrase “man of God” has since become a familiar tag in Christian communities—a noble badge worn by the fake and original. The latter are those who submit themselves to be vessels in the hands of the Almighty. For generations, it reflected a divine order: a sovereign God who calls, breaks, and sends men as instruments for His will and glory.
But in these perilous times—times the Apostle Paul warned of—something has shifted. A new phrase, a dangerous reversal, now seems more fitting to describe the contemporary Christian landscape: The ‘God’ Man Uses.
From a distance, this ‘God’ looks like the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in sermons, praised in songs, and referenced in prayers. But a closer inspection reveals a disturbing mutation. This is not the God who thundered from Mount Sinai, nor the crucified Christ of Calvary. This is a god recast in man’s image—convenient, malleable, and tragically marketable.
He is the god of personal agendas. The god some career pastors and spiritual entrepreneurs wield like a wand—summoned, instructed, even commanded at will. His commandments are soft suggestions, and His holiness negotiable. This god fits seamlessly into the goals of fame, money, and relevance, and is especially attractive in an age obsessed with instant results and religious theatrics.
His emergence is no accident. He is the product of subtle deception, engineered through gross misinterpretation of scriptures like Isaiah 45:11—“Command ye me…”—which in context speaks of God’s sovereign prerogative, not man’s ability to boss Him around. Yet, in many pulpits today, this verse is weaponized to present a god who obeys man’s desires. When man shouts for a miracle, this god must perform. When man demands a car, a house, a husband, this god is expected to deliver—on time, no questions asked.
This distortion didn’t happen overnight. It crept in through teachings that elevated human desire above divine discipline, replaced the cross with comfort, and turned altars into performance stages. In this theology, faith is no longer trust in God’s will, but a tool to manipulate outcomes. Holiness becomes optional. Suffering is taboo. Infact, God doesnt associates with the half- not/ poor people but billionaires. Sadly, Sacrifice is outdated. All that matters is what works, what sells, what trends.
To be clear, God does respond to faith. He does delight in blessing His children. He is still Jehovah Jireh, the Provider. But He is also holy, just, and sovereign. He is not a genie, nor a divine errand boy. He is not subject to our moods, tantrums, or demands. The God of the Holy Bible is the potter—we are the clay. When this order is reversed, we create an idol, even if we call it Jesus.
This is the heart of the endtime deception. In 2 Timothy 4:3–4, Paul warned:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears…”
It is no longer about what God says, but what man wants to hear. No longer about who God uses, but how man uses God.
This new ‘God’ is appealing for good reasons. He doesn’t rebuke. He doesn’t prune. He doesn’t demand repentance. He blesses indiscriminately, even when sin thrives. He assures you of heaven while you walk hand-in-hand with hell. He is tolerant, modern, progressive. He is everything except true.
The consequences are devastating. A generation is being discipled not by the Spirit but by algorithms—shaped not by Scripture but by influencers. Remotes and onsite Churches have become motivational centers. Leaders become life coaches. The cross becomes a symbol, not a sentence to death. The Gospel becomes a product, not a call to follow Christ.
And yet, amid this spiritual fog, God is still seeking men He can use—men who will not use Him. The true “man of God” is not one who uses divine language to gain a platform but one who allows God to use his life, his voice, his scars. The man God uses still weeps over sin. He still kneels before God’s holiness. He still says, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
The difference between The Man God Uses and The ‘God’ Man Uses is not grammar—it’s lordship. Who is truly in control? Who gives the orders? Who defines truth?
We must choose. Will we follow the God of the Bible or the god of convenience? Will we be men and women God uses, or join the parade of those using “God” for gain?
In the end, every ‘god’ man uses will fail. The house built on sand, no matter how decorated, will collapse. The miracles without obedience will fade. The charisma without character will be exposed. But the God who uses men for His glory will endure forever.
Oswald J. Smith’s message still echoes: God is not looking for perfect people, but yielded ones—men and women who do not seek to use Him, but to be used by Him. That’s the only revival that will stand the test of fire.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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