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Announcer (00:00:00): Think about the Bible like you never have before. You are listening to Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Our topic is, "Have We Lost Our Ability to Honor One Another? (Part II)." When was the last time you heard someone in any public arena give honor and respect to their opposition? When was the last time you heard someone berate and degrade those they oppose? What do our answers tell us about our capacity to put respect first? Bottom line, we're in trouble. Here's Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

Rick (00:00:35): Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 25 years. Julie, a longtime contributor is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

Jonathan (00:00:46): Romans 12:9-10: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another In honor."

Rick (00:01:00): Honor and respect. These seem like simple enough words but try and find them actively functioning in everyday life, and you will find that they are surprisingly rare. As we speculate about why this is, we may conclude that we are a social order that simply doesn't perceive a need for them. The further we go down the road of each of us primarily answering only to ourselves, the less important honor for others becomes. While this may now be socially acceptable, it is far from being scripturally authorized. On the contrary, as Christians we are solidly instructed to be a people who exemplify honor in every aspect of our lives. As we began laying the how-to groundwork in Part I of the series, we began to see what a difference this practice of giving honor can make in everyday life.

Jonathan (00:01:59): The word for "honor" in our theme text is a very powerful word. When we examine how it is used in the New Testament, we find profound instruction for our treatment of one another. As a verb, it means "to prize, fix a valuation on; to revere." As a noun, it means "a value; that is, money paid, valuables; esteem in the highest degree."

Julie (00:02:23): In a recap, in Part I, we talked about how certain precious things in our natural world get us to think higher as a reflection of spiritual things. We asked a simple question: How highly do I esteem that which God esteems, what He says is precious or with honor? For example, God respects the high-level value of reputation. The Pharisee Gamaliel--his reputation calmed a very tenuous moment when his esteemed opinion curtailed powerful anger that was leading towards murder.

Jonathan (00:02:55): God respects the high-level value of nature's bounty and precious stones. The process of growing food and finding, cutting and polishing precious stones is to be highly appreciated. These teach us to revere the process and results of cultivating and shaping Christlikeness in ourselves.

Julie (00:03:16): What else does God honor? Well, he very especially honors the high-level value of a marriage relationship. This covenant is the most cherished of all human promises and reverencing it points to the spiritual connection between Christ and his church.

Jonathan (00:03:31): The high level or value of Jesus' ransom price. Cherishing the ransom that Jesus paid is fundamental. Without that price, there is ultimately only suffering and death. With it, there is life and peace.

Julie (00:03:45): What about the high-level value of the promises of God? To be promised something by God Himself is to be given a guarantee of His providence in our life. This privilege is only available through Jesus.

Jonathan (00:03:58): The next point; the high-level value of understanding our human purpose. Paul's own humanity was not precious to him because the privilege of giving it up for Christ's sake WAS precious to him.

Rick (00:04:12): We also touched on the opposite of honor, which is dishonor, so it's the exact opposite. Many perceive Jesus in a dishonorable way. The Corinthian church had issues with appropriate honor as well. These two examples--the way others perceive Jesus and the Corinthian church--teach us important factors that give life to dishonor. Let's look at these two points:

Julie (00:04:37): Well first, inappropriate dishonor is fed by preconceived expectations. That's when we expect something and get something we didn't expect or we're looking for that which is remarkably better, so we doubt the facts presented before us.

Jonathan (00:04:51): Second, inappropriate dishonor is enhanced by personal pride, which blinds us to ourselves and to others.

Rick (00:04:59): Alright, so recap--there you have it, now let's move forward. On a very personal level, the New Testament is specific about who we are to work at honoring, who we are to work at honoring. As we go through this list of who we are to work at honoring, we're going to find that some are naturally easier to honor than others. What do we do with that? There is a ground rule. The primary ground rule for this exercise was set in place by Jesus himself. It is fundamental, it is clear and it's the high-level value of sincerity; the high-level value of sincerity. Be genuine when you give honor, and Jesus makes it especially towards parents. Let's look at Matthew 5:1-11. We'll take it in several pieces.

Jonathan (00:05:51): "Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

Julie (00:06:02): The Pharisees were criticizing Jesus for his disciples not ceremonially and ritualistically washing their hands before a meal. This wasn't because they were eating with dirty hands. This was a manmade invention, a tradition that over time became unwritten law. The Pharisees believed oral traditions were on the equal level with the written word of God.

Jonathan (00:06:22): Continuing with verse 3: "And he answered and said to them, Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and mother, and he who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death. But you say, Whoever says to his father or mother, Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God, he is not to honor his father or mother. And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition." Well, under the Law, you're supposed to assist your elderly parents financially. The Pharisees were urging people to give the money to the Temple instead. Giving the money to God would seem to be the superior deed, but not at the expense of neglecting your parents.

Rick (00:07:12): There's an important line that Jesus draws here as to the sincerity of the kind of honor that we give. For true Christians, true honor is based upon--here's the simple equation--God's word, God's will and God's way. Period. That's where we find it. Forget the traditions. Forget the writings. God's word, God's will and God's way. Either we give honor in ways that God has prescribed, or we can bear the responsibility of invalidating God's word. Now take your time. Which would you rather have? Do you want to honor in ways that God has prescribed or invalidate His word? What do you think?

Julie (00:07:57): I'm going to go with give honor in the way that God is prescribed.

Rick (00:07:59): Okay.

Jonathan (00:08:00): Me too. Me too.

Rick (00:08:01): I think you got it. See, and Jesus is helping us understand this. Now let's go back to Matthew 15, because he's looking at those who did it the other way, and here's his response. Matthew 15:7-11:

Jonathan (00:08:15): "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you (he quotes from Isaiah 29:13): This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. After Jesus called the crowd to him, he said to them, Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what precedes out of the mouth, this defiles the man." Well, the Pharisees fulfilled prophecy, but not in a good way.

Julie (00:08:48): Yeah, the honor we give has to be sincere and not hypocritical. This reminds me of Matthew 5:24, where the people were instructed to leave their sacrifices at the altar and first make peace with their brother in Christ. God places high value on our true selves. What's really in our hearts? We have to figure out what's in there.

Rick (00:09:10): This is the high-level value of sincerity in the honor that we're giving. That's what Jesus is telling us. That's the baseline for everything that we are going to be continuing to talk about. Let's look at respecting what has truly high value. Jonathan?

Jonathan (00:09:30): The biblical concept of honor, shown here by honoring our parents, is not meant to be parsed, reframed and rewritten to fit one's own agenda. Its meaning is supposed to be taken at face value and applied wholeheartedly. Anything less than this can be symptomatic of a heart that is not fully focused on the fulfilling of our discipleship responsibilities.

Rick (00:09:54): That last statement of yours, that's a pretty strong statement. If we are not fully honoring, it could be that our heart is not fully engaged in our discipleship responsibilities, and it's a wake-up call. That's what we need to be looking at, a wake-up call. We've got this high-level value of sincerity. Let's move forward. Let's build upon that. Now let's look at the high-level value of reverence for God. Now look, this is one of those things that shouldn't even have to be said. However, because the scriptures clearly guide us in this direction, we will happily dwell on it. God should be continually honored in many ways and at many levels. Let's start with we honor Him by acknowledging the sinful brokenness that we came from.

Jonathan (00:10:44): 1 Timothy 1:16-17 is describing the Apostle Paul speaking how thankful he is to serve God through Christ, even though he persecuted Christians when he was Saul the Pharisee: "Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me (a sinner) as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

Julie (00:11:20): Wow. This was a heartfelt confirmation of his dramatic transformation. "Eternal, immortal, invisible. The only God be honor." The Apostle Paul never shied away from being transparent about his awful past because first and foremost it provided a reference point to demonstrate the depth of the grace of God. He referred to himself as the "worst of all sinners" in 1 Timothy 1:15.

Jonathan (00:11:46): Being honest and open about what he did, without whitewashing it, allows us to see that walking rightly is possible no matter our background. Paul used his past as steppingstones, not boulders in his path. He was completely different, a completely different person with a completely different mission.

Rick (00:12:07): God looks upon that kind of transformation. As we will see later on, God honors that kind of transformation because it's such an important thing to say. What I was does not have to dictate what I am becoming. It doesn't, not in Christ. This is a big, big step in terms of being able to honor God by making that kind of transition.

Julie (00:12:30): It's one thing to appreciate though how far God has brought us, but it's another to stand firm and loyal in the place that he's brought us and not slip back into our former life. Loyalty equals honor. Standing firm equals honor.

Rick (00:12:44): This is how we look at and we honor God. The high-level value of reverencing God is that loyalty. There is no stronger evidence of our honor for God than that complete, utter, clear loyalty. We also honor him by demonstrating our transformed lives as a result of Jesus' sacrifice. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

Jonathan (00:13:10): "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the holy spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and you are not your own? For ye are bought with a price (meaning a valuable amount): therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Julie (00:13:27): This is something to really consider. We hear about that in worldly people will talk about your body as a temple, but this sacrifice of Jesus was priceless. There will only ever be one perfect son of God who takes the form of a man to ransom the life of the perfect Adam. That's it. One man, one time. What do we owe God for that gift of life for all in His kingdom? They won't get sick, they won't die because of Adam's sin and Satan's evil.

Rick (00:13:57): Our honor to God is demonstrated by our appreciation of that in our every single day, in our words, in our actions, in our thoughts. It's demonstrated by who we are becoming. We can also honor Him by praising the magnitude of His character and His glorious works. Let's look at Revelation 4:11:

Jonathan (00:14:21): "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."

Julie (00:14:33): Rick, I know we've got a lot of podcast episodes that go deeply scripturally about the permission of evil, but what briefly would you say to someone who says, "Well, why would I honor this God? There's all this suffering, and He's not choosing to stop it. I'm not going to honor Him."

Rick (00:14:51): Well, my immediate response would be, "How do you know He's not choosing to stop it? How do you know He hasn't had a plan from the very beginning where this actually plays a role in the stopping of evil, not just for today and tomorrow, but forever, because That's the way He actually works." That's why we can honor Him in a time where it looks so distressing, because we can see He is the God of the big picture and we want to be able to honor that. Let's move forward here. Respecting what has truly high value in relation to this reverencing of God; Jonathan, what do we have?

Jonathan (00:15:30): Our heavenly Father should rightfully be the recipient of our highest honor, our highest praise, our highest gratitude and our highest loyalty. To properly honor Him is to set a foundation for being able to properly honor any and all others.

Rick (00:15:49): You put honor for God in place and everything else can begin to make sense, but that's where we have to start. True, heartfelt honor is no small matter. Let's take a breath and move forward in our learning, determined to give honor as it should be given.

Jonathan (00:16:11): It is obvious that we, as Christians, are not to take honor lightly. How should we apply this standard to all of those around us?

Rick (00:16:19): Well, this is an important question because the answer will clearly define how we're supposed to come across to each and every person we deal with in our lives. We have thus far seen the scriptures reveal the inherent value of giving honor. Now we want to be especially sensitive to how those scriptures instruct us regarding the way that we express that honor. We've seen the value of giving it, but now how, how do we express it? Let's look at an example of honoring and put it into practice. Let's look at the high-level value of honoring all people. Honoring all people. The giving of true honor is a high and lofty achievement. Now we're going to look at a scripture from 1 Peter 2. The question we want to ask as we start this is, does this next scripture teach us that we're to give equal honor on the same level to everyone? Listen to this scripture, and let's put that question on the table. 1 Peter 2:13-17:

Jonathan (00:17:29): "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men (meaning not under the Old Testament Law, but as having liberty in Christ), and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."

Julie (00:18:06): Now, I understand loving the brotherhood of Christ, but how do I honor all people? How do I honor the king? Does that mean our earthly governments, we're good citizens, but what if our government is corrupt, which they all are?

Rick (00:18:19): Well, okay, so honor all people, honor the king. How do you put that in perspective? It comes down to understanding levels of loyalty. We have ultimate loyalty, as we already established to God Almighty. But we have loyalty to be good citizens. We have loyalty to our fellow humanity. We've got to put all of that in order. There are levels of loyalty. When you're loyal to God, you are loyal to every single thing He's ever said. When you're loyal to mankind, you're loyal to their positions and you're respectful. But we do that with the conscience that Jonathan, you said in the scripture, having liberty in Christ. We think through that in those terms. Here's what it really comes down to. Our honor for all people must be given within the specific context of our discipleship. To honor all people is to--now listen to this very carefully--it's to live like Jesus did. How did he live? Well, Jesus lived for all people. You show me one instance where he wasn't living for everybody else. What else did Jesus do? He died for all people. His example shows us how he placed very high value on each and every human life. Disciples of Christ should live for all people and work at being sacrificial for all people, because that's what Jesus not just told us, but that's what he showed us. That's how we honor everyone. Do what Jesus did. Now Peter, in these verses in 1 Peter 2, continues with further explanation and details as to how all of this translates in practicality. Jonathan, let's go to 1 Peter 2:18-20:

Jonathan (00:20:04): "Servants, be submissive to your masters (meaning be subordinate, obey) with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable."

Julie (00:20:16): Nowadays we would apply this in principle to our employers, but why be so respectful to those who aren't even reasonable? Why do I have to respect someone who isn't respecting me?

Jonathan (00:20:31): Well, hold on, Julie. The next verse answers that. Continuing with verse 19: "For those find favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, that finds favor with God." Jesus suffered unjustly at the hands of the leaders of his time. We are to walk in his footsteps.

Julie (00:21:06): Hmm. We think about that night of Jesus' crucifixion, when officers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Luke and in Matthew it records how Peter tried to defend Jesus by cutting off the ear of Malchus. Jesus miraculously healed his ear on the spot, showing us how Jesus loved his enemies, just as we should too.

Rick (00:21:28): You have, again, no surprise, a physical example of how this works. How do we do that? Jesus shows us. It doesn't mean they have to be treating you with respect for you to be respectful of them and their humanity. That's exactly how Jesus lived at every corner. That's why he's the Messiah. That's why they're the ones that are bought back with his sacrifice because he rose above all of those things. Let's go further with this, because the servants and being respectful of those that aren't and so forth, it can be a difficult concept. The Apostle Paul actually expands these thoughts in Ephesians 6:5-9:

Jonathan (00:22:13): This is from the King James version. "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forebearing threatening: knowing that your master also is in heaven; neither is their respect of persons with him." Honoring our boss or our employee, whichever the case may be, is showing love. In doing this now it will be remembered in Christ's kingdom. If we don't honor others now, that will also be remembered. We need to rise above the worldly standard. Jesus set the groundwork of respect and he did it with sincerity.

Rick (00:23:16): Yeah, and that thought, again, that's another very powerful thought. Whether we do it in a God-honoring way or not, it will be remembered and it makes you stop and think, what am I doing? How am I living so that others can see Christ through me? That's the bottom line here. True, godly honor is supposed to work both ways, as we were saying. Even if those we're dealing with don't cooperate, so even if they're not reciprocating or they're not going first, it doesn't mean we shouldn't. 1 Timothy 6:1:

Jonathan (00:23:52): "All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against."

Rick (00:24:01): You look at that scripture, and it's basically saying that when we work hard, even for those who are not honoring us, we are looked upon as respected human beings. Like, look at that. They will do their work anyway. What kind of person is that? Now in this world people might look at that and really get a little frustrated because maybe it makes them feel bad. But this is the standard that we're supposed to live up to; to honor those who are in positions of responsibility. Jonathan, let's wrap up this point about the high-level value of honoring all people; respecting what has truly high value.

Jonathan (00:24:39): Our lives are full of opportunities for giving honor to others. We are instructed to do this from the perspective of Jesus's own example and in such a way as to be seen as one who is a respectable person. Our honor and respect for others should show, especially for those who may prove to be contrary to our experiences. Let us honor as Jesus honored!

Julie (00:25:04): Since we're supposed to be representing Jesus and reflect God, that should be noticeable to those around us. We shouldn't think, talk, or act like everyone else. That doesn't mean though that we pretend everything's fine when we're angry or upset. We recently talked about that strong disagreement that the Apostle Paul and Barnabas had about whether or not John Mark should come with them on a missionary journey. They ended up completely parting ways, but still respecting each other's service.

Rick (00:25:32): Again, you have a tremendous example of that high level of honor even when things aren't going well. We have to learn to live according to those things. That's what honor's truly all about. Let's go on to another example. The high-level value of honoring family. Honor within the family unit is a foundation for being honorable to others. Let's look at Ephesians 6:1-4:

Jonathan (00:26:01): "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Rick (00:26:19): There's an awful lot here, but you've got that word for "honor" coming out. "Honor your father and mother." Then "fathers, don't provoke children to anger." In other words, learn how to teach them honorably and respectfully to do those things that others won't do because it's not part of their life. We need to rise to a higher level. The scriptures now, talked about fathers and children and, and honoring your parents. The scriptures are very clear on wives being respectful to husbands. They're also very clear regarding husbands truly honoring their wives. Jonathan, 1 Peter 3:7:

Jonathan (00:26:58): "You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered."

Julie (00:27:12): The idea here is that the woman is worth protecting and should be cherished. Here in this century that seems old-fashioned to call the wife weaker, but there really are truly things that my husband can do that I can't do. It's just too much. But notice she's treated where it counts as a "fellow heir," not a lesser heir--a "fellow heir of the grace of life." Now that sounds nice. If you're mistreating your spouse, it also warns that you can't expect to have your prayer life be as helpful as it should be.

Rick (00:27:43): Yeah.

Jonathan (00:27:44): To truly honor someone, it should show. That's intentional respect.

Rick (00:27:49): That's the whole point of this. In honoring our families, it has to come intentionally. It's not going to come easily, necessarily, because you're so used to them. It has to be thought out, put in place on purpose. The concept of honor in scripture is not always described with the word for "honor." It's also described as being subject, having selfless love or being obedient, for instance. We're going to look at that in the next scripture.

Jonathan (00:28:15): Yeah, picking up on the idea of love, lifting people up to a higher standard, we read in Colossians 3:18-21: "Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children so that they will not lose heart."

Julie (00:28:41): This talks about an appropriate hierarchy. When the family works together in an honorable way with obedience and respect and selfless love, there can be peace and growth, especially spiritual growth. How stressful it is when everything is out of balance, when the man or the woman is overbearing and unreasonable. Gosh, many children today are beyond spoiled. The parents allow the children to dictate how things will go. They're the bosses of their parents. Again, appropriate hierarchy.

Rick (00:29:10): Yeah, and it's missing, it's missing dramatically. That's why honor is so foreign to so many of us. Jonathan, respecting what has truly high value, where are we?

Jonathan (00:29:20): Our family should be high on our list of those we have the privilege to give honor to. The challenge here can be that because we are so familiar with our family members, we can easily take our family for granted. Let us rise above this family intimacy to a level of high appreciation and live in such a way that our families can see and feel the honor we are striving to give them.

Julie (00:29:46): One practical way to honor our family relationships is to forgive each other and move past all of our mistakes. Life's hard for all of us, and we could all use the benefit of doubt when appropriate. Another way I was thinking to honor them is to speak well of them to other family members and others. Highlight their positive traits, and let your family members know how they're appreciated.

Rick (00:30:08): Just a quick little story along those lines: We had our two 8-year-old granddaughters over for a couple of days on this past weekend. They were outside playing and you could see by the way they were playing something wasn't going well, so Trish went out there and called them, and one of them marches in saying "We have a conflict!" So Trish says, "Sit down at the table with Papa." The three of us sat there and we talked through the conflict, and we rephrased it and restated it. Then we rehearsed how to put it in place so that what caused the conflict could be understood and appreciated. We literally had them practice the lines of how to handle one another. After all of this, they got into the play-acting of it, and then afterwards they gave each other a great big old hug, and they were just good friends again.

Jonathan (00:30:56): Oh, wonderful.

Rick (00:30:57): But you know, it's that mutual honor. You have to work for it. It doesn't come easily and it doesn't come naturally. It needs to be striven for. That's the point here. Having a heart that's ready and willing to give honor freely can be difficult if we allow our natural minds to control us. Instead, let's focus on the mind of Christ.

Jonathan (00:31:22): It is obvious that opportunities to give honor to others are plentiful. How do we apply this privilege specifically to our brotherhood?

Rick (00:31:30): Well, the good news is that there are many ways the Scriptures teach us to do this. The challenging news is that as with family, our relationships within the brotherhood are regularly subject to potential tensions. These can subtly derail the honor that our brothers and sisters in Christ are due. Really, the baseline point here is our brothers and sisters in Christ are due honor. We want to look at the high-level value of honoring the brotherhood. To honor the brotherhood is to honor those whom God has called. Think about that for a second. You get the privilege of honoring somebody who God Almighty has called to be a follower of Christ! You get the privilege of working with them. You may not like them even, okay? You may not agree with them, but you can honor them. Why? Because God has called them, and that means we need to grow up higher than we are. What a privilege that is! Let's begin to understand brotherly honor by looking at those who are our shepherds, looking at those in positions of responsibility. Let's start with 1 Timothy 5:17-19:

Jonathan (00:32:48): "The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing, and the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses."

Julie (00:33:10): Boy, good question: How well do we remember to pause and appreciate the ones who are leading us? Just a question of both of you, you're both ministers or elders, as this text says, of your respective congregations. What's most helpful to you? How can those you serve show you this double honor in a meaningful way that would help your personal walk with Christ?

Jonathan (00:33:33): Well first of all--I'll start, Rick--we don't believe in paid ministry, so when it says wages in this verse, it represents the time and effort put into serving the brethren. The pastor is the servant of the congregation, not the lord over them. What I appreciate from our fellowship is the encouragement and help they give me for their examples and their insight. We're family, and I'm being supported in such a beautiful way.

Rick (00:34:01): Yeah. When you look at this, it's not about, "Oh, make me feel good!" That's not what this scripture is saying. What for me, understanding this honor is to be able to receive all kinds of input, whether it be positive or negative input. It's to be able to receive the input to have the brotherhood be willing to tell you about it. Sometimes after a podcast, Trish will say, "Well, you lost me in this spot. I was following along and..." See, that's important. I need to hear it. Also, when sometimes after a podcast she'll say, "That was really good." Both of those things are equally important. You need to have a balance. Getting feedback, getting feedback, and then watching others put into practice the principles that we are talking about, those are ways to really, really bring honor all around. Let's go a little further because our mutual honor goes far beyond the teachers. We are to especially honor widows indeed. Let's look at 1 Timothy 5:1-2:

Jonathan (00:35:11): This is from the New Living Translation: "Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters."

Julie (00:35:32): That's a beautiful standard. Ideally we treat our family members with honor and respect, and then we extend that same respect to those around us. Unfortunately today, if you say treat everyone like you treat your family, that might not be a good thing, because some families are really dysfunctional. But again, this is the standard we're looking for.

Jonathan (00:35:53): Well, we especially honor widows indeed. Verse 3 says, "Honor widows who are widows indeed." Now, a "widow indeed," meaning a true widow, has no one to take care of her or him. Family members are supposed to step up and care for their own, but that isn't always the reality. Our fellow church members should be ready to support the widows spiritually, temporally and financially as needed.

Julie (00:36:21): We think of honoring the elderly among us. That includes giving them a place to contribute. We can sit and listen to their life experiences. One of my favorite memories is sitting with my friend Florence, who's now passed away. Every few weeks for years I sat with her, and she lived to be a hundred years old. I loved hearing her wise advice on everything from making soup to how to prepare for a Bible study lesson to the blessing she received from her travels to Israel and Egypt and Jordan. It was just wonderful to sit at her feet, so to speak.

Jonathan (00:36:52): You're right, Julie. There's so much that we can learn from listening to our elderly brethren. This made me think of our friend Mark, who is one of our deacons in our fellowship. Almost every morning he would go to the nursing home to visit an elderly widow who is grieving over the loss of her son. Sometimes all we have to do is be there for someone.

Rick (00:37:13): What you're both describing is this simple concept of "filling the gap." Observe the gap and fill it. Fill it with love, with honor, with respect, with being present. Fill the gap. This is how it works because what we're saying is this honoring is not mere lip service or simply feeling bad for someone. It is taking worthy action. Jonathan, I want to use a word you used before. It is being intentional about acting. James 1:26-27:

Jonathan (00:37:47): "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Rick (00:38:07): True religion is not happening only inside of your head and your heart. It's happening as the result of what you are living in relation to those who may have needs. We need to think about this in relation to, you honor God best by honoring those that He honors. I mean, think about how we can fit ourselves into that situation.

Julie (00:38:33): How often do we remember to be active in showing honor to those, especially in need?

Jonathan (00:38:39): A practical example of this in our church is if someone lost a loved one or they are caring for someone in the hospital, individuals organize meals to be sent to those families for about a week. It's a wonderful way to support each other through difficulty.

Julie (00:38:55): I love that. I love that. That's so practical. On the flip side though, we also have to take active responsibility whenever we can. It makes me think of the feeding, the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. Although it's recorded in all four Gospels, John 6:9 adds this little, tiny detail that the five loaves of bread and two small fish came from a young boy. That's a lot for one boy to eat, so we assume he came to share. The comment I heard recently applying this to us is, do we come to our church services and fellowship with our basket filled, ready to share and bless others? Or, is our basket empty and we're expecting others to fill it all the time for us?

Rick (00:39:36): See, that second part of the example really kind of fits where our world is. Our world is in a place that says, "Oh, they didn't do it for me. I don't need to do it for them." But what godly honor says is, "Let me come prepared. Let me set myself out on behalf of others." See, living honor is so much bigger than just thinking it. That's where we want to settle in here. Mutual honor extends to each and every perspective body member of Christ. We're going to go to 1 Corinthians 12. We've gone through these scriptures many times, but the lessons here just never stop. 1 Corinthians 12:20-26:

Jonathan (00:40:18): "But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you; or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you."

Julie (00:40:27): Just like a natural family functions best when everyone's contributing to their potential, those that we are co-laboring with in Christ all need each other to be spiritually stronger and healthier. When we've studied the "armor of God" described in Ephesians 6, we noted the "shield of faith" invokes this oblong door-like shield of the Romans that can be lined up with other soldiers to create a portable wall of defense that you can carry wherever you go. We are on the battlefield with our fellow soldiers. We fight together. There's safety within the fellowship of Christianity.

Jonathan (00:41:02): Another practical example I've tried my best to do is in between church services. During the break, I like to scan the room to see who's not talking with anyone and go over and engage them in fellowship. I want them to know that they have value even though they are alone or may be shy.

Rick (00:41:20): What you're saying is, it doesn't matter what part of the body they are, they're there. Therefore they qualify for what? For being honored. That's the point. That's the point. It's a simple thing, but it's so hard sometimes to actually put into action. Let's go a little further with these scriptures. Mutual honor means genuinely lifting up those who are not like us, just like your example, Jonathan, in capacity and responsibility. Somebody may not be like me, be able to do the things that I can do by God's grace. It doesn't mean they're any less. That's what comes next in 1 Corinthians 12:22-24:

Jonathan (00:41:58): "On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it..." You know, what this is telling us is we should purposefully recognize everyone in our fellowship.

Rick (00:42:25): Absolutely on purpose. Do it on purpose. Don't see if you can get around to it. Do it on purpose. Let's go further. Mutual honor within the body is specifically designed as a tool of unity. This is an interesting and very important aspect of the whole part of giving honor. We're going to finish in 1 Corinthians 12, finishing verse 24 and going through verse 26:

Jonathan (00:42:50): "...But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Rick (00:43:09): It says you give "more abundant honor," just like you said, Jonathan, seek out those who may be feeling low or feeling out of place or feeling unimportant. Because if God called them--folks, if God called them--they are massively important, not just to Him, but therefore to us.

Julie (00:43:31): We'll ask the question: How firmly are we fixed in appreciating those around us who serve and live quietly in faith? Again, just because someone lives quietly doesn't mean they shouldn't be honored and appreciated. We are our brother's keeper. We're to find them, like you said Jonathan, and encourage them to serve the Lord within their own capacity. It's important to remember we don't get to choose who the Lord places within our fellowship. Sometimes our characters need extra chiseling and polishing by those around us, so we have to be thankful and appreciate who the Lord has set next to us because it's for our highest spiritual benefit.

Rick (00:44:07): So, you can't say, Lord, why did you choose them??

Julie (00:44:10): Remember that next time you get upset with that person!

Rick (00:44:13): Yeah, absolutely, positively. Let's go further now. Mutual honor extends to all true Christians no matter what their background. In our next scripture, the Apostle Paul is reminding the Gentile Christians of where they came from and who they had become. Where they came from, what they used to be and now who they were in Christ. Ephesians 2:13-16:

Jonathan (00:44:40): "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in his flesh the enmity" (meaning being actively opposed or hostile), "which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in himself he might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity."

Rick (00:45:19): What you have is the apostle saying, it doesn't matter whose background you have, it doesn't matter what your credentials were or were not. This has all been dissolved in Christ. Now you're all exactly on the same footing. Honor one another.

Julie (00:45:42): How clearly do we remember and appreciate the challenges our brotherhood have come through?

Rick (00:45:48): Well, and that's the thing. How clearly do I remember if a brother has come through some really, really bad background? Do I make allowances for that bad background? Or do I say, "Well, you're in Christ now, get over yourself." We need to understand that we are dealing with human beings that have to learn how to grow out of what they were. For me to honor someone like that is to walk with them and to appreciate them and to love them and to respect them.

Julie (00:46:15): What's the difference in the honor we're supposed to give to a random person in the world versus one of these brotherhood in Christ? I know Galatians 6:10 is, "So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." But you're talking about different levels of honor. What's a level of honor?

Rick (00:46:33): Well, a different level of honor--it's the family principle. You treat your family on a higher level of honor because they are your family. You share everything with them. The brotherhood is your spiritual family. The "everybody else" in the world are those that we want to honor and bless, but they don't share everything with us at this point, so our honor comes across differently and rightfully so. It is not minimal; it is not putting them down. It is loving them the way Jesus loved them. It is living for them the way Jesus lived for them. I think that's what the difference is.

Jonathan (00:47:06): Back to our theme scripture, we see how our mutual honor is designed to encompass all of our way of life as Christians. Romans 12:9-13: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

Rick (00:47:40): Folks, your homework is to read this scripture again and again, break out the pieces and say, "How well am I doing this and thereby honoring the brotherhood and thereby honoring my Father in heaven?" That's really what this boils down to. Jonathan, respecting what has truly high value; what do we have?

Jonathan (00:48:01): Our brotherhood is a prime location for mutual honor to settle in and live. We honor those with responsibility, those who have suffered loss, those who serve, especially when they are different or more obscure in their service. We honor those from different backgrounds as equals. All of this is done under the power of God's spirit and by the sacrifice and example of Jesus himself.

Rick (00:48:29): Any time we have a question about, well, so how does honor work? Here's the answer. Look at the life of Jesus, and you'll find out how it works. Then work to emulate that as best as you can. To develop mutual honor and respect among the brotherhood is a scripturally sound way for each of us to grow in God's grace and God's strength.

Jonathan (00:48:54): With all we discussed, we've not yet mentioned honoring Jesus. Where does that come into play, and what are the end results of honor?

Rick (00:49:02): Well, actually most of our conversation has been focused on honoring our Lord and Savior as we have continually been drawn to his example and to his sacrifice. As we shall see, the end result of all of this honor places Jesus and our heavenly Father squarely in the middle of all true honor that is given to anyone, anytime, anywhere. What we're saying is all honor, inevitably, if it's true, goes back to our Father and our Lord Jesus.

Julie (00:49:38): Yeah. We're usually so focused on how we as a Christian can honor God and honor Jesus, that we might not pause and consider how we are given honor by them as well. That's a big deal.

Rick (00:49:52): It is. We really need to expand that a little bit here. Let's work our way into that. Our next high-level value endeavor here is the high-level value of all God-based honor. Really, here what we want to say is God is the author and the ultimate giver and receiver of honor. Notice God is the giver of honor. We've got to look at that. The honor God gives functions at differing levels and on different planes of existence. Let's look at this. First, we have the honor of dominion over the earth that God bestowed upon his human creation. Let's look at Hebrews 2:5-8:

Jonathan (00:50:38): This is from the New International Version. "It is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: What is mankind that You are mindful of them, a son of man that You care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; You crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet. In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them."

Julie (00:51:11): You made mankind "a little lower than the angels. You crowned them with glory and honor." We are an honored creation of God. Or at least we were before Adam disobeyed, and everything kind of went downhill.

Rick (00:51:24): Well, it did. But you know what, we are still honored as the human race with the dominion over the earth. Mankind does have--now we've pretty much messed it up, but that was a God-given responsibility and a God-given privilege. There was honor in a physical earthly sense. Let's hold that thought. Let's go to the next level now. Next, we're going to see the spiritual honor that Jesus was given as a result of his remarkable sacrifice. Let's go to Hebrews 2, the next verses, 9-10:

Jonathan (00:51:59): "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, from whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered."

Julie (00:52:24): That expression "pioneer of their salvation," I had never seen that before. Other translations call Jesus here, the "captain of their salvation," "author of their salvation," "a perfect leader," "a princely leader." God honors Jesus for his sacrifice on behalf of mankind. I love that it says "crowned with glory and honor" because that was the same phrase we just read that was used to describe God's human creation. It's pretty unbelievable that we get compared to Jesus' level. That's...wow!

Rick (00:52:58): Yeah, that's a wow!

Julie (00:52:59): A lot of honor.

Jonathan (00:53:00): It is. Not only should Jesus be highly honored for suffering death which ransomed all humanity to life in his kingdom, but he should also be honored for taking his footstep followers to heavenly glory as his bride. What an amazing work he's doing!

Rick (00:53:16): Let's look at this. We had earthly honor and it said, "crown them with glory and honor" on an earthly level. Jesus was "crowned with glory and honor" on a spiritual level. You have the same kind of honor, but in a very different environment, and it means very different things when it's in that very different environment because the spiritual level is so much higher and so much more powerful than the earthly level. Now, let's look at that and look at where Jesus' followers fit into this. Because of Jesus' faithfulness, those called of God to follow him are offered--get this-- they're offered the highest honor ever given to humanity. Let me repeat that. Those who follow Jesus and are faithful are given the highest honor ever, ever presented to humanity. This honor is given by God to Jesus' true disciples. It's described in 1 Peter 2:4-7:

Jonathan (00:54:14): "And coming to him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men but is choice and precious (meaning valued) in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious (meaning valued) cornerstone, and he who believes in him will not be disappointed. This precious value then (that's the word for honor we've been talking about), is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, the stone which the builders rejected, this became the very cornerstone."

Rick (00:54:59): Let's think about this scripture. It's talking about Jesus as this "precious," valuable "cornerstone." I mean, you have a cornerstone. The object of the cornerstone is for the building to be built in its image. Okay? It sets the lines for the building and it's saying you--those called out to follow Christ and begotten by God's spirit and faithful and to death--as "living stones" are being built as a spiritual house based on this cornerstone. You're being included with this precious honor given to Jesus. That's how high and lofty this is. It's an amazing thing. The attaining of such high and lofty honor only comes through hard, loyal and sacrificial work of each individual called-out one. We're going to be focusing now for a few minutes on the individual work. But let's not forget the honor we give to one another to encourage them in that individual work. Jonathan, let's go to Romans 2:7-11:

Jonathan (00:56:00): "To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly (edited) ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God."

Rick (00:56:31): You have two things going on here. You have those seeking for "glory, honor, and immortality" following Jesus. They're given this honor because they are selfless. Then it says, but there's lots of others who aren't selfless. There are lots of people in the world who are selfish, and they don't obey the truth. He says there's judgment for them. But amongst those, once the day of judgment comes and reconciliation is put in place, they are also given the opportunity for "glory and honor" just like it was given in Hebrews 2 earlier. Hebrews 2:7, remember humanity given the honor of dominion over the earth? It's saying that you're brought back to that because Jesus' sacrifice, you know what it does? It brings humanity back to what they were given originally. The glory and honor that was once given, they can work towards after going through all of the trials and the troubles and the difficulties. But in this case, we're focusing on the true followers of Christ--"glory, honor, and immortality." Immortality is not inherent in everybody. If you think it is, you need to study the Scriptures because it is a gained attainment by God's grace, and only the true church follows Jesus in that. Let's continue. Such faithfulness for these who are called out, such faithfulness requires enduring the hardship of the purification process of our characters. There is hard work to do. 1 Peter 1:7-9:

Jonathan (00:58:04): "...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire (meaning through trials and life), may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen him, you love him, and though you do not see him now, but believe in him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."

Julie (00:58:35): Hmm. This reminds me of Romans 8:18: "...the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." That's that tested by fire. Our faith is more precious than gold.

Rick (00:58:48): Think about that. "The glory that shall be revealed in us." Who gives the glory? The heavenly Father does. Can you imagine being given glory by the Creator of all things? Stop a minute. Think about this. This is beyond our capacity to understand. The highest of the high, God Almighty, wants to honor those who follow Christ. On another level, on an earthly level, he wants to honor those who are resurrected in Jesus later on. That's the nature of our God. He created honor because He is honorable and deserving of honor. That's who we worship. The ultimate result of all God-based honor is praise and honor to God and to our Lord Jesus. Let's finish with Revelation 5:11-13:

Jonathan (00:59:45): "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." Quickly in Philippians 2:9-10, here's how God honored Jesus: "For this reason also, God highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth..."

Rick (01:00:37): Now, how does this honor happen toward God and toward Jesus? It's because God created us as beings of honor, and that will all come to fruition. Jonathan, wrapping this up, respecting what has truly high value what do we have?

Jonathan (01:00:53): God in His ultimate wisdom and power created heavenly and earthly beings that could reason and appreciate. This emotional and intellectual consciousness provides space to truly give and receive honor and respect as a major part of our life experience. All of this will bring us to an eternity of life, peace, respect, honor and praise. Let us thank God daily for the capacity and privilege to honor!

Rick (01:01:24): Folks, as we wrap this up, let's understand what we've got our hands on here. Let's understand what the Scriptures are teaching us. Let's sit down, take a breath, and absorb the value of giving and receiving honor in a godly fashion. It's all designed by God. It's all designed for the good of His creation, and it's all designed to last for eternity. How much better does it get? Let's learn to be honorable in all things that we say, do and think. Think about it. Folks, listen, we do love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode, "Why is Jesus called the Last Adam?" We'll talk to you about that next week.