Bible Thoughts

October 29, 2000

Men honor that which they respect. In the world, they give praise and rewards to those who are successful in secular pursuits. Many of those who will read these words have received what might be called earthly honors. Recognition is given on the basis of how they have served faithfully in their jobs, sports, hobbies, community, or any other endeavor. It is not wrong to recognize such achievements.

Christians are to give honor also. The honor embraces the respect that a disciple has for others. The New Testament outlines those who are deserving of honor. Among those who are to be honored by Christians are the following:

First and foremost, Jehovah and Jesus Christ(I Timothy 1:17; I Timothy 6:16). It is not possible to serve a god one does not respect. W. E. Vine connects such with the idea of "valuing." Such sounds reasonable. You honor what you value; you value what you honor. If the Lord is placed first in one's life, faithfulness will follow.

Christians are to give honor to all men(I Peter 1:17). In order to teach humanity, we must respect mankind. Each person is a subject of the gospel, no matter what type of life that person has lived. Humans are a creation of God and should we not remember that each has a soul, given by God? We show our honor to men by living a proper example in their presence and teaching them the truth.

When one works for another, he is to honor his master(I Timothy 6:1). While we are not slaves, we should certainly understand that we are to give due regard to those for whom we work. We honor them by being faithful at doing our work, giving an honest day's effort, and respecting their position.

The apostle mentioned honoring elders, not just honoring, but double honoring(I TImothy 5:17) those who carry on successfully the Lord's work in the local congregation. Few conditions undermine the work of the church than to have those members who fail to respect those who diligently seek to guide and feed the flock. Being an elder is an awesome task. It is not easy to deal with all of the situations that arise among the brethren. Faithful men, who see that the word of God is respected, are worthy of the double honor of which Paul speaks. Brethren, let us give proper honor to our elders.

Peter points out that husbands are to honor their wives(I Peter 3:7). Wives are not to be treated as slaves. They deserve the confidence of the husband. They know some things that men do not(surprised?). They have the experience and know-how to assist in making the home a place that pleases God. When there are children, wives usually spend more time with the kids than the husband. She is there when they are sick, when they hurt, when they are sad, and when they need a touch(or a kiss). She is also there, under the same conditions, for the husband. "Her price is far above rubies." And...a wife that is honored will also give due honor to the husband.

The Word of God teaches children to honor their parents(Ephesians 6:2). Such honor is to be evident from the cradle to the grave. The respect given to parents contributes to conditions that promote a happy(and longer) life while upon the earth(Ephesians 6:3). No greater honor can be given than for children to love and respect parents because their parents taught them the truth. That teaching must include both the verbal and the example. It would be difficult to honor someone who said one thing and did something else. My young friend, you should thank God every day that you have parents who love you and care for you. They deserve every ounce of honor that you can give them. Their value exceeds all the wealth the world can deliver.

The New Testament instructs Christians to "Honor widows that are widows indeed"(I Timothy 5:3). Proper honor is bestowed upon those who need help when we come to their aid. While there are those who need assistance from the church, many others have need of encouragement, visitation, assistance, and attention. When individuals honor widows by seeing to their welfare(physically and spiritually), they are carrying out the instructions of the Lord. Always remember that someday you may need someone who cares for you.

Valuing(honoring) others is a trait of Christians. Whether it is in the family, in the church, or in the community, let us never neglect giving due honor to those mentioned in the New Testament. Such includes all men.

What does the above verse mean? Does it mean that we as saints should not be rich, because if we are it will be more difficult for us to enter heaven, and if so why? Jesus had just finished talking about the rich young ruler, he was someone seeking the truth and he had done most of what was asked of him except giving up his riches to follow Jesus. So was the problem with the money he had or did Jesus have a problem with the way he thought about it, what it means to him?

In this case we can see the disadvantages of having wealth, how it caused this young ruler to fall. It would be wrong to have riches if you think that they are going to get you to heaven or if you think that they are more important than God. To this young ruler his riches were a stumbling block, and because of his riches he would not get into heaven. But money can also be a blessing: think of all theb opportunities you have that others don’t have, such as helping others; looking after the saints in need; supporting those that have gone to teach others the gospel. It’s not wrong for saints to be rich, as long as they keep in mind that their riches are not the most important thing, that it won't get them to heaven.-Vaughn Botha