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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for February 18, 2010
“Honor to Whom Honor Is Due”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Romans 13:7 tells us to give honor to whom honor is due.
So to whom is honor due?
And what is honor, anyway?
Honor is what you see a lot of times at funerals. The deceased is shown great respect as their negatives are overlooked and their positives are praised. We honor the dearly departed.
But while people are alive we don’t tend to honor them very much, at least not in America. Instead of honoring people, we are much more likely to tear them down, from our neighbor to our boss, from our pastor to our president.
Giving honor is not a strong suit in America, and yet the Bible says to give honor to whom honor is due.
So to whom is honor due?
At the top of the list is God, of course. We are to honor God.
And how does the Bible say we are to honor God?
Proverbs 3:9 tells us to honor God with our possessions, and with the firstfruits of our increase. Think about that the next time they pass the plate at church. That is a great opportunity to honor God with the firstfruits of your increase.
And we are to honor God with our possessions. Our possessions should show respect to God, so look around. Do you possess anything that disrespects God? If so, then out of honor to God, get rid of it.
And listen. If it disrespects God, why would you give it to someone else, or sell it? If it disrespects God, I say destroy it. We are to honor God with our possessions.
Another way we honor God is by being kind to those in need. Proverbs 14:31 says, “…whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
There are many other ways to honor and show respect to God, but those are the two ways the Bible specifically says here is how you honor God – with your possessions and firstfruits, and by being kind to the needy.
It’s also important to honor Jesus Christ. He said in John 5:23, “…that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.”
I guess that’s a no-brainer, that we are to honor God. So, who else are we to honor?
Well here’s a pretty general guideline. Romans 12:10 says to “honor one another above yourselves.” So our general attitude in life as a Christian is to honor others above ourselves.
But there are some people we are specifically told to honor, and the people mentioned most are our parents. Over and over in the Bible you will find this command, “Honor your father and your mother.”
So if you are making a priority list, it should start out like this: honor God, and honor your parents.
Next we find a group of people worth a special mention because it says they are worthy of “double honor.” I’m talking about the elders in the church. First Timothy 5:17 says, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
So preachers and teachers and all those elders who do a good job running the church – we are to give them double honor.
Next we come to First Peter 2:17 which says, “honor the king.” Of course we don’t have a king in America, but I think it’s pretty simple to substitute words like president and governor and mayor and, you get the point. I think we should honor and show respect to our governing authorities.
And finally here is another general statement of whom to honor. Psalm 15 says to honor those who fear the Lord.
One thing to keep in mind. We always honor God above people. Back in First Samuel 2, old Eli got in serious trouble for breaking that rule. God rebuked Eli severely when He said, “Why do you honor your sons more than Me?”
Now, one last thing on the subject of honor, and that is how you can receive honor yourself. It’s tricky, because we aren’t supposed to seek to be honored, but we are to live honorably. So here is what the Bible says we can do that will result in being honored.
The first one is a byproduct of honoring God. In First Samuel 2:30 God said, “Those who honor Me I will honor…”
The second one is a byproduct of serving Jesus. In John 12:26 Jesus said it plainly, “My Father will honor the one who serves Me.”
Psalm 91 says the Lord will honor those who love Him and call upon Him.
The Proverbs repeatedly tell us that when we gain wisdom we will end up with honor.
Other traits that bring honor include faith, love, and righteousness.
But one thing to keep in mind, as Proverbs 15:33 points out, before honor comes humility.
So there’s a little lesson on honor.
We are to give honor to whom honor is due, and we start by honoring God.
So I’ll close with one of my all time favorite God-honoring Bible verses: First Timothy 1:17.
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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