Do You Show Respect To Whom Respect Is Due?

"... Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves." (cf Phil. 2:23, NLT).

"... Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love," (cf Eph. 4:2, NLT).

Respect has its limits. The Roman Empire demanded people to take a loyalty oath: "Caesar is Lord." However, Christians refused and would only admit: "Jesus is Lord." Some were martyred for this refusal and defiance of Rome. We must render to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's (cf. Matt. 22:21). Only God deserves our ultimate loyalty, reverence, and worship. We must draw the line somewhere. Respect is part of the Ten Commandments where we are to honor our parents and this is inclusive to mean authority figures as Peter said, to fear God and to honor the king but notice he said to honor all men (cf. 1 Pet. 2:17).

The kind of crowd we hang out with may not be God's kind of people and we should know that bad company corrupts good morals (cf. 1 Cor. 15:33). Choose your friends carefully. Show love with discernment (cf. Phil. 1:9). We don't want the unbeliever to spoil us instead of us influencing them. Now, be a good neighbor! We must love our neighbors even if they are not our friends; even the wicked people respect and love their friends and we would be no better than them.

Love is an expression of respect. As Jesus said to love our neighbors, this begs the question of who our neighbor is: Anyone in our obit or circle of influence that needs us and that we can express love to by deeds, not just empty words. The Bible exhorts us to respect those to whom it is due and honor to who it is due (cf. Rom. 13:7). It also says that honor is not becoming a fool (cf. Prov. 26:8). People can say “With all due respect,” but intend to insult them at the same time. But sometimes it's difficult to show respect, and this may be the case in such situations as in the armed forces where we respect the position even if we don't like them personally. We respect our elders for this reason too.

We must realize that what the world respects and esteems is not God's value system. When we appraise a person by his worldly accomplishments such as success, fame, power, wealth, or even just because he's achieved the American dream or has good credentials such as education, status, or reference, when we evaluate a person in these ways we are succumbing to the devil's appraisal means and not what God values such as virtue, character, hard work, loyalty, faithfulness, wisdom, being an elder, or an authority figure.

But we are never to show scorn or disdain because everyone is in God's image even if it is tarnished they have rights and dignity and worth as human beings. Learn to be civil and overlook someone's faults. Even criminals in America have rights. We must regard them that God finds pleasure in and show them worthy of our honor. We show respect in many ways including being polite, courteous, not even exploiting them, but giving people a break and the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes, it's as simple as showing gratitude and not taking advantage of them. Sometimes it is necessary to level with people or offer constructive criticism and speak the truth in love (cf. Eph. 4:15).

It can become problematic to respect and show patience with those who disagree with us, even in politics or doctrinal matters; there are gray areas and we must allow for differences of opinion or even conviction, realizing that the Great Commission is not to convert to our opinions or convictions but to Jesus--we don't preach a creed but a Person. Now, what is the difference between an opinion and a conviction? You hold opinions but convictions hold you! If you may be willing to die for it, it's probably a conviction. Respect a person's right to an opinion or conviction different from yours.

As far as doctrines go, or church dogma, there are major and minor doctrines affecting orthodox faith and then there's heresy. Don't be contentious or argumentative but patient, showing love with restraint and compassion if possible. There are doctrines that sincere believers beg to differ on. Don't major in the minors! Keep the main thing the main thing! If the issue affects salvation, it's orthodox and worth fighting for, but some disagreements are not worth the adrenaline and generate more heat than light. There were certain doctrines the Church Fathers defended and wrote apologetic books against denouncing heresy. We are to" "earnestly contend for the faith: (cf. Jude 3). Augustine quite appropriately said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

Respect shows understanding. Going hand in hand with knowing God is knowing ourselves. The Greeks of antiquity said, "Know thyself." This entails self-respect as the assumption. If we do find this out, the revelation will be that we'll realize the picture isn't a pretty one because we are all flawed creatures who have feet of clay or weaknesses that are not readily apparent.

For this reason, we must humbly judge our fellow man and say, "There but for the grace of God go I." (George Whitefield). Paul confessed similarly: "I am what I am by the grace of God." (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10). If we do judge someone, remember your sinfulness and their humanness. Give them a break! Remember: "There is, therefore, no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus..." (cf. Romans 8:1). When we know ourselves and God, we can respect others who need God.

We are but a step from death and must acknowledge the grace God gives us that we take for granted. Our self-assessment should echo Paul's who saw himself as the chief of sinners and of John Bunyan who wrote his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Reflecting on the fact that grace is getting what we do not deserve, cannot pay back, cannot earn, nor even improve upon! Only God knows the cost of our salvation that Jesus paid. None of us deserves our blessings. We are all the recipients of grace and good from God (cf. Psalm 149:5; James 1:17).

Another sign of respect and salvation is the inclination to forgive and not to be harsh in your judgments. We must forbear and forgive one another as the Lord forgave us (cf. Col 3:13). Remember that if we cannot show forgiveness and mercy to others we may not have experienced it ourselves. Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on! Some people just need to learn a little respect!

In showing our love for our neighbor as is the second of the two greatest commandments, sometimes we must show love to the unlovely or the unloved, love can be difficult and God doesn't require a touchy-feely type of love but to demonstrate it with our deeds. Love can be tough! Anyone can tell someone they love them, but do they live it out? Don't let it be mere lip service. The Golden Rule comes to mind and this is the highest ethic ever offered; Jesus truly raised the bar and He actually lived it out. He practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced without duplicity. Soli Deo Gloria!

Repecting All Men

"Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor" (2 Pet. 2:17, NIV). We ought to respect all authority figures or those in delegated authority. We must learn to give all due respect (cf. Romans 13:1-2), even if we don't like them. All men deserve dignity by virtue of being human. The Scripture expects us to pray for all those in authority, and that includes constables, representative, mayors, legislators, senators, judges, school board members, the president, and what have you, including respecting your elders and teachers in school.  In the military, you might have ambivalent feelings for your drill sergeant, but you will learn to respect him.

People sometimes have doubts about certain so-called dubious occupations, such as lawyers or car salesmen, but we are not to make stereotypes and generalize about all members of that profession. There may be a few bad cops, for instance, that doesn't eliminate our duty to honor them.  In the service, you may not respect the officer himself, but you learn to respect the office he holds.  In Jesus' day, the Jews had no respect for publicans or tax collectors and sinners (Jews who weren't observant), and Jesus went to the home of Zaccheus and converted him.  This was quite appalling to the Jews who thought that this would defile Him.  Roman soldiers were certainly not respected but Jesus commended the Roman centurion for his faith and John the Baptist converted them (he didn't advise them to leave the Roman army).

The point is that you should judge people individually and not as groups they belong to, which is prejudice, profiling, and bias.  Just because some lawyers are crooked, doesn't mean a Christian cannot become a lawyer (the church father Tertullian was a lawyer).  Just because you've had a bad run-in with police doesn't give you the right to judge their profession--there are much noble police doing a fine job and this is not an easy job, the chances they take and the dangerous situations they encounter.  The fact is is that there are bad people in every legitimate profession and we cannot judge them as a group.  For instance, police are ordained by God as being in authority over us--to despise or show contempt for their authority is to dishonor God.

Our attitude toward authority is a mirror of our attitude toward God  (it all began with the fourth commandment to honor our parents who are in loco Dei, or in the place of God).  Many people never grasp authority like the centurion officer who said to Jesus, "I, too, am a man under authority." Veterans and service personnel have a better concept of authority than others because many times they've had to accept authority they didn't like and found out what respect entails.  The law is given for wrongdoers and if we obey the law we have nothing to have an issue about or to fear--we have only ourselves to blame for breaking the law, not the officer for enforcing it.  (Leniency or mercy aren't leniency and mercy if they are required or earned--they don't have to give us a break!)  Have you ever given a beggar some alms? Why haven't you extended that grace to all?

God establishes the death penalty for those who commit murder in Genesis 9:6, and this is because human life is sacred and inviolate in God's eyes, because we are in the image of God.  We are not to be inhumane to anyone under any circumstances. but only render what strict justice requires under the law and not to be vindictive, unusual, or cruel.  God put a limit on revenge by saying that it should be eye-for-eye and life-for-life.  The value of one soul is worth more to God than the entire universe; for what would it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  (Cf. Mark 8:36). Certain occupations seem to become stigmatized or losing respect, but their occupation must not be maligned.  Authority figures are there for a reason (to keep people in line and keep evil at bay) and mean that we should respect their authority or delegated authority.

When politicians react expediently, and not on principle, it is demeaning to the profession, and we must realize that this is a hazard of the job--it will cost you to gain respect and you must be willing to make the sacrifices.  We live in a day and age when people are losing respect for everyone and no occupation seems sacrosanct.  Doctors and nurses are doubtless respected, but there are crooked, unethical, and dishonest ones, too. Teachers are highly regarded in most societies, but some of them are unconscionable cheaters or slackers, and even unskilled.  It is all right to disagree or to not like an individual, but we must never categorize entire professions, which is generalizing, because of our experience--just think if Jesus had been biased against publicans and sinners--where would we be?
Soli Deo Gloria!

Should We Respect All Authority Figures?

"Render to all what is due them:   tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor"  (Rom. 13:7).  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.  Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle but also to those who are unreasonable" (1 Pet. 2:17-18).  "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"  (1 Pet. 2:13-14, NASB).

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God:  the powers that be are ordained of God.   Whoso resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God...  For he is the minister of God to thee for good...(Rom. 13:1-2,4a, KJV)."

The Word says to fear (respect) all that fear is due (I learned this pretty fast in the Army saying my first "Yes, Sir!"), but does this mean it is up to us to decide whether they are worthy of our respect or not?  All authority is given by God and established by Him and it would not have any power over us except that God has given it.  Disrespecting authority is a way of disrespecting God (e.g., parents are in loco Dei or in the place of God as the first authority figures a child has to learn to obey, and disobedience to parents was a crime worthy of death, according to Romans 1) and only when they ask us to do some evil or sinful act are we entitled and obligated to disobey, and even do civil disobedience--there is a limit to our obedience (Shall we obey God or man? is asked in Acts 4:19).

But just as the judge demands respect from the court, even if they disagree, so in the military services one respects positions of authority regardless of the personal opinions or whether one likes them--it is the office they hold that is the key.  When the judge enters the courtroom, all rise out of respect and call him "your honor."

 We are to honor all people because they are in the image and likeness of God, no one deserves contempt or inhumane treatment as if they weren't human or deserved any rights.  We believe in the basic dignity of man and that is why capital punishment is appropriate because a person in God's image has been killed.  In a church, we have an organization, though the church is an organism of believers.  Elders, deacons, and pastors and teachers are a chain of command and are there by God's decree.  It is vain to believe we can reform our church to our image and agree with our way of thinking--Martin Luther tried this and failed to change the Vatican, getting excommunicated in the process and having to start his own denomination, which was not his intent.

 Rebellion is a sin and so is sowing discord among brothers.  Being divisive, factious, or contentious is a fruit of the flesh and to be avoided and disciplined by the church body  (cf. Gal. 5:20).  We are not trying to start our little own following, revolution or movement to be counterproductive to the system--we want to church's blessing on our endeavor.    As an example, I have this blog and made sure that my pastor didn't object to my sharing it; I gave him a sample of my doctrine so he knows where I stand, and that I'm not way out there in some heresy or something, and dangerous to the church.  This is done in the "up and up" and not in secret--no hidden agenda. 

We are to work with the system God has set up and respect all authority, even if we don't like them.   Remembering Jesus' words to Pilate:  "You would have no authority over me, except it had been given from above." Jesus never showed any signs of lack of respect, though he didn't really cooperate as expected.  As Protestants we can take advice from Martin Luther who dared to stand up to heresy and take the consequences, saying:  "I dissent, I disagree, I protest."

 Summing up, we don't have to agree with everything, but in everything we do we must show respect and disagree in the right way:  Augustine's dictum, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity" applies, but that also means we are to leave room for disagreement from the church, and not just them leaving room for our disagreement.  There should be unity, but not uniformity in the body. "Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (cf. Eph. 4:3).  Soli Deo Gloria!

Respecting Your Bro

Yes, "bro" is in the dictionary and it means soul brother and is a term of endearment.  But I am referring especially to our brothers in the Lord, though there are applications to our fellow man and siblings.  There is a command to love the brethren, of course, but this entails respect, which goes hand in hand.  All our brothers deserve respect because they are in Christ.  The Scriptures tell us to give respect to whom respect is due.  All human beings have dignity as being in the image of God, though it is tarnished by the fall. We should love our blood brothers naturally and shouldn't have to be commanded to do that.

 All Christians should submit to one another in the name of Christ and not lord it over the others or play God.  There are those believers who are godly and trust in the Lord and then there are those who try to be God and are domineering.  Some people just like to be the boss and work for themselves (they don't like to take orders, but give them!), spiritually speaking.  Like being a one-man band in the church or what is a so-called "pastor-driven" church. It should be ruled by elders.   There really is no such biblical basis for that kind of church government.  Though the husband is the head of the wife, he is not the boss and should also submit to her in the Lord.

So, to get closer to home:  The Bible says in Deut. 23:7:  "Don't abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother...."  Obadiah says:  "Do not gloat over your brother in the day of his adversity."    We should never be ashamed of our brother, sister, or kinfolk, or refuse to acknowledge them.  For it goes in an analogy that he who is ashamed of Christ in them will also be shamed by Christ.   For example,  if your brother (I don't necessarily mean Christian) is an alcoholic, autistic, mentally ill, disabled, or even gay (now a Christian cannot be gay), don't reject him because of that.  Having unjust opinions of someone because they are "different" is mere prejudice.  God may be giving you that kind of ministry or trying to teach you  (both the person that is different and his or her themselves)  something.

Now, it is said, that an Englishman is a "self-made man who worships his creator."  There is no such creature as a self-made man!   The Bible says in Isa. 51:1 to "look to the rock from which you were hewn and the stone from which you were cut."  In other words, don't forget where you came from and what your roots are, and become cocky or prideful in your success--for it is the Lord who gives you the power to make wealth (Deut. 8:18).  Isa. 48:17 says, "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way that you should go."  

We are not self-made men, but a product of those we have been around during our journey through life.  I am a part of you, and you are a part of me (that is if we know each other).  "He who mocks the poor insults his creator."  "The rich and the poor have this in common:  the Lord is the maker of them all."   James says that if we are poor we should be thankful because God has made us rich in faith.  If you saw the movie "It's A Wonderful Life," you probably realize the impact that one life can have and what it would have been like hadn't you ever been born.

Real success is finding your spiritual niche (you must fine your charisma or gift first) and calling in Christ, not achieving the so-called American dream.  The safest place to be is in the will of God and there is a hedge of protection around us.  We should not look down on others who have not attained the level of success we have or compare ourselves with others because we are all unique creations of God, our maker, and potter. We are simply vessels of honor for His glory.  Soli Deo Gloria!