December 2, 2020
The Law of Honor:
Every act of gratitude is a refinement to our soul.
What is Honor?
Honor in Greek means “to respect, prize, value, and reverence.” Honor is giving respect not only to deserve it but also for a position. We are to honor those in authority. “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. (Malachi 2:2) Honor is a choice!
1. Honor your parents.
Your parents should be an essential part of your life. The Bible says, ‘Honor Your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.’ (Exodus 20:12). “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 5:1-3, 6:2-3). The Bible doesn’t say honor your parents when they are kind, no matter how they treat you – you are still to honor them. Learning to honor your parents is a significant courtesy a child should know. Honor means Kindness. Be kind to everyone. Children obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. Fathers do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12)
“Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3 NLT)
2. Honor and be kind to everyone.
Honor all everyone, love your brothers and sisters in Christ, fear God, and honor the King (or whoever is in authority. (1 Peter 2:17)
• The reality is that every person you see has a deposit of God in them.
• Be kind to those who are ugly when you are at check out.
• You do not know what they had gone through before you arrived at their check out.
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:21)
3. Wives love your husband, honoring him: And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. (Colossians 3:18)
He is your equal partner.
4. Husbands honor your wives: In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker (strength wise) than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
She is your equal partner.
5. Honor Those in Authority.
Example:
a. Children honor Parents
b. Students honor their teachers
c. Employees honor their Employer
d. Honor your Pastor, and those who cover you
d. Citizens honor political positions such as the President.
(You may not like the President, but you do have to honor him)
”Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.” (1 Chronicles 16:22 Amplified, Psalms 105:15)
What does that mean?
• Don’t talk about them, Instead, pray for them. Talk to God. You don’t want to suffer the consequences of gossip.
There is an old adage: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me – that is a lie – Words can cut your spirit and hurt you to the core of your being.
Words become curses or blessings!
He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. (Proverbs 21:23)
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. (James 1:26)
6. Honor God
What you honor, you draw to yourself.
The first commandment says you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30)
a. Do you love God with all your heart and honor Him in all things? Would He be comfortable if He came to your home for dinner?
One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him (Jesus) with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:35-40 NLT)
Honor brings Favor and precedes Promotion!
7. Honor God with Your Tithes and Offerings.
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘in what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” says the Lord of hosts; “and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:8-10)
Do you honor God with all your Tithe and Offerings?
8. Honor yourself and your body.
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body. (1 Corinthians 16:18-20)
Honor your body. How do you treat yourself? Pay attention to what you put into your body; it will impact your future. Do you exercise? You honor yourself by having integrity, good character, highly esteeming God, and being kind to everyone even if they are unkind or ugly to you. Honor brings Favor and precedes Promotion!
