Treating Everyone with Honor, Part 3
“Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God's people should be bighearted and courteous. Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient; we were misled by others and became slaves to many evil pleasures and wicked desires. Our lives were full of resentment and envy. We hated others and they hated us.”
Titus 3:1-3 (MSG/TLB)
We’ve been talking about why we should honor everyone and how to do it. I can’t think of a better time to reconsider the value and respect we are to show everyone than this week of mid-term elections. Our political and social climate has reached a boiling point. As Christ followers we have a unique opportunity to make a real difference exercising the power of honor. I believe it can change our world when we do!
Yesterday we looked at the first two ways we can honor everyone. First, God created everyone, so we shouldn’t look down on anyone. Second, we must look deeper and see someone for whom Christ died. Titus 3:1-3 offers us two more ways we can show honor.
Third, we are to honor God by respecting authority. In Titus 3:1-2 (MSG), the Bible says, “Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God's people should be bighearted and courteous.” But how do you respect those in authority who may act disrespectfully? You honor the position over the person. You respect the authority that God has ordained, whether you agree with it or not. You may think, “Well, that seems unreasonable!” But Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:17 (GW), “Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” This takes on even greater significance when you consider that Nero was the emperor at the time he wrote that! Nero was an egomaniac narcissist and persecuted many Christ followers to the death! Still, Peter tells his readers to “Honor the emperor.”
In 1 Timothy 2:2-3 (NCV), the apostle Paul gives a practical way to honor our authorities, “Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior.” Do you pray for our leaders? It’s so easy to criticize and find fault with them, especially the ones we don’t agree with, but how often do we stop to pray for them. Why pray? “… so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God.” The benefit of praying for them is ours!
Fourth. Titus 3:3 gives us a final way to honor everyone: Hold on to the truth but don’t hate anyone. I love the way The Living Bible paraphrases this passage. “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient; we were misled by others and became slaves to many evil pleasures and wicked desires. Our lives were full of resentment and envy. We hated others and they hated us.” Titus is reminding us that before we were saved, we were haters. Like that great theologian, Taylor Swift said, “Haters gonna hate.” But Jesus calls us to a higher standard. In Matthew 5:43-46 (GNT), He said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your friends, hate your enemies.' But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!”
We may hate the sin and the damage it causes, but we are to love the sinner as Jesus did. Paul put it like this in Romans 12:9 (NIV), “Be sure your love is true love. Hate what is sinful. Hold on to whatever is good.”
This is the greatest challenge in honoring everyone. Do you love those who are unlovely? Do you bless those who curse you? That’s what makes us so different as Christ followers in a world filled with hate. This is what the early church did, and over time it changed the Roman empire! They lived the truth and loved sinners! They lived with integrity and honor. They were honest and lived out their faith. They had no political clout, no power, few resources, but they turned their world upside down for Jesus! Hold on to the truth but don’t hate anyone! It’s good to be involved in politics, and it’s right to cast your vote, but the hope of the world is not the White House. It is the church, an army of compassion, being Jesus to people. The church is the hope of the world because Jesus is the living hope! Let’s love others and show honor to everyone because love never fails. Just keep loving others no matter how they treat you. Truth and love – these are the hallmarks of genuine faith! 1 Corinthians 13:3b (MSG) sums it up, “… So no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”