Honour means great respect or esteem to God for his value to us. The object of honour, which is God’s delights, is to serve him in obedience. Malachi 1: 6 says, a son honours his father; and servants their master. If I am a father, where is the honour due me? And if I am a Master, where is the respect due me? Says the LORD of host to you. We have a divine duty to honour God with our service as sons or servants. We have bad honour, good honour, and eternal honour.
Bad Honour
Bad honour is the deceitful or pretentious respect which we show out of hypocrisy or fear for the wrong reasons. It includes “respect” given for corrupt conduct, tainted wealth or ungodly power. It is of the world and surely ends in hell fire, sometimes with earthly shame in life. Examples include the honour given to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4. Paul warned in Philippians 3: 18-19 about the honour given to enemies of the cross of Christ and how their end will be.
Good Honour
Good honour is the respect from upright living, genuine life achievement, wealth and honest income. It is recognition bestowed from a virtuous life. 1Peter 2: 12 says, conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honourable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8: 21 for we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of others.
We must avoid disgrace, 1Timothy3: 7-11; and we must be commended for good works, Proverbs 12: 8. Proverbs 22: 1 says a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches. Ecclesiastes 17: 1 says a good name is better than silver or gold. Good honour brings genuine divine glory and honour to God. It is not by human orchestration but by divine providence.
Eternal Honour
Eternal honour comes from God to his people who are upright in his service. It differs from human evaluation or what we claim to be. It is sometimes described as divine honour or spiritual honour. Biblical examples include David, 1Samuel 16: 13; Samuel, 1Samuel 3: 19-20; Moses, Exodus 3: 10-12; and Jesus. He said in Matthew 28: 18, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. John 8: 18 refers to Jesus pedigree as God presented it. Ephesians 1: 20-23 refer to God’s dominion in Christ Jesus.
What is our relationship with God?
God is our Father. Matthew 6: 6 says, whenever you pray, … pray to your Father… and your Father… will reward you. Jesus also referred to God as our Father in Mark 11: 25; Luke 11: 2 in the Lord’s Prayer. As our Master, Jesus told a parable of the weeds in Matthew 13: 27; the dutiful slave in Matthew 24: 45-51; and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25: 14-30. Jesus said in , Mark 13: 35 we must keep awake for the master in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn.
The disciples either collectively or individually referred to Jesus as Master, Luke 5: 5; 8: 24, 45; 9: 33, 49. Jesus referred to God as Master in a plethora of parables, including Luke 12: 45-47; 14: 21-23; His followers called him Master in Luke 17: 13. In Daniel 3: 26 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were called servants of the Most High God. However, we are called, we have a divine duty to honour God as our Father or as our Master through Christ Jesus.
How do we honour God?
The Israelites thought they were honouring God, but in truth they were rather insulting God. They offered polluted food on God’s alter yet denied it, Malachi 1: 7. They offered blind animals and lame or sick animals, which they themselves despised, in sacrifice to God. God remarked in Malachi 1: 8-9, try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favour? And now you implore the favour of God… will he show favour to any of you? Likewise, we also give to God what is of no value or significance or of no use to us, or we despise to God. God’s reaction is also to us.
God said in Malachi 1: 10… I have no pleasure in you… and I will not accept an offering from your hands. Malachi 1: 14 says curse be the cheat who… vows to give it and yet sacrifices to the LORD what is blemished. We deceive ourselves that God has accepted our offerings, when we know deep down in our hearts that our offerings are worthless. Isaiah 29: 13-14 say God despises honouring him with the lips without the heart. Jesus said in Matthew 15: 8-9 this people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.
God is not honoured with deceit
Isaiah 29 says that God despises deceit but upholds our faithfulness. Revelation 2: 10 says, be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. The duty of a son or a servant is faithfulness to his Father or his Master. It is only by this that we may honour God, expecting nothing in return. We must honour God with what is befitting of him as the Most High King. David said in 1Chronicles 21: 24, I will not take for the LORD what is yours, nor offer burnt offerings that cost me nothing. Do we honour God?
God may at his will, honour us in return when we honour him. 1Samuel 2: 30 says those who honour me I will honour, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt. God wants us to honour him not only with our slips or substance but primarily with our deeds. Romans 12: 1 says present you bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Proverbs 3: 9 says honour the LORD with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce. How is our spiritual worship?
We must not wait to be self-sufficient before we honour God. Honouring God is not predicated on worldly wealth but the purity of heart to do what is respectable in God’s sight. God delights in our hearts, minds, souls and spirits more than our money or wealth. Jesus commended the poor widow at the treasury based on the substance of her heart, Mark 12: 42-43; Luke 21: 1-4. God wants unblemished offerings that are costly to us as part of our first fruits, not what is of no value to us.
Deuteronomy 27: 16 says curse be anyone who dishonours father or mother. Galatians 6: 7-8 say, do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. Let our hearts reflect our true honour to Father in heaven, and our Masters through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, our spiritual worship has been cold based on how we honour you. We are sorry and pray for forgiveness in your precious blood. Help us by your Holy Spirit to give you a befitting honour as our Father and Master. Help us to delight in your service in your holy name, Amen!!
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