Today’s world doesn’t lend itself to the behavior spoken of in Psalm 15:4. We do what is considered politically correct. We are silenced in the name of tolerance. Jesus wasn’t cruel when He spoke the truth to the people He encountered. He genuinely loved them. He didn’t belittle them based on their sin to make Himself feel better. He knew who He was. It’s time we realize who we are:
We are princes and princesses. My Father is the King of the Universe! What does your Daddy do? If you’re reading this, I would venture to say He is the great I Am!
Loathe, Despise and Hate
Are we really supposed to hate anything as Christians? I was plagued by this question a few years ago. I struggled with some very serious “hate” issues. One of the women in my Bible study group suggested I do a word study on “hate”. I did the same with the word “despised.” I found 50 verses that contained the word. Here are a few of them. Look up these verses and note the context of each use of the word “despised.” Remember that the version of the Bible you are using may not translate the original Hebrew as “despised,” but it will be something close. (Genesis 25:34, 2 Samuel 6:16, Psalm 15:4, Ecclesiastes 9:16, Isaiah 53:3)
Alright, back to my original question: are Christians really supposed to hate? Look up the word despise. It doesn’t mean “hate”. After looking up several words to clarify the meaning of “despise,” I’ve come to the following conclusion. It means to look upon as inferior. All of this research can seem pretty complicated and time-consuming, but I did say earlier that you’ll get more out of your study time if you’re willing to put more into it.
To continue building on this, we are to despise that which is vile. What does vile mean? It is something disgusting. So we are to look at disgusting things as inferior. We’ve already established that despise doesn’t mean hate. But we are instructed in Psalm 15:4 to look down upon that which has been rejected by God. It has no place in our lives. It doesn’t deserve our time or consideration. I think this is summed up pretty well by Psalm 101:3. Look up this verse.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The word “honor” is mentioned 161 times in the NIV Bible. It means respect and esteem. When we respect God, He honors us with blessings. He shows us respect by giving us great responsibility. When we chase after what is right, we find respect. Being humble is a prerequisite for obtaining respect.
I hope you already have a healthy understanding of respect. I pray you give it to your spouse, your pastor and your boss. I pray you get it from your kids. What are some ways people have honored you? How have you esteemed others?
Don’t forget that the key to success in this area of blameless living is humility. Can you see a pattern? We gain respect by being humble. As God’s chosen people, we should be truly humble. Humility comes with wisdom. Wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord brings honor. The key to being truly humble lies in honoring, esteeming and respecting God.
So, let’s evaluate ourselves. Do you currently obey Psalm 15:4 and respect those who fear the Lord? Why or why not?
It’s all about love. The command to honor those who love the Lord goes hand-in-hand with loving your brother. The Word says that we will be known by our love for one another. So, if we’re not honoring each other, we’re not only disobeying the Word of God, we are not recognizable as Christians! I don’t know about you, but I want people to see Jesus in me and be drawn to Him.
A Promise Is A Promise
Do you know anyone who kept their word, even when it hurt them to do so? Hello, McFly. (That phrase kind of gets lost if you can’t imagine me knocking on my own forehead!) Jesus did! Duh…the cross!
How would you feel about someone who made a promise to you, then failed to keep it? Would you have a difficult time trusting that person to do what they say in the future? Would it have made any difference if they had communicated their difficulties to you better? Have you ever let someone down in this way? If so, what could you do to change your behavior and become more reliable?
Memorize on… Psalm 15:4.
We are princes and princesses. My Father is the King of the Universe! What does your Daddy do? If you’re reading this, I would venture to say He is the great I Am!
Loathe, Despise and Hate
Are we really supposed to hate anything as Christians? I was plagued by this question a few years ago. I struggled with some very serious “hate” issues. One of the women in my Bible study group suggested I do a word study on “hate”. I did the same with the word “despised.” I found 50 verses that contained the word. Here are a few of them. Look up these verses and note the context of each use of the word “despised.” Remember that the version of the Bible you are using may not translate the original Hebrew as “despised,” but it will be something close. (Genesis 25:34, 2 Samuel 6:16, Psalm 15:4, Ecclesiastes 9:16, Isaiah 53:3)
Alright, back to my original question: are Christians really supposed to hate? Look up the word despise. It doesn’t mean “hate”. After looking up several words to clarify the meaning of “despise,” I’ve come to the following conclusion. It means to look upon as inferior. All of this research can seem pretty complicated and time-consuming, but I did say earlier that you’ll get more out of your study time if you’re willing to put more into it.
To continue building on this, we are to despise that which is vile. What does vile mean? It is something disgusting. So we are to look at disgusting things as inferior. We’ve already established that despise doesn’t mean hate. But we are instructed in Psalm 15:4 to look down upon that which has been rejected by God. It has no place in our lives. It doesn’t deserve our time or consideration. I think this is summed up pretty well by Psalm 101:3. Look up this verse.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The word “honor” is mentioned 161 times in the NIV Bible. It means respect and esteem. When we respect God, He honors us with blessings. He shows us respect by giving us great responsibility. When we chase after what is right, we find respect. Being humble is a prerequisite for obtaining respect.
I hope you already have a healthy understanding of respect. I pray you give it to your spouse, your pastor and your boss. I pray you get it from your kids. What are some ways people have honored you? How have you esteemed others?
Don’t forget that the key to success in this area of blameless living is humility. Can you see a pattern? We gain respect by being humble. As God’s chosen people, we should be truly humble. Humility comes with wisdom. Wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord brings honor. The key to being truly humble lies in honoring, esteeming and respecting God.
So, let’s evaluate ourselves. Do you currently obey Psalm 15:4 and respect those who fear the Lord? Why or why not?
It’s all about love. The command to honor those who love the Lord goes hand-in-hand with loving your brother. The Word says that we will be known by our love for one another. So, if we’re not honoring each other, we’re not only disobeying the Word of God, we are not recognizable as Christians! I don’t know about you, but I want people to see Jesus in me and be drawn to Him.
A Promise Is A Promise
Do you know anyone who kept their word, even when it hurt them to do so? Hello, McFly. (That phrase kind of gets lost if you can’t imagine me knocking on my own forehead!) Jesus did! Duh…the cross!
How would you feel about someone who made a promise to you, then failed to keep it? Would you have a difficult time trusting that person to do what they say in the future? Would it have made any difference if they had communicated their difficulties to you better? Have you ever let someone down in this way? If so, what could you do to change your behavior and become more reliable?
Memorize on… Psalm 15:4.
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