As of 1997 there were 3,408 recipients of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor. That is not very many when you consider all of the United States' history. There have been over 300 billion people and only that many have received this honor. 19 men received a second Medal of Honor. 14 of these men received two separate Medals for two separate actions. Just under half of those were awarded during the American Civil War. There were no Medals of Honor awarded for the Gulf War. The first formal system for rewarding acts of individual gallantry by this nation's fighting men was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782. It was designed to recognize "any singularly meritorious action," the award consisted of a purple cloth heart with no medal. Records show that only three people received that award. (This is not to be confused with the "Purple Heart" of today. The purple cloth was just used as an award then.) The award went through various changes in style and name. In the 1847 Mexican-American War it was called a "certificate of merit." In the American Civil War the "Medal of Valor" found support in the Navy first, where it was felt the recognition of "courage in strife" was needed. Although it was created for the Civil War, Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration in 1863. This is a unique award only given to those of outstanding valor at a time when the nation is in a crisis. All humans are endowed with an innate honor by virtue of our creation in the image of God. While it is inferred from the creation story, it is stated overtly in Psalm 8:4-5,
Hebrews 2:7 quotes this passage with approval, adding, "...and did set him over the works of your hands:"
Verse 7 indicates that glory and honor in this context are almost synonymous. The meaning is that elevated honor has been conferred on human beings. An exalted and extended dominion has been given to us, which shows that God has greatly honored us compared to the rest of His creation. Every human being has a responsibility to uphold this wonderful honor that God has bestowed on each and every one of us. But, the majority of mankind has desecrated this God-given honor with dishonorable sin. True Christians (in the face of adversity in spiritual battles with the spirit world, with human nature, and with the world) must persevere with the help of the Holy Spirit against such desecration and dishonor. We do this by doing what is good. Although God's saints don't receive a tangible "Medal of Honor" for meritorious action and courage in strife, the apostle Paul tells us that God will render to each person according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patience in well doing will receive a spiritual medal of honor.
We see there an indication of what not to do and what to do if we want the crown of glory, the medal of honor. "Patient continuance in doing good" means that: those who continue, or persevere, in good works in a way that demonstrates their dedication to obey the Law of God seek honor. It does not refer to those who perform one single act, but those who willfully live in such a way that they show that this is their character to obey God. It is not a one time thing but an ongoing habit. It is the uniform doctrine of the Bible that none will be saved, but those who persevere in a life of holiness. No other conduct gives evidence of goodness than what continues in the ways of righteousness. Nor has God ever promised eternal life to people unless they so persevere in a life of holiness as to show that this is their character, their settled and firm rule of action. The words "doing good" or "well doing" here indicate conduct that conforms to the Law of God; not merely external conduct, but conduct that comes from a heart attached to God and His way of life. So, unlike the Medal of Honor that the soldiers receive in battle for a one-time occurrence, in order for us to receive our medal of honor, we have to have led, in a habitual way, God's way of life. This is the theme of the sermon today. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture God's people—the Church—putting away sin and striving to obey God's commandments. Honor will be awarded to every one who habitually does what is good according to God's righteous standards. This means we have a duty to put sin out of our lives and replace it with righteousness in thought and action. We must seek honor of character. The Christian Medal of Honor is a crown manifested in the position of king and priest in the kingdom of God. Honor is basically a biblical term of respect, esteem, high regard and reward. Honor can be seen as an image for respect to superiors. It can also be something bestowed as a reward for virtuous behavior. Biblical images of honor also include examples of people whose achievements bring honor to them. To honor someone or something is to acknowledge and show respect for the authority or worthiness of the object of one's honor. To show honor entails an emotional side (i.e., a feeling of respect or reverence) and a set of outward manifestations, such as gestures or actions. We recognize these gestures as bowing before or being attentive to. We recognize these actions as conferring titles or privileges. All these ways of showing honor elevate the person or thing that is honored. This is just what God will do to us. He will give us a crown of not only glory but of honor as well. Honor is viewed from both external perspectives. Outwardly, honor encompasses rank, wealth or public respect. Inwardly, it means nobility and integrity of mind and character. There is a huge difference between the outward honor we see and the inward honor that we will receive by our efforts with the help of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, these meanings occasionally emerge, in that, often when God blessed Israel, He expected the two kinds of honor to go hand in hand. When the nations or individuals disappointed God with a dishonorable character, God often deprived them of their public tokens of esteem. He would remove men from their positions or actually have them killed in battle. However, the New Testament authors draw a sharp distinction between the two forms of honor, declaring that because the world is corrupt, those whom it honors are usually corrupt themselves. Therefore the New Testament writers tell us that the proper honor to seek is honor of character, which will reap public dishonor on earth but public acclaim in heaven. This is the honor we seek ??the honor of character. In I Corinthians 5:1-8 the apostle Paul used leaven as a symbol for sin. A certain Church member was committing a serious sin and making no progress toward repentance. He was dishonoring himself and the congregation as a whole. His poor example as a Christian also dishonored God. Paul said this person was like a little leaven that would affect the whole lump (i.e., this one sinning person was affecting other Church members) with his sinful way of life. It eventually spread throughout the whole congregation. The person was put out of the Church, and the result was that the leaven of sin was no longer able to spread.
Since Paul wrote to the brethren during the Days of Unleavened Bread, they would have already put out the physical leavening from their homes. Now he encouraged them to put out the leaven of malice and wickedness (i.e., sin). He told them to eat the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (i.e., righteousness). When we consider the nature of both leavened and unleavened bread, we can see several spiritual comparisons with sin and righteousness??dishonor and honor. Let's look at seven spiritual comparisons between sin and righteousness as related to the Days of Unleavened Bread:
Here, Christ compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. It seems He is picturing an ancient city surrounded with walls and entered into through gates. Some of those are connected with a large boulevard to the activities of society—the main workings of a city. These were broad and admitted a throng of people. Other streets, for more private purposes, were narrow, and very few people used them. This is the way of righteousness. It's narrow. It's not the expansive highway that most people travel. Few people take the narrow route, but occasionally, someone is seen traveling by himself with determination and purpose. The way to death, on the other hand, is broad. Multitudes of people travel this way. It's the spacious highway that most people travel. They move on to it easily and without effort, and go without thought. This is so true about God's way of life compared to the way of sin. If they want to leave the broad way and go by a narrow gate to the city, it would require effort and thought. It would take careful navigation and outside guidance because it is not the common way. In a similar way, our calling requires diligence for us to enter life. Obeying God is difficult even for a Christian, because we still have human nature that wants to sin. Paul explains this struggle that went on in his own life.
Paul equates his carnality with the law in his members with the law of sin, with his body of death. Only God can deliver us from this body of death and give us eternal life. Only God can give us true honor, but we have to seek it from Him rather than man. But if we do not try and work hard to not let the sin that dwells in us work against us, we are not going to receive this honor. It does take work. But it is God who gets us there.
Verse 44 rebukes those students of the Scriptures who are more interested in establishing their competitive reputations for scholarship than in obeying the revelation of God so as to bring His approval. They seek honor from men for what they appear to know about Scripture, rather than honor from God for their proper application of the Scriptures in their own lives. Though they appear to have the knowledge, many times those people are lacking the proper application of those Scriptures. Living in sin is easy; being righteous is hard! 2. Sin exalts the self; righteousness builds humility. Leaven puffs up. The same is true of sin. It puffs up the sinner. The sinner's desire is to exalt himself rather than allow God to rule him. When we choose to live God's way of life, we conquer selfish desires. Honor and humility are closely associated but in stark contrast to selfish desires resulting from pride.
A humble spirit brings honor and respect. This verse contrasts consequences: pride leads to abasement, but humility brings exaltation. The humble one can learn and improve, but pride is a way of descent to mediocrity or worse. The American author Mark Twain said, "It is better to deserve honors and not have them, than to have them and not deserve them." Throughout the entire Bible, God demonstrates his desire that we conform to His system of honoring—both by revering Him and by aspiring to his value system in humility. This theme occurs again and again in the Old Testament as God tries to show His people that blessings and honor come from Him—and that the only way to receive them is paradoxically to humble ourselves and honor Him.
If a person has no humility in them, only pride, they have never reached that point of having true honor, honor of character. Humble submission in faith to God brings wisdom and honor. A proud man may get into places of trust and power, but God will eventually remove him. God does the same with proud ministers.
Regarding honor and humility someone once said,
We understand this in a secular sense—that those seeking for a position of honor quite often do not receive. Yet we read earlier that God wants us to seek honor—again, the honor of character. The end result of self-exaltation is illustrated in this allegory, as the eventual loss of one's existence:
Even those to whom God gives the worldly honors of power, fame and riches must learn the boundaries of His goodness. Again and again God taught the rulers of both Israel and other nations that their honor on earth must be accompanied by humility, because God gives the honor in the first place.
A repeated lesson in the Bible that God's people are slow to learn is that we must conform to His system of honoring, both by revering Him and by working to reach His standard of righteousness. As hard as we work at this, we sometimes forget to continue it throughout the week. One of the clearest examples of this can be seen in the parallel stories of Saul and David. Saul was eager to obtain honor for himself and he was uninterested in paying respect to God. When Samuel told him to destroy all of the spoil and people of Amalek, Saul kept the king and some of the best spoils for himself in disobedience. When confronted by his sin Saul showed a lack of concern for God's honor and a preoccupation with his own public image. Saul begged Samuel, in I Samuel 15:30 to make the people of Israel think he was still in favor with Samuel and God.
You see there that he was more interested in honor that came from impressing the people and the elders, to make them think he was still honored by God. He was more concerned with that than having the proper attitude of humility and honor of character. For Saul's disregard of God and overriding desire to build himself up before his subjects, God revoked Saul's crown, giving it to a man who had God's own system of honor. That was David. David, by contrast, was so zealous to honor God that when the Ark was returning to Jerusalem during his rule, he stripped down to a scanty garment before all the people and danced "with all his might before the Lord." II Samuel 6:20 records that David's wife Michal, was disgusted with this public display, she ridiculed him, sneering, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" Michal completely misunderstood what showing true honor to God was and what being honored by God was. To her disrespect David replied that his dancing was for the Lord. God's treatment of both people involved demonstrates his opinion on the issue: whereas Michel bore the disgrace and dishonor of never bearing children, David was given the honor of having an everlasting kingdom for his attitude of honor toward God. God does not take the issue of honor lightly at all. God promised that he would raise up David's offspring and establish his throne forever because He was pleased by David's humility and reverence of Him. Before honor comes humility. But, the highest example of honor is the example of Christ: in washing the disciples' feet He paid them the honor of service, of subjecting His own priorities to their interests. Such honoring of others is tied up with humility. This is the method of obtaining true honor. Both honorable character and honorable distinctions come after humility. Sin exalts the self; righteousness builds humility!
Leavened bread left out soon becomes hard and moldy. Unleavened bread lasts much longer. The pleasures of sin soon pass away, but righteousness endures the test of time. Paul said the end result of the pleasures of sin is eternal death. He wrote in Romans 6:23,
The pleasures of sin soon pass away, but righteousness endures forever. Everything God does is honorable and good. The benefits of His righteousness is without end.
Likewise the man who fears the Lord receives blessings and honor. Since his righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ it endures forever. Godliness has its rewards in this life, in future generations, and in the life to come.
The psalmist has singled out generosity and compassion as trademarks of wise living and enduring righteousness. Wise living is characterized by lasting success, unlike many human endeavors that fail or are short-lived. So the psalmist repeats "his righteousness endures forever." The work of the godly endures. The apostle Paul refers to this text, in II Corinthians 9:6-10. It gives support for the principle that "whoever sows generously will also reap generously". Since God is gracious and compassionate, He supplies all that is necessary for His children and expects us to sow so that we may receive a "harvest of ... righteousness" that is enduring??not temporary. The quality of godliness expresses itself in generosity. Doing the will of God is motivated by a desire to be like God. In verse 1, the phrase: "delights greatly in His commandments," presupposes a grateful and generous attitude. This is a spirit of wisdom resulting in the fruit of the Spirit. God will reward us with an enduring harvest of righteousness. In I Timothy 6:18-19, the apostle Paul exhorts us to lay up a treasure for ourselves by generous giving. Sin's pleasures are temporary; the benefits of righteousness endure!
It doesn't take long for leaven to spread throughout a loaf of bread. A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. This is the way sin is??it spreads rapidly, whereas building right character takes a lifetime.
Taking the context into consideration here, the point is that false teaching, like yeast, grows and affects everything it touches. So we can see why this alone would justify Paul's alarm at the state of affairs in the Galatian churches. He was alarmed at how the sin was spreading rapidly through the congregation. That it is the nature of evil to spread does not mean that God will permit evil to triumph ultimately. Actually, its end is the opposite. Paul concluded with an optimistic expression of his confidence that the Galatians would return to a right mind and that the false teacher, whoever he was or however important he seemed to be, would suffer God's judgment. Such false teachers are immersed in folly. Foolishness spreads quickly and seemingly without effort, but wisdom accumulates over a long period of time.
Few of us are wholly wise or wholly foolish, we must be careful that the wisdom we have is not spoiled by seemingly insignificant unwise behavior, just as dead flies in a pot of ointment may turn it into a foul-smelling mass. If we are a member of God's church and we do something that does not set a good example to honor and glorify God than our example is just like flies in ointment. It gives off a bad smell. The book of Proverbs indicates a connection between behavior and the receiving or conferring of honor.
In other words, "The man who works to do righteousness will find it, but besides finding righteousness, he will also find life and honor. Because by doing the right thing, God is the one who grants that honor. Sin spreads easily; righteousness is built slowly!
What you see is not what you get with a loaf of leavened bread. Air pockets give the impression that there's more in the loaf than there really is. Sin also appears to be something it isn't, deceiving the sinner into thinking he is getting something worthwhile when he is only earning the death penalty.
Brethren must encourage one another constantly and urgently. Christian fellowship is more important than we sometimes realize. It can help build people up in faith and form a strong fortification against sin and apostasy just by giving that good positive encouragement. In verse 13, "Daily" means that encouragement should be habitual. "While it is called today adds a sense of urgency. "Hardened" does not refer to only the heart, but is a general term. Our whole life can be "hardened," and in that case, we cannot spiritually progress. What hardens is "sins deceitfulness." Truth has substance and usefulness, but sin is unreliable like a false witness.
The thought that is implied in Proverbs 12:17 is that of the inseparable union between truth and justice. The end does not justify the means, and only the one who speaks truth makes the righteous cause clear. With righteousness there is no deceit, only truth. A person cannot be telling lies and still upholding righteousness and truth. False assertions are continually made in mainstream Christianity that a Christian has no sin. These deceived individuals usually don't claim that they never committed wrong (i.e., sinful acts), but they deny that the sin principle has lasting power over them.
Whenever the principle of sin is denied as an ongoing reality, there follows a denial of responsibility for individual actions. The implications of the denial of the sin principle are earth-shattering. We can see that earth-shattering result of the sin in all of the suffering throughout the world. First, there is the matter of personal responsibility. As verse 8 states, the fact that we have deceived ourselves emphasizes our responsibility for the mistake. The evidence is there. Only willful blindness refuses to accept it. Self-deception does not mean a simple mistake, but rather misdirected self-identity that is not aware of its nothingness. Second, we recognize that the truth is simply not in us or with us. When the principle of sin is denied, truth as an inner principle of life cannot exist. An obvious observation is that while leaven (i.e., sin) is in the bread ("bread" representing our lives), the bread cannot be unleavened (i.e., truth cannot exist).
Sin is based on deceit; truth is the basis for righteousness!
Most people prefer leavened bread because they find its taste more desirable. Is it really better? Not necessarily??just more common. People are more accustomed to it. Spiritually, the same is true of sin and righteousness. Most people prefer to live in sin. But, of course, we have to reject sin, and choose to live a righteous life. Living in sin is the norm; living in righteousness is not.
We know that Israel chose poorly. They chose the more common way of sin. They were enticed by it.
The NIV renders this: "There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins." A good human life has to be lived with the awareness that there is no such thing as sinless perfection in the realm of human beings (with the exception of the man Jesus Christ, of course). When righteousness is the settled way, sins still certainly occur and need to be repented of. Paul tells us all have sinned and shows the ramification in human life.
The rupturing power of sin with regard to our relationship with God is shown in verses 11, 12. The effect sin has on the sinner is total, because his entire being is vitiated. Notice the various parts of the body referred to: the throat, the tongue, the lips, the mouth, the feet, and the eyes. This list serves to affirm the total depravity of man. Not that man in his natural state is as bad as he could be, but rather that his entire being is adversely affected by sin. His whole nature is permeated with it. Human relations also suffer because society can be no better than those who constitute it. Some of the obvious effects, mentioned in verses 15-17, are conflict and bloodshed. We live in a world of war! This chain of Scriptures closes with a statement of the root problem: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." Getting out of step with God is the cause of conflict and chaos in human relations. If we are having problems getting along with others, very probably it is because we don't truly fear God.
It never says for all have lived righteously. Sin is more prevalent than righteousness. We realize that every human being on earth has a job to do—to work with Jesus Christ as He works with us through His Holy Spirit to overcome.
Leavened bread gives a false impression. So does the sinner. He may appear impressive on the outside, but the inner person may be a cauldron of hypocrisy and spiritual bankruptcy.
During the month of Adar, just before Passover, it was customary to whitewash with lime graves or grave-sites that might not be immediately recognized as graves, in order to warn pilgrims to steer clear of the area and avoid ritual uncleanness from contact with corpses. Such uncleanness would prevent participation in the Passover. But in that case whitewashed tombs would not have been objects of beauty, but of disgust. They were places that were shunned. Jesus is saying that the scribes and Pharisees were sources of uncleanness just as much as the whitewashed graves were. Some of these men used to wear white linen clothes as a symbol of their eminence in the society. The point Jesus is making is not that the scribes and Pharisees were deliberate and self-conscious hypocrites, but that in their scrupulous regulations they appeared magnificently virtuous but were actually contaminating the people with uncleanness in attitude. True character is based on much more than outward appearance. It involves righteous living based on the fear of God and obedience to His Word.
We have evidence by keeping His commandments that we are truly acquainted with God, and with the requirements of His way of life. That is, that we are truly His friends. The apostle John explains the nature of the evidence required to show that we are personally interested in God's way of life, or that we are true Christians. The most obvious evidence is that we keep His commandments. This involves the right application of the commandments in truth. The right application of God's truth with the help of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit produces true character. Sin builds a false image; righteousness builds true character. What God is showing us through the analogy of leaven and sin, particularly at this time of the Days of Unleavened Bread, is that He wants us to escape the clutches of sin and lead a righteous life. The New Testament exposes the difference between the honor of good character (i.e., unleavened character) and the honor of prestige (i.e., leavened character). God especially condemns the Pharisees, who, like Old Testament figures such as Balaam and Saul, loved the approval of men more than the praise of God (Matthew 23:6). Unlike these Balaam and Saul, the Pharisee's pride will not be rewarded with shame until Christ comes again. Luke 14:7-11 Subject: Take the Lowly Place
So we see the direct application to us—that we should go through life taking the lower place so that some day God can give us that greater honor. Thus the New Testament writers declare that the only way to earn eternal "praise and glory and honor" is to cultivate a genuine and thriving faith, so that "by patiently doing good" we will receive eternal life. In I Peter 1:7 Peter said, "that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ," As we read in Romans 2:7, 10 at the beginning of this sermon, "eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;" ... "but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good," Such eternal glory can only be gained at the expense of honor on earth. Christ guaranteed His disciples that the one who loves Him will be despised by the world. Therefore, dishonor by man and honor by God are an inevitable pair. In John 15:19 Christ said,
In ancient societies, honor was tied up with hierarchical society and political structures. The NT is more liberal than this, viewing honor as something of which all people are potentially worthy. Paul, in addressing the church at Corinth, was mindful of their struggle for honor according to the conventions of Greco-Roman society. Paul compared the honor of worldly wisdom and power with "folly" and "weakness" of the cross (i.e., the power of God). I Corinthians 1:18-31 Christ is the Power and Wisdom of God
The quest for honor had led the Corinthians to lawsuits among the brethren. But Paul set a different standard for honor in which struggles for honor through lawsuits are shameful and turning the other cheek when cheated or wronged is honorable. We should be working very hard in asking God to help us to be humble and asking God to help us glorify Him in our lives so that everything we do glorifies God. Within the body of Christ, as opposed to the civic body of Corinth, the less honorable members were treated with special honor, for God "has given greater honor to the parts that lack it."
The members of God's Church do not act independently from one another. We love, and serve, and suffer, and rejoice together! Just as those who are sick or injured today who are part of the membership of God's church, we do suffer for them and, in our prayers, beseech God to intervene for them, to relieve their suffering and to heal them. This sermon is not given independently from you. It is a joint effort with Jesus Christ's inspiration, my labor and prayers, and your prayers and attention. It is a joint effort we all put together as one. Even though God grants honor to the saints, ultimately God alone is the possessor of honor and worthy of being honored. He is the source of it. As we conclude, here are a few basic ways we honor each other: First, with words: Kind words (including greetings, conversations, and good-byes) Humble admonishment to do better, to put forth more effort. Sincere encouragement during trials. Genuine praise for someone's effort. Heartfelt thankfulness in appreciation of another. Conversation without sarcasm or humiliation??to name only a few. Second, with action: Doing to others, as we want others to do to us (Luke 6:31). Lend a helping hand when needed. Serving with a humble attitude. General courtesy (holding doors, letting someone else go first). Esteeming others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4)??to name a few. Sometimes the word love is used as a synonym for honor. Paul tells the Romans to love one another with mutual affection; to outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12 contains an excellent summary of many of the issues in this sermon. Romans 12:9-21 (Subtitle: Behave Like a Christian)
The highest example of such loving honor is the example of Jesus Christ. In washing the disciples' feet, He paid them the honor of service and subjected His own priorities to their interests. Such honoring of others is tied up with humility, which is the method of obtaining true honor??in this way we obtain both honorable character and honorable distinctions forever. Let's end with a very powerful and encouraging promise of safety and honor to those who make the Lord their dwelling place and love Him.
Those who "work what is good" (as we read in Romans 2:9 at the beginning of this sermon) have the privilege of calling on God in prayer; and He will do what we ask because we ask according to His will. God will regard our supplications, and will grant our requests. He will stand by us; He will not forsake us. He will not only rescue us from danger, but He will exalt us to honor. He recognizes us as His friend, and treats us as such. In the future we will be exalted to eternal honor??given a spiritual medal of honor??a crown??and become spirit beings in the family of God forever. How much better will that crown of honor we receive from God be than those medals of honor the soldiers have received over the course of this nation's history! MGC/mng/cah
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