Thursday, April 11, 2013

With Christ's Righteousness and Love Comes Respect

"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." (Ephesians 5: 33)

and

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ." (Ephesians 6: 5)

Respect is a top priority for people.

They want people to respect them, not to treat them with dishonor, but to cherish them.

Yet the favor of men is fleeting. To seek the favor of men is downright contrary to pleasing God.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Galatians 1: 10)\

What pleases God is faith:

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11: 6)

This faith gives us access to His righteousness:

"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1: 17)

With this righteousness is love perfected:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

So we are in Christ Jesus, with the same standing, and thus:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

We receive His righteousness, His standing as the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6). When we receive how loved we are in Him, then we in turn love and respect others (1 John 4: 19)

Stop demanding or earning or demand respect from others. We receive His love and acceptance (His respect), which empowers us to give the same to others.

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