HONOR THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD

Psalm 15:1, 4

LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?  Who may live on your holy hill?
He who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD…

True Story #1:  In a certain small town there are over twenty churches.  Many of the pastors of these churches meet together monthly to talk about what they can do together to promote the gospel and work together across denominational lines.  But there is one church, one pastor who faithfully declines any invitation to meet with the other pastors or to cooperate with other churches in any way.  All the other churches have some wrong doctrine or wrong practice and he won’t be associated with churches that are in error.

True Story #2:  In another small town a dissatisfied group left an evangelical church and moved a little way down the road and started their own church.  Even though there were quite a few other protestant churches in that town they felt the need to start their own.  They put an ad in the local paper advertising themselves as the “only Bible preaching church” in town.

True Story #3:  In yet a third small town the local Bible Church pastor was meeting with a pastor from one of the charismatic congregations in the area.  The first pastor was asking the charismatic pastor why he never came to any of the community worship services on Good Friday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas Eve.  The charismatic brother simply said, “I choose not to worship with people who are not Spirit-filled.”  The Bible church pastor was flummoxed and asked what he meant by that statement.  He was met with a question, “Well, have you ever spoken in tongues?”  The Bible church pastor responded negatively and the charismatic pastor said, “Then you don’t have the Holy Spirit.”

(Caveat: I have far more stories showing the prejudice against charismatic Christians than vice versa but #3 was pretty fresh in my mind!)

For many years I was a theologically arrogant, self-righteous, judgmental, separatistic and divisive snob.  Then the Holy Spirit started to point out passages of scripture that convicted me to the very heart of my being.  Psalm 15:4 is one of them.  The psalmist seeks the Lord’s face and asks who will be allowed in his presence in his kingdom.  The answer comes to him, “He who honors those who fear the LORD.”  The answer is not, “He who holds to the right doctrines like you do.”  It is not, “He who stands clear of those who have different views of baptism.”  It is not, “He who separates himself from those who have a wrong view of the end times.”  God blesses those who make a point of honoring everyone who fears the Lord!  If we read this passage negatively it would say, “Those who do not honor everyone who fears the Lord will not live on God’s holy hill!”

God changed my attitude about ten years ago.  I was minding my own business and reading my Bible when I came to John 17:20, 21.  Jesus is praying on the night he was arrested and he said, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”  I realized Jesus was praying for me and for all of my brothers and sisters around me!  He wanted us to be one!  He wanted us to live in unity “so that the world may believe!”  I was cut to the heart like those who heard Peter’s sermon at Pentecost!  God wanted me to devote myself to building bridges rather than doctrinal walls.  He wanted me to be a peacemaker rather than a judge and jury.

I want to honor those who fear the Lord!  I don’t care if they have different views of baptism, the end times, speaking in tongues, or church government.  All I need to know is that they fear the Lord!  May God help me to hold them in a place of honor!