Men could know the truth if they desired to know it. Sadly, most men refuse to pursue and know the truth made so readily available unto them.
Men rob God by simply withholding what God requested. This robbing takes on two forms: not giving what God has required or giving less than one’s best.
Do you want God's respect? The Lord said, “to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Although there are times where God respects some while rejecting others, God’s acceptance of one and rejection of another is never a baseless respect.
The world is driven by self-preservation and self-promotion. Individually, the natural man is guided by self-serving motives. This should not be true of saints.
It is always right to do right, but it is more perfectly right to do right for the right reasons. In other words, serve the Lord, but do so out of a pure motive.
One must choose his reward for actions taken. Would he rather receive eternal reward from God the Father, or temporary praise and recognition from his peers?
The brethren have become notorious about speaking of one another, not always in the best light. Frequently, the individual’s reputation who is the subject of the conversation dictates the tone of the conversation. We have several examples of the brethren speaking of Timothy. Thankfully, each instance involved a report of praise. If someone chose to speak evil of Timothy, the conversation would have had to revolve around some sort of baseless accusation. According to the Bible’s testimony of Timothy, he had a wonderful reputation among believers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul likewise gave a good report of Timothy when he said, “I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. . . . But ye know the proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel” (Philippians 2:20-22). Every Christian should live in such a way that any evil report would be baseless and rejected by those who know you best.
Men not only develop reputations among other men, but they also develop a reputation with the Lord. A wise individual seeks “favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” Fortunately, the path to favour in the sight of God follows the same course as that of finding favour in the sight of the right kind of men. According to Proverbs 3:1-3, these elements include remembrance of God’s law, keeping the commandments, and forsaking not mercy and truth. Before dismissing the importance of this dual favour amongst both God and man, consider that the scriptures inform us that the Lord Jesus increased in wisdom leading to an increase in “favour with God and man.”
In scripture, a man’s name frequently refers to his reputation. The wise man values a good name far above the accumulated wealth of the entire world. Its value is priceless. A good name is what others think of a man resulting from his conduct. Unfortunately, many people throughout history have willingly sabotaged their good name in order to get gain and earthly pleasure. Yet, those who truly believe and trust the word of God know that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” With this in mind, the believer should reflect upon the long-term effects every decision brings upon his reputation. Reaping immediate gratification takes a back seat to the prolonged benefits of having a good name among other believers, the unsaved, and especially the Lord.
