Lesson 30 – Our sacrifice: honor
Read Hebrews 13 - www.bible.com/bible/59/heb.13.esv

In this lesson we study the sacrifice of honor.

The idea of honor seems to be a lost ideal, not only for most people in government these days, but unfortunately also among Christians. The thought that we must find out everything bad about someone so we can “warn” others about the person is not Biblical. God says that true love covers a multitude of sins (1 Corinthians 13:6). This doesn’t mean to hide things, but rather to restore the honor of the person by helping that person to find forgiveness from God and then through Him to overcome that sin.


Honoring our leaders means we respect them, and if such a leader is given to us by God, we lovingly hold them accountable for the truth God asks them to teach. We take the things they teach us, not at face value, but as an opportunity to search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). If in our search we find a question on an issue our leader has taught, it is up to us to go to them and ask – but we must do so with love and respect. It may well be that we have misunderstood something they said. No true Bible teacher will ever say, “Don’t you trust me?” to one who says, “I looked up the things you said.”

Honoring God also means we submit to those He has placed in leadership over us. God is holding them accountable for how they teach us, so making their lives miserable with constant battles of wills or disrespect does not serve them well, nor is it of any benefit to us.

Honoring God in how we worship is also important. In verses 10-13 we are reminded that Jesus’ sacrifice of His body was not made in the temple where the other religious rites of sacrifice had been made – instead, His sacrifice was made outside the city, outside the place of religious forms. Jesus asks us again and again to be holy – to separate ourselves from other religions or merely religious forms. He asks us to come “outside the camp” to bear His reproach with Him. That’s the best way we can ever honor Him.

Praying for each other helps us honor each other. We cannot sincerely pray for someone one moment and then gossip about them behind their backs the next.

 Honor means working at the duties God has given us to do with the best of our ability. We please Him and bring Him honor with this attitude too.