A Good Appearance—Seeking the Honor of Man

A Good Appearance—Seeking the Honor of Man

This is one of the most common and most ingrained sins, also among God’s children. “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44.

“Lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:42-43.

“But he is a Jew who is one inwardly . . . whose praise is not from men but from God.” Rom. 2:29.

“For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal. 1:10. “Let us not become conceited . . . .” Gal. 5:26.

Just as it says, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24), so it can also be justly said, “Woe to you who are honored by men, for you have already received your consolation.” Jesus also said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26.

You can imagine how little sinners’ honor is worth. We can also, to some degree, understand the value of receiving honor from God.

Yet many precious, redeemed souls are plagued by the desire for honor. They are always concerned about what this or that person thinks about what they are doing or saying or wearing, and all the things they are not doing or saying. These thoughts disturb their peace and joy and all that is good. It is a very horrible sin that excludes both faith and salvation, and forms a thick wall between the soul and God. How they and everything else appear is the first and last thing people think about—meaning, how they appear in people’s eyes.

This is in direct opposition to seeking God in spirit and in truth, which aims at the inward nature, cause, intention, truth, and reality of our thoughts and actions, of what we do and do not do; of everything we say in all of life’s varying circumstances; whether it concerns earthly or heavenly things, whether we speak God’s word, or whether it concerns just ordinary talk.

Most people are so filled with the desire for honor that it is difficult for them to give a straight, simple, easy, and true answer to any question. After they have been asked a question, they immediately begin to work out and speculate how answering in one way or another might impress the person, and what he might think about the answer, instead of answering in a brief, simple, straightforward, and true manner before God’s face without thinking about the honor of man.

The person who is in the Spirit, who is in Christ, speaks the truth and seeks the best for everyone before God’s face by seeking God’s honor and the salvation of souls in spite of all this world’s conceit, hypocrisy, acting, or seeking gain and human advantages—and lets themselves and all their possessions stand and fall by it.

In this way, everyone can live very well simply by not paying attention to the world’s reproach that constantly rains down on a person as soon as he does something that is unacceptable in people’s eyes—meaning that it does not agree with the usual hypocrisy, with so-called good breeding. This happens fairly often, every day and all year long.

The slogan of hypocrisy is: “Make a good appearance; make a good appearance!” Of course, not in God’s eyes. People don’t waste a single thought on that!

This desire for honor “so easily ensnares” (Heb. 12:1) the majority of God’s children, if not very much, then still to a certain degree. They actually think it is too simplistic to fulfill just the one condition and requirement: that it must be true and genuine and noble to its very core before God. They think that what they say and do must also appear nice in the eyes of man, and so what is true, genuine, and noble is defiled and corrupted. There is as large a gulf between these two directions in life as there was between the rich man and Lazarus.

The desire for honor destroys true life. It is no wonder Jesus spoke so firmly against it: “Beware [first of all] of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1. The desire for honor and hypocrisy are one and the same thing. Therefore it is the worst and the most corrupting influence of all!!!

The person who is true tests whether what he says and does is true and genuine and noble, and then he speaks and acts. The one who seeks the honor of men carefully considers whether what he intends to say or do will leave a good impression! Most people seek to combine both of these opposites. However, you cannot simultaneously seek to please God and man.

Therefore may everyone choose what is most rewarding. As far as I am concerned, I have made my choice long ago, and I do not regret the choice I made.