“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” 

Lack of respect is a very major problem in our society by many. There is a lack of respect for people and for property, for truth and for our environment.  Respect is a sense of appreciation for things that do not belong to us and for things that are around us.

I liked to go outdoors camping, fishing, hiking and bike riding when I was younger.  We would go up to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It was particularly upsetting if previous campers left trash left behind. The wilderness is attractive. Going to Wisconsin Dells and seeing the pristine natural beauty marred by painting inscriptions, “John loves Mary”, or Fred is from the class of 1995.  St. Croix Falls and Taylors Falls are marvelous expression of God's handiwork, and it is dishonoring to the Lord to see obscenities written over His creation with cans of spray paint.

We not only ought to show respect for God's world and property, but especially other people. The call for Christians is respectful attitudes. We should not show disrespect to anyone, thinking that we are better or someone else is worse or unworthy. Respect, love, fear and honor are admirable attributes. Those are interesting verbs. All of them require an object. We cannot do that without relationships.

All men are created in the image of God. I learned that long ago as a chaplain. I may have been the only one at someone's funeral. Sometimes I didn't know him very well, but they were a patient briefly in one of our nursing homes. I told the various morticians, if there was no money for a service I would come free of charge and provide prayer and scripture. I see in each person the touch of God made in His image. The reason I did it was because God has shown His mighty work in mankind - differently than in all the animals and plants. We are not on the same level with all created things. Humans have an eternal soul, animals do not. Each is a unique and special creation of God.

Respect all people. “Red, yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight.” That truth I learned in preschool Sunday school is just as true today. Love the brothers in Christ. Love is not sentimental, but self-sacrificing. Even more deeply love the people that are followers of Jesus. We are a spiritual family, if one preaches and teaches sole salvation based on faith in the works of  Christ by grace.

Fear God. Fear to cause Him pain. Fear of hurting the Lord who loved us so that we do not continue in ways that displease Him. We fear to offend Him and realize there is also judgement. There are things that people do regularly that I would be afraid to do. I know it is wrong, and I do not want to be responsible to stand before my Lord and be held accountable for acting in such a way as a Christian.

I find it interesting that Peter tells them to honor the king. Do you know what Peter is asking of them? Remember that Peter was not writing to us in a democracy, but rather to people living under the monarchy or the jurisdiction of the oppressive military state of Rome and the dictatorship of the emperor Caesar.

Nero likely was king then, who poisoned his family and stepmother, and divorced his wife and killed his advisors. He was an adulterer and homosexual.  He was not a friend to the Christians. He would have them burned and use them as living torches until they died at garden parties. For entertainment, crowds would watch them burn.  Nero was an arson and tradition said he fiddled while Rome burned and then blamed it on Christians. How do you honor someone like that?

Compare how easy it is to respect the governments of Canada and the United States. Peter Cartwright, a 19th century circuit-riding Methodist preacher, was an uncompromising man. One Sunday morning when he was to preach, he was told that President Andrew Jackson was in the congregation and warned not to say anything out of line.

When Carwright stood to preach, he said, "I understand that Andrew Jackson is here this evening. I have been requested to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent."

The congregation was shocked and wondered how the President would respond. After the service, President Jackson shook hand with Peter Cartwright and said, "Sir if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world."

As Christians we must exercise discernment in our relationship to human government. There are times when the right thing to do is set aside our own privileges and there are other times when using our citizenship is the right thing. Paul was willing to suffer personally in Philippi, but he was unwilling to sneak out of town like a criminal. When he was arrested on false charges, Paul used his citizenship to protect himself and insisted on a fair trial before Caesar,

Application: We value our freedom as Americans but value your freedom as Christians even more.

Prayer:  Lord, in all things, help me, respect others, loving them, and thus fulfilling the law of Christ!