What does God respect? What does the living God respect? To respect means to esteem highly. To regard highly, to approve
of, to value. It's certainly part of the fear
of God, isn't it? The reverence and the respect we have for his
name. What would you want more than
anything else? When people have an attitude
toward you personally, what would you want from them more than
anything else? I've been thinking about this.
What I would want is respect. Now, I don't mean that by way
of entitlement. Respect is earned. But I mean
I want to treat people in such a way, kindness, graciousness,
fairness, that they respect me. That's what I would want more
than anything else. I would want to generate respect. In our personal relationships,
really, nothing is more important than respect. The people I want
to have relationships with are people I can respect. I'm not
really much interested in having relationships with people that
I have no respect for. I respect my spouse. Matter of fact, I wouldn't want
to be married to somebody I didn't respect. and esteem very highly,
I can't hear a preacher that I do not respect. You know, who
says something is actually just as important as what is said.
I want to be able to respect that individual. What do I desire from my wife?
I want her to respect me. Now, I'm not saying respect me
because I'm your husband, but I mean, I want to treat her in
such a way with the way I treated her, my character. She respects. What do I want for my children,
my child? I want. Respect. That's what I desire above everything
in my relationships with other human beings to respect. and to be respected. What does an employer want from
his employees? Respect. What does an employee want from
their employers? Respect. Value. I remember I worked in a place
once where the guy told the workers, he said, you're all like train
monkeys, dime a dozen. I could replace you very easily.
Well, he really made those guys feel really good about himself,
didn't he? I mean, that's no respect. You think of people
that you know, that you have lost respect for, something they've
done makes you lose respect for them and you no longer view them
with integrity. You know, we respect integrity,
don't we? Oh, the integrity of the Lord.
It means wholeness, completeness. We respect integrity. And when someone loses your respect,
it's hard to get it back, isn't it? It's not impossible, but
it's hard. At any rate, we see how important
this thing of respect is all the time in our relationships.
I want to respect and I want to be respected. And I want to
live in such a way that generates that respect. and that disdain. Now, what does God respect? That's a good question, isn't
it? What does the living God respect? Something must be truly worthy of esteem for God
to actually respect it. Now, the Bible tells us what
God respects. As a matter of fact, I find six
things in the Word of God. that God says He respects. But before we go on, I want to
show you two things that God has no respect for. How many
times do we read in the Scriptures that God has no respect of persons? That is in the Bible over and
over and over again. He's the only person who has
no respect of persons. And that's so admirable because
you and I, we like to think we don't, but we do. You think how
the way somebody's appearance influences us. That's respective
persons. We are impressed with things
like education or wealth or power or prestige, all these ridiculous
things that No one is immune from being impressed with. That's
respect of persons. But you know, the one person
who has absolutely no respect of persons is the Lord God. He's not impressed with these
things. You see, the things that we're impressed with mean nothing
to Him. Less than nothing. He has no
respect of persons. The only thing He cares about
is utter righteousness. That's it. He has no respect
to persons. And let me tell you something
else he doesn't have any respect for. He doesn't have any respect for
Cain and his offering. And he doesn't have any respect
for anybody like Cain, who brings the same kind of offering Cain
did. He has no respect for that. Cain brings his offering, and
God has no respect for it. He treats it with contempt. He
doesn't say, well, at least he's doing his best. No, he has no
respect for it. And that's strong language, isn't
it? to have no respect for something. He saw it as contemptible. Why? Because it was no good. What
Cain brought, he thought it was good, but it was no good because
he brought it. Oh, I want to be like Abel. I
want to bring the offering Abel brings. I don't want to be like
Cain because God has no respect for Cain or anybody like him.
And He has no respect for Cain's offering. He has no respect for
salvation by works in any form. Now you can write that down,
God's holy, and He does not respect that. Now, in the text I just
read, in Genesis chapter 4, verse 3, And in the process of time
it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto the Lord, and Abel. He also brought of the firstlings
of Islach, and of the fact thereof, and listen to this, and the Lord
had respect unto Abel. Not just his offering. The Lord
had respect to Abel, and to his offering, but when it came to
his offering, he had not respect. Now, God had respect to the person
of Abel. because he had respect to the
offering of Abel. That offering represented the
sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what respect God has for
His Son. You think of the respect that
God has for the person of His Son. He says, God the Father
says to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever. A scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness
and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And thou, Lord, in the beginning
has laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the
work of thy hands." That's what the Father says to the Son. When
God speaks from heaven, what does He say? This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. I love to think of the baptism
of our Lord. When He comes to John the Baptist
and says, baptize me, and John says, I have need to be baptized
with thee. Why are you coming to me? And he said, Suffer to
be so, but thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.
And John takes him down in the water and comes back up. And
the voice from heaven says, This is my beloved son. In whom I
am well pleased. This is the son of my love. On
the Mount of Transfiguration, when he's transfigured before
James and John and Peter, Peter says, let's make three tabernacles,
one for thee, one for Moses and one for Elijah. And at that time,
a great cloud overshadowed them and a voice came from the cloud.
This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. Listen to this scripture. The
Lord is well pleased for his righteousness sake. He will magnify
the law and make it honorable. Now, how did he do that? Well,
first of all, by keeping it. He kept God's holy law. He never sinned. And not only
did he magnify it by keeping it, but he magnified it by answering
all the demands of justice against the sinner. The sins of God's
elect became his, and he satisfied God's justice. Wrath came down
upon him till there was no wrath left. He now, God says, there's
no fury in me because it was all spent on the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there's therefore now no condemnation to them that are
in Christ Jesus. Now, I want you to think about
the preciousness of the blood of Christ. Here's what the blood
of Christ does. It presents every believer. Holy. And unblameable. and unreprovable
in the very sight of God. It presents us a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. It presents us
faultless before His glory. Now, here's the power of His
blood. Here's the power of this offering. His offering, the offering
of the Lord Jesus Christ, makes God respect me. Now, can you imagine God respecting
you? That's an awesome thought, isn't it? The God of glory, the
holy God respecting me in Christ. It says he respected Abel and
his offering. And that said of every single
believer, that's the power of the blood of Christ. It makes
the living God respect you. Isn't that glorious? He has respect to the covenants.
Turn with me to 2 Kings chapter 13. 2 Kings chapter 13. Now the children
of Israel were in trouble at this time. A man by the name
of Hazel was oppressing them greatly. We read in verse 22
of 2 Kings chapter 13. King of Syria, oppressed Israel
all the days of Jehoahaz. And the Lord was gracious unto
them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because
of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not
destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as of
yet. He was gracious to them, and he had compassion on them,
and he had respect for them. Why? Because of his covenant. David said, or whoever wrote
Psalm 74 said, in Psalm 74, 20, they were asking for mercy, and
he just blurted out, have respect unto the covenant. Now, when
I come into God's presence, Lord, have respect unto the covenant. That's the covenant that he made
with David. That's the covenant he made with Christ. That covenant
he made before time began. Have respect unto the covenant.
Turn with me to 2 Samuel, chapter 23. This is a very familiar passage
of Scripture. One of my favorite in the Bible.
Last words of David. Verse 5. David, the man after God's own
heart, says, Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath
made with me an everlasting covenant. You see, he made it with Christ
before time began, before David was ever around. David was in
Christ. This is talking about the eternal covenant of grace.
And he calls it an everlasting covenant. It never had a beginning
and it never had an end. Oh, what a covenant. Have respect
unto this glorious covenant. Here's the covenant. When God
gave me to Christ, he didn't look for a thing out of me. Everything
He required of me, He looked to His Son for. Now, what a glorious
covenant. And God has respect to this covenant. He made with me an everlasting
covenant. And then He says it's ordered
in all things. And I love the order of this
covenant. For whom He did foreknow, then He also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom
He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He
also glorified. What an order! And then He says, ordered in
all things and sure. You see, if Christ died for you,
Your salvation is an absolute necessity. It's sure. It can't be anything but that.
Now, what David says next, I can enter into this so much. He says
regarding this covenant that's everlasting and ordered and all
things ensured, he says, this is all my salvation. Is this
all your salvation? Do you really believe this is
all your? I do. I know it is. It's all my salvation. And it's
all by desire. I don't desire anything else.
This is it. What are you going to talk about,
David, on your deathbed? You think of all the things that
could have come across David's mind. He could have thought about
the things he did, the bad things. He could have thought the good
things, but he didn't think about any of that. He talked about
this everlasting covenant ordered in all things insure. And he
says, this is all my salvation. And it's all my desire, though
he may get not to grow. What respect God has to his covenant. How firm a foundation. These
saints of the Lord. Is laid for your faith. In his
excellent word. What more can he say that to
you, he has said to you who for refuge to Jesus hath led. God has respect to his covenant. Now would you turn with me to
Leviticus chapter 26. Leviticus chapter 26 verse 9. God says, for I will have respect
unto you. And make you fruitful. And multiply
you and establish my covenant with you. Now, who is it he has
respect to? Well, let's look up in verse
three. If you walk in my statutes. And
keep my commandments and do them. That's believing the gospel.
Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall
yield her increase, and the trees of the fields shall yield their
fruit, and your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the
vintage shall reach unto the sowing time, and you shall eat
your bread to the full and dwell in your land safely. And I'll
give you peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none
shall make you afraid. I will rid evil beasts out of
the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And you
shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by
the sword. And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred
of you shall put ten thousand to flight, and your enemies shall
fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto
you, and make you fruitful, and multiply and establish My covenant
with you." Now the Lord has respect to obedience. Obedience to the gospel. Samuel said, hath the Lord as
great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as obeying the
voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. God has respect
for the obedience of his people. Now let me tell you why he respects
it. Because it's His work in them. For it's God that worketh
in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. God respects that man, that woman,
that boy, that girl that believes the gospel of His Son. It's His
work. Now turn to 1 Kings chapter 8. Verse 26. And now, first Kings chapter
eight, verse 26, and now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray
thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David,
my father. But will God indeed dwell on
the earth? Behold the heaven, and the heaven
of heavens cannot contain thee? How much less this house that
I have built, yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant,
and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry
and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee today." Now
listen here. at respect to the prayers of
his people. He hears them. He hears from heaven and he enters
them. The reason he respects them is
because of the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see,
this prayer that I offer up before God in and of itself is no good. I know that. You know that. But
when it's taken by the Lord Jesus Christ, His intercession is by
great high priest and presented before the Father, God respects
it. He respects the prayers of His
people. So pray. Ask and it shall be given thee. Pray! Pray in faith. Pray believing that God will
hear for Christ's sake. Our Lord said in all things,
whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Now, God said that. Pray! Take Him at His word. You know,
everything that God is going to do for you, or me, He's going
to cause us to ask for. Now, it's always that way. That's
the way the Lord works. I shall yet be inquired of, of
the house of Israel, to do it for them. God has respect. He has regard. He has esteem
for the prayers of His people. He delights in the prayers of
His people. That gives you a reason to come
into His presence with boldness, doesn't it? He delights in the
prayers of His people. Turn with me to Exodus chapter
2. Now, this is what inspired this message. I was reading this
passage of scripture and it just hit me. Exodus chapter 2, verse 23. And it came to pass in process
of time that the king of Egypt died and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage. Do you know what it is to sigh under
the bondage of sin? You can't set yourself free. You're in bondage. David said,
let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee." And they cried
in anguish. And their cry came up unto God
by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning And God remembered his covenants
with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon
the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. They're sighing, they're crying,
and they're groaning. in bitter bondage, unable to
deliver themselves. And the Lord heard this sigh,
and the Lord had respect unto them. Now, why is that? It's
because God delights in mercy. He delights in mercy. And here's some people who need
mercy. And he delights to bestow it. And he had respect unto them. Now, turn with me to Psalm 138.
I quoted this one Sunday. Psalm 138. Verse 6. Though the Lord be high, and
there's no way that I can describe His Highness. He's so other. He's so altogether glorious. He's so high above me. Though the Lord be high, yet
hath He respect unto the lowly, to the humble. Who are these
lowly people? And like I said, what is true
humility before God? First of all, it's a just estimate
of yourself. It's honesty before God. That's who a lowly person
is. He's got a just estimate of himself.
He knows he is what he is by the grace of God. It's a just
estimate. And to be humble is to not lie
before God. You're honest before God. You're
honest as to what you are. That's that lowly person, that
humble person, that person who really believes himself to be
a sinner. Scripture says, Though the Lord
be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly, but the proud
he knoweth afar off. Let's go on reading. David says,
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me. Thou shalt stretch forth thine
hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall
save me. Now, look at the confidence of
this. Verse 8, The Lord will perfect that which concerneth
me. I'll tell you what concerns me. I want to be brought into heaven.
That concerns me. I want to be made just like Christ.
I want to be delivered from my sin. That's what really concerns
me. I want to be delivered from this
flesh. I want to be saved by His grace.
That's what concerns me. And here we have this promise
for every child of God. The Lord will perfect that which
concerneth me. And here's why. Thy mercy, O
Lord, endureth forever. Now, forsake not the work of
thine own hands." Now, if I'm saved, I know this. If I really
know the Lord, I'm sure of this, I'm the work of His hands. You
believe that, don't you? You're not the work of your own
hands. If you're saved, it's because He saved you. He did
it all. You really believe that. And here's our plea before our
God. Oh, Lord, forsake not the work of thine own hands. Forsake me not. That's what God respects. God respects Abel. And God respects
every believer through their offering. You don't feel worthy
of respect, do you? But you know, united to Christ
in Him, you are worthy of the respect of the thrice holy God. Isn't that amazing? But it's
true. It says He respected Abel. It
didn't say he tolerated Abel because of the offering. It says
he respected Abel through the offering of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has respect to his covenant. The covenant of grace. God respects
the obedience of his people. It's his work in them. God respects
the prayers of his people. God respects the need of His people. Remember the Israelites, sighing. And God respects the lowly. What He respects is worthy of
respect. Let's pray.