“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather silver or gold.”
I was reading the daily devotional in Our Daily Bread this evening and read this scripture. I read the article, but my mind kept asking the question, “What is a good name?” If it is “rather to be chosen than great riches,” it certainly needs definition. It is certainly true that it is good to have a good name. Our reputations are very important when we want to do almost anything in our society. This is true from borrowing money to getting a job. But my question is not about the broader society, but what does it mean for a Christian? In order for a Christian to have a good name, he or she must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This does not mean that one has to say that he or she has a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, one’s life should prove that he or she has a good relationship with Jesus Christ. A good relationship with Jesus will show in daily life. For example, if one is in a good relationship with Jesus Christ, he or she will be trustworthy. One of the greatest compliments that I can give a fellow Christian is that I would buy a used car from him. This would mean that any mechanical problems had been resolved before he sold it to me. How we live as Christians has everything to do with our witness. We cannot claim to be Christians and cut moral corners in business, or personal life, and have a good name. To have a good name for a Christian, one should be in good fellowship with other Christians. There has always been an argument about whether or not one can be a Christian and not attend church. When I was out visiting in a community in which I was holding a revival, a man said to me, “Preacher, you know that I can be a Christian without going to church.” My answer to him was that I guess that he could, but why would he want to? After the gospels and Acts, the New Testament is written to churches or in the context of churches. For example, the letter to Timothy was all about the church of which he was the elder, or as we would say, the pastor. I pointed out to him that the Revelation of Jesus Christ was written to seven local churches. Surely, the church should have some importance in the life of a Christian. But putting “church” aside, there is no such thing as “me and Jesus got our own thing going.” Jesus saves us individually, but he saves us to be in fellowship with other Christians. No matter how you define “church,” you need to be in good relationship with your fellow Christians. Too many people say they love Jesus, but they do not love people. That is impossible. Some people are harder to love than others, but if we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we will have good relationship with fellow Christian, or as the saying goes, “we will do it, or we will die trying.” If you want a good name, be in good fellowship with your fellow Christians. To have a good name as Christians, we should not just love our fellow Christians, but we should attempt to love all people. I personally know that this is not easy. For example, there some atheists who are very difficult to love. They say ugly things about God, about the Bible, about Christ’s church, and about everything that has to do with decency. But Jesus pointed told us that we are to love our enemies. Here is specifically what Jesus said in Matthew 5:43-44: “You have heard that it has been said, “Thou shalt love they neighbor and hate thine enemy. 44. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” Jesus certainly didn’t make having a good name easy. Perhaps what I have written about here is not normally what we think of as having a good name, but I think that what I have written is important. It is true that “a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” A good name is as important now as it was in Bible days. Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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