Bible Study

Fighting for God’s Honor
Ezekiel 36: 21-27
By A., a Christian worker in East Asia

The two boys glare at one another across the locker room. The hair on Ryan’s neck start to bristle as his anger built. An upperclassman named Jason had slandered his sister’s name and reputation in front of all the guys and now Ryan had to decide whether to do nothing, allowing rumors to destroy her, or to fight for her honor and make Jason take back his words.

Reputation. Honor. The family name. Those matters are very important to young and old alike. They are also important to God.

The United States has varied reputations among the nations now. It is seen first of all as a Christian nation. When I went to East Asia, the people were not surprised to find out that we were Christians. In their eyes, all Americans are Christian. But the other reputation America has comes from Hollywood and television. People in other countries also expect the “Christian Americans” to come running into their country like the characters in “Baywatch” (which is frequently watched in that area), coming there to spend money frivolously and "hook up" with the locals. In their eyes, America is a land of excess: money, sex, pleasure. So Christ is not equated with His sacrificial death on the cross to reconcile the world to God, but with worldly hedonism. Will God stand for that smear on his reputation?

Ezekiel 36:21 says “But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went.” Yes, God does have concern for His name like a parent has concern for a child. He desires to protect that name and rescue it when it has been misused. God tells us His plan for rescuing His name in the nations.

In Ezekiel, God says that he plans to bless the Israelites in the places where they lived. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (Ezekiel 36: 25-27).

That sounds like a good deal for the Israelites, but did God only do this because of His love and devotion to the people? God says this earlier in the chapter: “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name…Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, which I prove Myself holy among you in their sight” (Ezekiel 36: 22-23).

God’s name is protected and his reputation is defended when the nations see His holiness through His children. Even if those same people had earlier profaned God’s name, they are still able to glorify Him when God’s power is expressed through them. Psalm 67 tells us that God blesses us so that the ends of the earth will fear Him. All of the blessings God gave to Israel in Ezekiel are also available to the church today. We are cleansed of our filthiness (1 John 1:9), we have a new spirit (2 Corin. 1:22), and we have the law in our hearts (Heb. 10:16). Therefore, our next task is to go to the nations in order to vindicate God’s honor. In East Asia, I had many people tell me that my American friends were much different than they thought Americans would be: we showed love to people the locals shunned, we gave of our time and money generously, we dressed modestly, and the guys and girls on our team acted respectfully toward each other. This, of course, was not us, but God showing His holiness through us, and we were able to share with the East Asians about life in Christ because of the holiness they observed. God has promised us that He “leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place” (2 Corin. 2:14).

So now just like the boy in school who must decide whether or not to fight to save his sister’s honor, the fight to save God’s name is before us. Will you join the battle?

If you are willing to defend God's name and reputation among the nations, answer the questions below to gain focus on how to do this in your sphere of influence.

1. What ways do you see God's name and reputation profaned in (a) the media (movies, TV, and music); (b) in your school; (c) with your friends; (d) in your life?
a.

b.

c.

d.

2. How can God defend His name and reputation through you in your school?

3. What are some activities you need to remove from or add to your life in order to bring glory to God's name around your friends?

4. Write down the names of 2 people you can talk with about this topic and who will hold you accountable to your commitment to honor God's name in your everyday activities. Please make sure one of those people is an adult friend who is a strong believer.