A Living That Is True and Dignified

 Bible Verses

Phil. 4:8  Finally, brothers, what things are true, what 

things are dignified, what things are righteous, what things 

are pure, what things are lovely, what things are well spoken 

of, if there is any virtue and if any praise, take account of 

these things.

          Words of Ministry

The first governing aspect of a life that lives Christ is 

"whatever is true." The word true here means truthful 

ethically, not merely true in matter of fact. In the 

expression of a life that lives Christ there can be no 

falsehood, no lying. Everything we do or say must be 

truthful. No one who lives Christ should practice falsehood 

of any kind. A life that is the expression of Christ is a 

truthful one.

The second aspect is "whatever is honorable." The Greek word 

rendered honorable means venerable, worthy of reverence, 

noble, grave, implying the idea of dignity, which inspires 

and invites reverence. A life that lives Christ will be 

honorable, noble, grave, solid, weighty, and dignified. We 

should not think that only older people should be weighty. 

All the young people, even the teenagers, should also have 

dignity. Even a young brother in junior high school should 

have dignity, for he has God within him. He is a vessel 

containing God as his worth, weight, and dignity.

To have dignity is not to act important; it is to live God. A
jewelry box containing a diamond ring has dignity not because
of the box itself, but because of the diamond. It is the                        
diamond in the box which gives dignity to the box. In like
manner, we are a vessel containing Christ. If we live Him, we       
shall have true dignity. When others see us 
bearing such a 
dignity, they will have a deep respect for us. 

The dignity
implied in the Greek word for honorable always
 inspires a
profound respect. This dignity is the second 
governing aspect
of the expression of a life that lives Christ.