We often deal with people who see things differently than we do. Respecting our fellow believers — our spiritual family, the “household of the faith” — is absolutely vital for several key reasons.

First and foremost, we respect fellow believers because God Himself called them. If someone has been called to the same path as us, who are we to judge them? We are instructed to respect whom God called. This honor comes from recognizing that they, like us, are living stones being built up into a spiritual house.

This high level of respect is demonstrated through how we treat one another, even when we have disagreements about non-essential issues.

We are all one body in Christ, even though we are many individual members. God composed the body intentionally, giving “more abundant honor” to members who seem weaker or less presentable, specifically “so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25). Respect ensures this unity. Paul encourages us to put on qualities like “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other” (Colossians 3:12,13). When we fail to respect each other, we risk divisions (factions and strife) that signal spiritual immaturity.

Respecting one another drives our own Christlike behavior. The Bible teaches us to actively “give preference to one another in honor” (Romans 12:10). This means leading the way in esteeming others. We are to be “devoted to one another in brotherly love” (Romans 12:10). We are warned, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Further, respect is tied directly to managing conflict. We must be “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (James 1:19) because “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

Respecting fellow believers is a specific instruction: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Our collective goal is to be a “light” in the world. When we respect and honor each other, even when we disagree on secondary matters, we fulfill a higher duty. As Romans 14:13 states, we should “not judge one another anymore but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.”

In summary, respecting fellow believers is important because God called them also, it’s a necessary condition for unity in the body of Christ, it helps us develop essential Christlike character, and it allows us to fulfill our spiritual duties to one another and to God.

Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1321: “Have We Lost Our Ability to Honor One Another? (Part I)”
Biblical examples of how honor can and should permeate our lives
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Episode #1322: “Have We Lost Our Ability to Honor One Another? (Part II)”
The how and why of giving and receiving true respect for one another
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes