The Honor of God: A Review

Castleberry, Grant. The Honor of God. Sanford, FL: Ligonier Ministries, 2025.

How often do you think about the concept of honor? It is likely that the vast majority of people today rarely think about honor at all. In the West, we do not live in a culture based on honor. This is not the case for everyone. For me, the concept of honor was instilled in me when I first attended Navy boot camp. The Navy has the core commitments of honor, courage, and commitment, as does the Marine Corps. I remember one of my drill instructors standing us all at attention in our room one day, soon after we were issued our uniforms. While we stood there, he had us look down at our chest, first to the right side, then the left. The point was to remind us of the names written on our chests and what it meant for them to be there. On the right side is your family name, and on the left is U.S. Navy. The drill instructor would tell us, "Remember, when you wear this uniform, you carry the honor of both your family and your country." That stuck with me. The idea is that everything we do reflects not just on us, but on our families and country. Honor matters. Just as my Navy experience taught me to carry the honor of my family and country, Grant Castleberry argues in The Honor of God that Christians are called to carry the honor of God in all aspects of life.

Our Chief End

Castleberry opens his book with a simple idea: "The honor of God lies at the fabric of our existence. This is because the honor of God is the chief end of God. God created the universe and everything in it for this one ultimate purpose: the honor of His own name." (p. 3) Throughout the book, he builds on this idea by working his way through Scripture to show this reality. For example, in Chapter 4, he examines passages like John 2:14-17 to underscore God’s zeal for His own honor. God is for his own honor and glory. This is all set against the reality that in our day, we, even in the church, are not. An anecdote that stood out to me was about Castleberry's grandfather. In the introduction, he tells how he remembers an incident where his grandfather walked out of a movie after only 15 minutes because God's name was blasphemed. He says, "For him, that was worse than anything else. He carried with him a sense of the Lord's holiness. If we are going to recover this vision of God, we must recover this sense of reverence for God. We should shudder when God's name is shamed and dishonored." (p. 15-16) While some modern readers might find this reaction extreme in today’s desensitized culture, it powerfully illustrates the reverence Castleberry calls Christians to embody.

Sadly, and to my own shame, I cannot say that I have ever done anything like that. I have walked out of a movie because it was bad, The Last Airbender movie comes to mind, but never because I was offended for the sake of the Lord's honor. Like Castleberry points out, we must recover this type of reverence for God. In the three sections of the book, he seeks to show that making the honor of God our highest priority can and will lead to a deeper understanding of what Christ has done for us in the gospel and equip us to honor the one who is truly worthy of our honor and praise. For instance, Castleberry suggests practical steps like honoring parents, governing authorities, and church authorities. It is not just that we are to honor God, but we must understand that God has honored us. As Castleberry states, "We begin our lives as enemies of God, but what happens in conversion and through justifying grace is a glorious change in our status. A great honor is bestowed on us." (p. 106)

Potential Issues in The Honor of God

Like with anything on the topic of the nature and attributes of God, there is going to be a lot left unsaid. This book is only 190 pages, meaning it is not intended to be a complete treatment. I do not see this as a serious issue, though I would love to see a more in-depth treatment of the subject by Castleberry in the future. The book's length and depth of treatment make the subject accessible to everyone, especially new believers or those unfamiliar with theological jargon, though some terms like ‘justifying grace’ may require explanation for beginners.

Some might argue that Castleberry is too dogmatic in his approach to the subject, but again, I appreciate his tone. He is direct and to the point, skillfully weaving personal accounts into the narrative to illustrate his point, while not allowing for any room for question. When it comes to the nature of God, we must be clear. We cannot nuance our way around what Scripture teaches us about who God is and what he has done.

Finally, this is not a scholarly work. It does not engage with the wider theological or academic scholarship on honor and shame, such as anthropological studies of honor in ancient Near Eastern cultures or contemporary theological debates on the topic. But again, I do not see this as an issue. Castleberry is writing to Christians to call them to a deeper understanding of who God is, what he has done, and what we are called to do in response.

Summary

I loved this book and will be adding it to my yearly list of rereads. It has helped reshape my perspective by challenging me to prioritize God’s honor in small, daily decisions, like how I speak about Him in conversations or approach worship. We all need a constant reminder of who God is and what we are called to in light of that. As I was getting ready to write this review, I noticed that Castleberry posted something new on X. He wrote, "The most important indicator of a believer’s growth in godliness is the maturity of the church they are in and their level of fellowship and service in that church." This aligns with the book’s applicaion of honoring God through honoring the things he has given us. Things like church elders. I believe that this book will be helpful for Christians who seek to grow in godliness. I hope that churches will make use of this resource to build up one another in Christ. Growth in godliness requires that we grasp what it means to honor the Lord.

Soli Deo Gloria