The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines honesty as free from fraud or deception.
Remember Caleb and Joshua who came back with a good and honest report (yes, there were giants in the land), but God has given them into our hands! But the other remaining spies came back with an evil report which resulted in the Israelites not entering into the Promise Land.
They made a feeble attempt by rebelling against God's command not to go up and as a result chased down the hill and defeated. Then God marched them back into the wilderness where an entire generation would die in a howling wasteland, except for Joshua and Caleb.
They could not think on those things that God honestly would do for them to keep His promise to provide, defend and give them victory.
The word honest (or honorable) appears only seven times in the King James Version. All of the entries are in found in the New Testament. Interestingly, of the six, honesty is kalos which means among other descriptions as quality that is beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, precious, useful, suitable, commendable and admirable.
Honesty is attractive characteristic considering we live in a world where pretense, lying, and shaving the truth abounds.
There is a different meaning found in Philippians 4:8 where the Greek word is semnos which means to reverence or venerate (worship), having weight or gravity. Honesty has substance much like gold that has been tried, tested and refined.
An honest person isn't one who has never told a lie but knows in those moments where it's possible to lie, refuses to be dishonest and fraudulent. Lies have a strange way of being exposed and coming back around, especially when the Holy Spirit convicts us to repent and make it right.
When we think on things that are honest, that is free from fraud and deception, it produces in us a spirit of worship. When we are honest with Him, there is nothing we are trying to hide, so we can worship openly and freely.
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