"LOSS OF REVERENCE"

We received an invitation in the mail recently concerning an upcoming youth event in our city. The title of the event was "The Number One Stunna". A passage was cited from the Old Testament. Whereupon, I checked out the passage and found it referred to the Lord God. I wrote the youth minister to ask him several questions relating to the ad. I did receive a phone call from the senior minister explaining what the youth gathering and wording was all about. The title was something from the vernacular of the youth of the day. It was kind of the senior minister to call, however it raises a serious question in my mind about the reverence for God.

In Psalm 111:9, God is said to have sent redemption unto His people. He, likewise, commanded His covenant forever. Redemption and covenant keeping are tied together if one desires a relationship with God. Whatever God sends (redemption) must be met by the response of man (covenant keeping). Eternal life is a gift from God, is it not (Romans 6.23)? Some would read the passage in Romans and conclude we do not have to do anything because it is a free gift. John tells us that God has given us eternal life, and that life is in His Son (I John 5.11). If eternal life is from God, then it is in His Son and not away from His Son.

In Titus 2.11, Jesus is said to be "...the grace of God". When He appeared, He brought salvation. Yet, in the very next verse, the scriptures tell us that Jesus taught us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2.12). Now, can one separate what God gave (salvation) from the proper response on the part of man (denying ungodliness and worldly lusts)? The Grace of God also taught in the same verse that we are to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Is eternal life free? It is never free from responsibility on the part of man. God gives, but man must receive.

How does man receive? Those in Acts 2 gladly received the Word. What is the proof that they received the Word? They were baptized (Acts 2.41). Years later, the brethren in Jerusalem heard that they Samaritans had received the Word (Acts 8.14). What was the evidence that they had received it? They (the Samaritans) had been baptized (Acts 8.12). Did Jesus bring salvation? Yet, when people were taught the Grace of God, they responded to the offer of salvation by being baptized. Jesus tells us that the engrafted word (received word) is able to save our souls (James 1.21). The very next verse tells us to not just be hearers of the word but doers. If one does the word, that is obeys the word, does this not get back to the idea of a "coveneant keeping God" as spoken of in the passage in Psalm 111.9?

The passage in Psalm 119.1 also tells us something about the treatment of the name of God. It does not tell us what His name is, as my name is Blair. It is a statement about how we view the name of God. God's name is holy and reverend. The idea of holy is "separate or set apart". The name of God is to be set apart from all other names. The idea of reverend means to be feared. Hence, my treatment of His name must always be in the context of viewing Him as holy and One that is to be feared.

The people of Jesus' day spoke what was called the common Greek. Yet, both friend and fow would come and call Jesus "Master" or "Lord". No, we do not talk with "thee" and "thou" language. Yet, when one reads both the Old and New Testaments, there is something common to all periods of man dealing with God. Those who were in a right relationship with God always feared Him and, thereby, respected His name. A case in point is Noah. He acted in faith. The scriptures teach that he prepared an ark to the saving of his family (Hebrews 11.7). In hte midst of those statemnets we also find that Noah moved with "fear". Could it be we have lost that fear (reverence) that is due God because He is God?

In all this babble about "grace only", the idea is that one does not need to be "scared of God". I agree with that statement. We need, however, to understand what it means to revere God. It means to be in awe of God with the realization that if I bring Him down from His lofty position of God, I will face the consequences for such actions. Hence, Noah moved with fear. He was in awe of God but he knew that God meant what He said. There was coming a universal flood and Noah acted out of fear and concern for his family to build an ark.

We should all work hard to save our youth. In our best efforts, however, we need to always remember that we, and not the youth, are in charge. We must establish the pattern of reverence and respect for God in all we say or do. The Number One Stunna just does not convey the idea of holiness or reverence.

...Charles Blair