Respect
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles
We live in an age that shows little respect for those in authority. Students mock their teachers, cartoonists lampoon presidents, law-breakers sneer and laugh at the police, children ridicule their parents and some brethren manifest a lack of reverence for Bible preaching. All of those things violate Scripture! The Bible shows clearly the need for standing in awe of God (Psalm 4:4 ASV; Psalm 119:161-162 ASV).
God warns, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah …. Suffering the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in like manner these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities” (Jude 1:7-8 ASV). The youth rebellion that produce anarchy on college campuses, resulted in the bombing of government building and murdering rampages such as that of the Manson gang. I read a book recently, written by one of those vigilantes, that described the killing of innocent people to display their hatred of society and their desire to be aloof from “the structured world” about them.
When men lose regard for God’s moral standards, they forget humane treatment of their fellows and wallow in the mire of sadistic behavior. The Old Testament prophets had a lot to say about proper attitudes and actions toward others. Micah put it well, “What doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8 ASV). Those principles are precisely what Jesus inculcated into the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
Today, we truly need more respect for the following:
1) Respect For God’s Word
A failure to study the Bible, is a sure sign that we do not regard things divine and holy as we should. Brethren who prefer less Bible in sermons and more stories, jokes, human philosophy and current events, ought to find an after-dinner speaker from the Rotary Club! Are we ashamed of God’s will and enamored by secular reasoning? Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Romans 1:16). Souls are being lost due to a “famine in the land, a famine of hearing the word of Jehovah” (Amos 8:11 ASV).
2) Respect For Godly Living
A lack of Scripture in our lives is evidence by a failure to live like the Bible demands. To abstain from fleshly lusts is the clarion call of 1 Peter 2:11, and the passages before and after that powerful verse tell us to desire “the sincere milk of the word” and then to live it before our family and friends. James challenges us: “Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21 ASV).
3) Respect For God’s Cause
If Christ cared enough for the church to die for it, we should display a loyalty that knows no boundary (Acts 20:28). The value of lost souls should be constantly in our hearts as we lovingly show respect for the gospel and the awesome nature of the final Judgment. Very few people today seem to truly put God’s kingdom first, as we allow the busy pace of secularism to overwhelm our budget of time, money and energy.
Many churches spend more time and money on sporting events and musical concerts than they do on Bible study, soul-winning and spiritual edification. Satan is indeed shrewd and the flesh is weak!
4) Respect for God’s Son
It should be natural for sinful men to adore the Christ who left the beauty of heaven to come to this earth and to die at Calvary for poverty-stricken sinners (2 Corinthians 8:9). Sadly, we tend to forget the suffering the Savior endured as “He bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Respect for our Redeemer should produce within us the gratitude expressed in 2 Corinthians 9:15 ASV, “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.”
Reverence, devotion, appreciation and love for these things will make us better people (Psalm 116:12). Out of a heart of adoration for matters sublime and divine, let us determine that we shall never forsake the Lord and His heavenly cause.
As a great hymn states:
“Out of the ivory palaces,
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
Made my Savior go.”
With reverence, respect and zeal, let us serve God more ardently than we ever have before.
Let’s show some respect!
—Johnny Ramsey, (hear audio sermons) via the Montana Street bulletin