Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

The Psalmist praised Jehovah by saying, “Holy and reverend is his name” (Psa. 111:9). Indeed, the Lord is to be revered among men. His holiness of character demands our reverence and respect for Him; His almighty power awes us as it is contrasted with our weaknesses. Men ought to show reverence for the Lord as they come in His presence.

Respect For God As Shown From The Old Testament

There are numerous examples of men showing reverence for the Lord recorded in the Old Testament. We can see their attitude toward the Lord as displayed by these accounts.

1. Isaiah 6:5-8. The sixth chapter of Isaiah records the Lord’s call of Isaiah to make him a prophet. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon His throne surrounded by seraphim which were crying one to another, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory” (6:3). When Isaiah saw this, he said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am-a man of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (6:5). His attitude of reverence at being in the presence of the Lord is apparent to us.

2. Exodus 3:5. When the Lord called Moses to be His prophet and lawgiver to the children of Israel, He appeared to him in a burning bush. As Moses approached that burning bush, the voice of God spoke to him saying, “Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground . . . . I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Upon hearing these words, “Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” The attitude of reverence is seen in Moses even as it was seen in Isaiah.

3. Exodus 19. When the children of Israel departed from Egypt and journeyed to Mount Sinai where they were given the Law, they were instructed not to approach Mount Sinai during the time that God was giving the Law to them. The Lord commanded, “Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, and be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves; that ye go not up into the mount or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: there shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.” The passages certainly shows the reverence which is to be shown to the Lord. The people were to wash themselves in preparation for being in the presence of God; their clothes were to be washed. When the Lord came upon the mountain, no person or animal was allowed to come near it.

The Sanctified Priesthood

Another source for demonstrating the reverence which was demanded toward God under the Levitical priesthood is shown in the laws pertaining to the priests. When the priesthood was inaugurated, a special service was conducted to show that the priests were separated from the common lot of mankind and specially dedicated to the service of God (Lev. 8-9). They were washed, given special clothes to wear, and anointed.

Later, the record gives several laws for the priests. They could not drink wine when going to the tabernacle (Lev. 10:9) in order that they might learn to distinguish the holy from the common. The priests were not allowed to defile themselves with the dead (Lev. 21:1), except for those dead who were part of his immediate family. The priests were not allowed to defile themselves by shaving their heads bald, shaving the corners of their beard, or making any cuttings of their flesh (Lev. 21:6). The wife whom they married was required to be a virgin (Lev. 21:13); hence, a widow, divorced woman or immoral woman could not be his wife. Any man in the priestly family with a physical defect could not approach the Lord to serve as priest (Lev. 21:16-24).

Throughout, the Mosaical law demonstrated the reverence which is to be given to the Lord our God. The particular reverence due to God is commanded of mankind. “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Hab. 2:20). “Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation” (Zech. 2:13).

Men Should Show Reverence To God Today

Even as mankind was expected to show reverence to God in their worship during the period of Levitical worship, we are also expected to reverence the Lord in our worship today. That the Lord is to be reverenced, no one would deny. However, some of the things which I am calling to your attention in this article might be things with which you find yourself in disagreement. Indeed, some of them are judgment matters, except insomuch as they reflect a lack of reverence and respect toward Jehovah. If they show a lack of reverence toward God, they certainly are wrong for that reason.

1. The dress which we wear to worship. In recent years, I have noticed larger numbers of Christians attending worship services in casual attire. Some of the Christians among us attend worship in altogether sinful attire, wearing immodest clothing. In addition to being a direct violation of God’s word regarding modest apparel, this certainly show irreverence and disrespect toward God. I have witnessed women who attended services, purportedly to worship God, in skirts so short that they revealed far too much of their bodies, slacks so tight that one could not have put a piece of paper between the skin and the material without ripping the material, and other apparel unfit for those who claim to be Christians.

Added to this, one sees disrespect manifested in dress that is altogether too casual. I have witnessed many among the younger Christians who come to worship services dressed in blue jeans and some kind of casual shirt. I have seen older women attending worship services in pant suits. The problem which I have in dealing with these types of dress for worship is that I know that these same persons would not think of attending a wedding, funeral, or even Friday or Saturday night luncheon engagement dressed in the same attire. Why is this so? Apparently because more respect is shown for these occasions than the offering of worship of God!

I am not trying to legislate what a person must wear when he worships God. What I am calling attention to is one’s attitude toward that worship. I have been around a good many godly farmers who lacked the resources to afford a suit and tie for worship. Therefore, these men went to worship in a pair of overalls. Yet these men had a special Sunday-go-to-meeting pair of overalls set aside for that purpose. They tried to look their “Sunday best” when they assembled to worship God. Frankly, I appreciated their attitude of reverence for the occasion of worshiping God much more than I appreciate the casual disposition toward worship.

2. Conduct during the assembly. Even as I have seen disrespect for the worship of God shown in what is worn to the assembly, I have also seen disrespect for the worship of God shown in the conduct of those assembled for worship. I have witnessed good sisters clipping their nails in worship, teenagers passing notes during worship, and people of all ages sleeping during the worship. Practically any assembly of Christians will contain its share of daydreamers, if not just dreamers. In some congregations, the whispering and disrespectful conduct is so obnoxious that I have had trouble preaching.

Aside from the fact that such conduct is disrespectful to the person addressing the assembly, such conduct is thoroughly disgusting to God because of the disrespect which is shown to Him and His worship thereby.

Conclusion

Brethren, we Christians simply must manifest the respect for the worship which is offered to God which is due to Him. We should never forget that we are in the presence of the Lord and show the proper respect for that occasion. It is not something to be treated lightly or to be snuffed at.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 49, pp. 787-788
December 13, 1979

By Randy Blackaby

Life begins with minute seed planted in the union of two persons. That life develops by amazing natural processes we are tempted to call miraculous. For nine months, that life lies within a- mother’s body,. changing from a particle that could not be seen with the naked eye were it before us, to a full-fledged human being with signal characteristics of its parents.

At birth comes disengagement from the mother’s body and a continued growth process that allows more and more physical and mental independence as time passes.

The tiny body is full of innocence, pliable as clay both physically and mentally, ready to be shaped and molded by those with whom the new creature will find contact.

Babies, in the purely aesthetic sense, are not pretty at birth. But the absolute perfection of the creature, unhampered by the pressures of life, the guilt of sin or even the knowledge thereof, makes the beauty we always sigh about when a new one arrives.

Birth is something we are all acquainted with and the development of a child is a series of events watched with much attention and concern. We find great pleasure and mirth in watching the innocent play of our children, the unwitting mistakes they make and the tenacity of their progress. Through our children, we can often find relief from the pressures of adulthood and the scars life experiences have brought to us. We can, through them, relive, to a degree, our own years of innocence and freedom. It may well be that freedom is to be found in its truest form in the bodies and souls of little children.

This fact is acknowledged in the Bible, where we find innumerable references to children, their characteristics and development. Being a common part of our lives, an actual extension of ourselves, children serve in the Bible to teach us valuable spiritual lessons. Our relationship to our Creator is expressed in terms of Father and children. God has always considered “His people” in that perspective. And the analogy is easy to follow.

The only way we can fully understand the love of God for us is to understand the love a parent has for his child. God’s endurance in the face of continued rejection over thousands of years is explainable only in the parental experience. The harshness of God’s discipline is appreciated only when the task is ours as a parent.

The sinless qualities of a baby are to be emulated, the Scriptures tell us. Yet, on the other hand, we are told to avoid the childish behavior that may present itself in the form,, of selfishness or other immaturity. The entire development: of a Christian is patterned from a child’s development. A ,Christian’s beginning is termed “a new birth” or “being born again” because innocence is regained, a.. new life begun and the growing process rekindled.

Much of the, New Testament is our Father’s parental guidance, leading us to maturity as one of His children. As in the natural sense, that maturing continues until death.

Parents work hard to provide for their ‘children sustenance and an inheritance of both knowledge and material things: So it is with God. He provides through the Holy Spirit knowledge and holds out to us an inheritance which our parents cannot – eternal life with him. Whereas parent and child must part with tears at death, God offers both eternal union with Himself as a spiritual parent and reunion of faithful ;physical parents and children in that greater family called “God’s children.”

There is much to be learned in the birth of a child. More than maybe you have considered.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 49, p. 786
December 13, 1979

By Bill Imrisek

There was no preacher pounding on the pulpit to impress upon his hearers their God-given responsibility to go out and tell others about Jesus. But for some reason they did it anyway.

The shepherds who tended their flocks in the fields about Bethlehem were told by angels sent from God that “there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is .Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Determined to see it for themselves, “they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child” (Luke 2:16-17). No one told them to do it. They just did it. They made it known.

A man named Andrew listened to the prophet John, the one who baptized in the Jordon, tell about “He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose” (John 1:27). One day Jesus appeared in public, and John “looked upon Jesus as he walked, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:35). Andrew was interested. He followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. But what he found was too good to keep to himself. “He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted Christ). He brought him unto Jesus” (John 1:41-42). No one told him to do it. But the truth about Jesus was such that he felt compelled to tell others.

Shortly after this Jesus spoke to a man named Philip, and said to him, “Follow me.” Philip learned enough about Jesus during this brief encounter that he went out, and “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45). Philip could not contain himself. This was good news. He had to tell Nathanael. And so, he related to Nathanael the conclusions that he had come to about Jesus, inviting him to “Come and see” (John 1:46).

Then there was the Samaritan woman who came to Jacob’s well to draw water. Upon arriving she not only located Jacob’s well, but also found “a well of water springing up unto eternal life” (John 4:14). There at the well, she found a wearied traveler named Jesus who was savoring a few moments of rest. They began to converse. Shortly the conversation turned to spiritual matters. The woman was amazed at Jesus’ knowledge, and said, “Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet” (John 4:19). She had discovered something important, but she was to learn more, much more. She continued to speak, saying to Jesus, “I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he” (John 4:25-26). Could this be true? Jesus was certainly unlike any other. “The woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the people, Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?” (John 4:28-29). This woman, in her urgency to tell others, left behind her vessel of water. It could wait. She had to tell others about Jesus.

And let us not forget about the two Galilean fishermen, Peter and John, who left their trades and took to the streets of the big city to tell the thousands of Jerusalem about Jesus, whom the people of the city had crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. These men were looked upon as being “unlearned and ignorant” (Acts 4:13). But this did not stop them. They even received the disapproval of the city rulers. In fact, they were imprisoned and then called upon to give an account of their actions before the council. After hearing them out, the men of the council commanded Peter and John “not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18). But this did not dampen their spirits or squelch their enthusiasm. They responded respectfully but forthrightly, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye: for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). They had to tell it. Public disapproval could not hold them back. What they knew about Jesus had to be made known. Their love for God and concern for the souls of mankind compelled them to tell others about Jesus.

What all of these people who were acquainted with Jesus knew, that many are closing their eyes to today, is that Christ is one’s only hope of salvation (Acts 4:12). The implication of this is well stated by John in his first epistle, “He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son hath not the life” (1 John 5:12). To put it another way, Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16). We owe it to the world to give them the opportunity to believe and obey. But how can they believe unless they first hear the gospel from us (Rom. 10:17)? The one who has the saving knowledge about Jesus, but keeps it to himself, is guilty of criminal negligence. He stands watching his neighbors in the world step over the brink and plunge to an eternity of sorrow and punishment, when he could have warned them and given them the opportunity to obey the gospel and travel the road that leads to eternal bliss.

James asked in his epistle, “What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say that he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet he give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit?” (James 2:14-16). I think James stated His case well. We make a mockery of the needs of another if we merely give them our well-wishes, but withhold from them the assistance they desperately need. In the same way, what good is it if we greet our acquaintances on the street and wish them the best if we do not give them What they need the most for their soul, a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ and direction on how to be saved from the eternal fires of hell? Will your “best wishes” save them’?

The shepherds near Bethlehem, along with Andrew, Philip, the woman of Samaria, Peter and John, all knew how precious Jesus is. They knew how much the world needed to know about him. And they knew what they had to do. They had to tell others what they knew about Jesus.

Are there those whose company you enjoy, whose friendship you cherish, whose love you share, but to whom you have never spoken about your Savior, His church, and His salvation? Then be a friend to them. Show them how much you really love them. Contemplate where they will spend eternity if they do not obey the gospel (2 Thess. 1:8-9). Think about what you know that can help them. Then go tell them about our Lord. In the words of the song by Jesse pounds and J.H. Filmore,

If the name of the Savior is precious to you,

If His care has been constant and tender and true,

If the light of His presence has brightened your way,

O will you not tell of your gladness today?

If your faith in the Savior has bro’t its reward,

If a strength you have found in the strength of your Lord,

If the hope of a rest in His palace is sweet,

O will you not, brother, the story repeat?

If the souls all around you are living in sin,

If the Master has told you to bid them come in,

If the sweet invitation they never have heard,

O will you not tell them the cheer-bringing word?

Truth Magazine XXIII: 48, pp. 780-781
December 6, 1979

By Earl Robertson

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,” wrote the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 10:12). However, the authors of the creeds of men either know nothing of this passage or care nothing for it as their writings testify. This verse plainly says one can fall. Human theology has made such an effort to make man’s salvation wholly God’s action that no allowance is made for any action on man’s part to the saving of his soul. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints stems from this religious concept. They allow that God saved man from his sins without any doing on man’s part and that God will keep him saved without any doing as a child of God. The old Philadelphia Confession of Faith, adopted by the Baptist Association in Philadelphia, September 25, 1742, says, “God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure; and, in that condition, they have not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.”

So, the justified in Christ Jesus can never fall from the state of justification! The creed admits that they have sins but declares such will not interfere with the salvation of their souls. It seems to me if these sins do not affect the soul, the ones committed earlier would not affect it either. If forgiveness of sins is essential for salvation, then how is it possible for the child of God to live with sins on his soul without falling from the state of justification? Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians telling those who were making an effort to go back to the law of Moses for a way of life “ye are fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). The grace of God revealed through Christ was of no benefit to them in such an effort. Those addressed were “all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). Yes, they were children of God in Christ Jesus, but they had fallen from grace.

It is obvious that both the New Testament and the Confession of Faith cannot be right. They both are not teaching the truth. No person can be right before God and accept both. The two documents are diametrically opposed. The New Testament is right. It came from. God and is dedicated with the blood of Christ. The creed is a lie. Reject it.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 48, p. 780
December 6, 1979