Reverence and Respect, where have they gone?.

Today’s world does not recognise the true meaning of the words reverence or respect, in fact today respect is something only given to sports heroes, film stars or villains. Once, respect wasn’t earned, it was a given in certain situations. Anyone older than yourself had respect, women were respected and the Police too, these were seen as groups who should have respect regardless of whether or not they deserved it.

However, people didn’t respect someone when that given respect was lost due to the person’s actions. They lost the right to be respected or, in the case of Vicars or Church leaders, reverenced, when they abused the reverence and respect afforded them.

Unfortunately, this loss of respect and reverence has entered into the Church, and it entered in most cases under the authority and guidance of Church leaders. Why do I say it is the leaders? Well, who is in charge of a Church? Who leads the meetings? Who has the power to stop the rot? The answer every time is the leader.

In many cases this loss can come when you don’t stay true to the Word or concentrate on following the instructions of God. It fine in the beginning but then as time goes on our faith and belief is watered down. Philippians 2:12

12. Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.

We are God’s children and the first sign of a child going off the rails is their loss of respect for their parents; they think they know better and act with a lack of respect and reverence for parents who out of love and knowledge, care for and guide the child, not out of duty but love. This is exactly the same in the Church. Job 4:6

6. Does your reverence for God give you no confidence? Shouldn't you believe that God will care for those who are upright?

God demands reverence and respect, not in a dogmatic way but because He is God. He doesn’t look after us out of a sense of duty, He does it because He loves and cares for us and knows what’s best for us. If we give Him the respect He deserves then He can work miracles in our lives. John 3:16 shows us how much He loves us.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The Bible tells us that if you fear and give Him reverence then you are wise. If you realise that God should be respected and reverenced then you have come to a good realisation. Job 37:24 and Psalms 34:9

24. No wonder people everywhere fear him. People who are truly wise show him reverence."

9. Let the Lord's people show him reverence, for those who honour him will have all they need.

Psalms goes on in more detail to say in Psalms 22:23 and 111:10

23. Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honour him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel!

10. Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. The rewards of wisdom come to all who obey him. Praise his name forever!

It is quite clear that reverence is a foundation of the Christian faith, and along with reverence comes a fear born out of wisdom. When we know what God can do and how powerful He is then how can we help but fear Him, not in a negative way but in a respectful way. We know God loves us so He won’t harm us when we love Him back, the problem will only come when we turn our backs on Him, even then God doesn’t come after us with a big stick to punish us, the problems are self inflicted by our ignorance; by turning away from God we turn to Satan and come under his leadership.

God blessed the Levites and made a covenant with them: in Malachi 2:5 we read that God blessed them and this blessing ‘called’ for reverence, which they gave. They kept what was expected of them so God kept His promise.

5. "The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and this is what I gave them. This called for reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.

Many people think reverence, fear and respect are all Old Testament doctrines which we were freed from with the coming of God’s Grace. When you look at certain verses like Zephaniah 3:7 you get the view of the Old Testament God at work.

7. I thought, 'Surely they will have reverence for me now! Surely they will listen to my warnings, so I won't need to strike again.' But no; however much I punish them, they continue their evil practices from dawn till dusk and dusk till dawn."

But it is foolish to think that, just because God doesn’t punish us like He did the Jews, He still doesn’t ask or demand the same respect and reverence. Grace replaced the Law, it did not replace or remove how we should act towards God.

Jesus, while He was on earth, knew His position and who could save Him, and because of this He had a reverence for God, His Father. If Jesus did this then I think we should follow His example without question. Hebrews 5:7

7. While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God.

In the following scripture we have the proof that Grace does not negate reverence or respect and certainly doesn’t replace fear. In fact, Hebrews 12:28,29 shows us that Grace, reverence and fear go hand in hand in today’s Church and personal faith.

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 for our God is a consuming fire.

How can we not have reverence and respect for God, how can we not fear God when we know who and what He is? Let’s have a quick look at the words and what they mean.

The definition of Reverence

1. A feeling of profound awe and respect and often love; veneration.
2. An act showing respect, especially a bow or curtsy.
3. The state of being revered.

The definition of Respect

1. To feel or show honour or esteem for; hold in high regard.
2. To consider or treat with deference or dutiful regard.

We cannot call ourselves Christians and not have respect or reverence for God, and if we say we do then this would show in our praise and worship of Him. It should be the basis of how we relate with God, both alone and when we meet together to learn about and praise God.

Because people have lost the ability to respect even their elders, how we can expect them to respect God. In Church we should be teaching people not only a respect for God, but how we should respect in general; we should teach our children in Sunday Schools about respect and reverence as well as teaching the Bible basics. All of them go hand in hand with our Christian life as well as our natural life. Hebrews 12:9

9. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

God honours those who do as they are told, who believe and live a Christ-like life. Part of this life is respecting God and others and having a reverential fear of God. Reverence for God brings mercy from God.

50. His mercy goes on from generation to generation, to all who fear him.

So having read all what the Word has to say, why are there so many Churches which have an obvious disregard for the truth, who treat God with disrespect and forget reverence altogether which leads to a fearless regard towards God?

Simple, they don’t read or teach the Word of God, they replace teaching with translation, bringing God’s Word into modern day ‘life applications’. Leaders start and teach by example and the congregations see and follow suit.

Let me ask you to do two things, next time you go to your church or meet with other believers. Go early, sit at the back and ask yourself; is the meeting being prepared for the presence of God, or is it being prepared for a social gathering? Are people coming in with the sole intention of meeting with Christ and all He has to offer or are they coming to be seen to see others and have a good time?

Finally when you come out of the meeting, do you come out having received something from God, or have you merely enjoyed the speaking and feel good about what you have heard. Has your heart been spoken to or just your ears.

Luke 24:32 shows us what happens when God’s word speak to us.

32. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

And 2 Timothy 4:3 tells us of what people in these last days what people want to get out of a meeting.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Having respect and reverence does not mean a boring and dull meeting, God does not want us to act out of fear, but love. Yes we can have fun, we can enjoy meeting with God, He wouldn't have it any other way. Grace has given us a freedom which allows us to act out of demand, we are not under the Law we have been set free. This is something to be happy about.

We can come with thanksgiving and praise, remember Peter at Pentecost who spoke in the open air, to EVERYONE present, from all walks of life, all types of people. What happened then, we see in Acts 2:41

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

All that 'gladly recived', not out of duty or fear. You can have reverence and respect for God and be glad, fearing Him in Love and believing that He knows best. All we need to do is what we are told, no more and no less.