Respect

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; 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 hereJohnny Ramsey

Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets

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