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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
God Still Means What He Says
I never doubted for a minute that my Mom and Dad loved me. But I also knew that when they gave me a chore to do or a responsibility to fulfill, they meant exactly what they said. If I forgot for a moment, they gently (well, sort of) reminded me that I must “mind” them. They were never mean or harsh, but when they told me something, they “meant it.”
In 1 John 4:8 we read, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” The love of Jehovah is a thread running throughout the Old and the New Testaments. It is seen in God’s plan for man’s redemption, a plan “which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 3:9. It is seen in the “longsuffering of God” in the days of the judges, and the captivity. It is seen as He sent His “only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16.
Even though His love is so known, it is also evident that He will not ignore or overlook rebellion on the part of man. Cain’s refusal to offer a sacrifice for which God could have “respect,” resulted in his rejection and banishment (Read Genesis 4:3-7 and Hebrews 11:4). When Nadab and Abihu decided to do things their own way instead of God’s way, they learned that “God means what He says” (see Leviticus 10:1-2). While under the Sabbath laws of the Old Testament, a man decided to gather firewood on the Sabbath. If you don’t believe God really means what He says, read Numbers 15:32f.
But what does that mean to us? Must we do what God says or expect discipline? Does God require obedience from us today? The New Testament says:
“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them that fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off,” Romans 11:22.
Note that this was written to Christians in Rome, and it is clear that both the “goodness and severity” continue to exist as qualities of our God. Yes, God still means what He says, and Jesus said the same thing, but in different words:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” Matthew 7:21.
No, His love does not eliminate our need to obey Him. His commandments are “not grievous,” 1 John 5:3. And God still means what He says!
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Dress Code? Or, Respect for God?
The Bible doesn’t specify a dress code so why do elders try to impose a certain type of dress for members when we assemble for worship? Doesn’t the Bible teach that God looks not on the outward man but on the heart? Most of our younger generations of today are not aware that “casual dress” in the services of worship to God grew out of the rebellious days of the “hippies” and “baby boomers” of the 1960s. Respect for, and submission to authority was dealt a severe blow by the “independent thinking of that era. Like most other things that challenged the “establishment,” the initial shock soon wore off and that which once was “unthinkable” became acceptable.
The secular world still places greatest emphasis on dress. Business executives wear suits to work and usually require their younger aspirants to do the same. Quality of work is usually enhanced by neat and proper dress. The reputation of the company is exemplified to a great degree by the way employees dress. The reason: a respect for those representing a company generates a respect for the company represented. Contrary to what one may think, those who respect their person, their values and their employers command the respect of those who do not.
It is a source of genuine distress to see the lack of respect for God displayed by so many in our worship services. Preachers are no exception, in fact, they should be leaders in trying to keep the congregations aware of the Divine nature of God. God should be exalted to the ultimate degree of respect, adoration, reverence and awe before whom His children should humble themselves. Slovenly dress, casual, unkempt footwear, and carelessness in presentation all profess that we have no awareness of the greatness of the God we profess to serve. Those who see God’s representatives in such common and presumptuous attire cannot have respect for the God they represent. It is no wonder that it is difficult to try to convince lost souls of their need to revere God, when it is apparent that He is not revered by those claiming to represent Him!
It is not a dress code that needs to be enforced. It is a desperate effort to instill in the hearts of Christians the abject respect that God’s children should have for their heavenly Father. Every example of the Old Testament, and every principle of the New Testament shows the need to glorify the God of heaven. Old Testament priests had to wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean (Numbers 8:6-7).
A dress code? Not in the least! A plea to honor and glorify God in our dress? Yes!
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