The Priority of Proper Reverence for God

Proper reverence for God is the very first element of pure religion. It cannot but be felt by everyone who perceives His greatness and holiness in contrast with his own smallness and defilement. "Reverence is an ennobling quality. It is felt to be degrading only by the vulgar mind which would escape the sense of its own littleness by elevating itself into an antagonist of what is above it. He who has no pleasure in looking up is not fit so much as to look down." Reverence is a sign of great strength; irreverence is one of the surest signs of weakness. No man will ever rise to great height who jeers at sacred things. Fools make a mockery of sin and in so doing they make a mockery of God. And "God is not mocked," it needs to be remembered (Gal. 6:7). --Fred O. Blakely

"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29).

"Darum, dieweil wir empfangen ein unbeweglich Reich, haben wir Gnade, durch welche wir sollen Gott dienen, ihm zu gefallen, mit Zucht und Furcht; denn unser Gott ist ein verzehrend Feuer."

"C'est pourquoi, recevant un royaume inébranlable, montrons notre reconnaissance en rendant à Dieu un culte qui lui soit agréable, avec piété et avec crainte, car notre Dieu est aussi un feu dévorant."

"Итак мы, приемля царство непоколебимое, будем хранить благодать, которою будем служить благоугодно Богу, с благоговением и страхом, потому что Бог наш есть огнь поядающий."