Advancing Technology, Declining Morality
By Steven Harper

.....In 1900, only 2% of homes in America were wired for electricity; in 2000, greater than 99%. In 1900, only 10% of homes in America had indoor plumbing; in 2000, it was 98%. In 1900, not one person owned a PC [0%; they did not even exist]; in 2000, 117 million people owned one [about 41% of the 2000 US population]. To say that we have advanced — technologically speaking — would be an understatement. And for all these technological innovations and progressions, I am extremely grateful!
.....But with all of these technological innovations and improvements, somewhere along the line we started regressing in our spiritual knowledge and strength. Right along with the technological advances came a decline in the moral strength of the people. [They are not necessarily related, but some technological advances have contributed to the moral decline, without a doubt.] Because of this fact, I cannot say that we are better off — as a country — than we were a hundred years ago.
.....Sure, we can look back in our country's history and there are some things we should be thankful that no longer exist. Who really wants to use outdoor toilets? Who wants to go back to making 25¢ an hour, or a dollar a day? Who wants to go back to the days before air conditioning? Who wants to go back to the time when anyone with darker skin was looked down upon or even killed simply because they had darker skin?
.....But there are some things we, as a people, had that should not have been left behind. The greatest of those things is a love of God and a love for good things [morally speaking]. Where once our population was generally interested in doing the right thing, now we have generations of people who want to do what they want and not have anyone tell them they are wrong, and many more who think one should never tell anyone else they are wrong.
It seems that in our efforts to make technological advances, we have left God behind. In our rush to make life more comfortable here and now, we have left off preparing for the one to come. In our desire to get what we want, when we want it, and however we can get it, we have ignored the need to grasp the most important thing we could ever possess: the salvation of our souls.
.....We cannot claim ignorance of where we are headed, though. In recent polls of these same American people, 77% see moral conditions getting worse [Gallup; May, 2004]. Only 19% have a positive view of American morals and values [Harris; Feb., 2000]. But, though we see that our morals are declining, we don't seem to want to admit personal responsibility for contributing to it. It seems many want to point the finger of blaming our current society's problems at a lack of moral strength, but few want to admit they are part of the problem, and few want to take the moral stands that would make a difference.
.....In a recent George Barna poll, it was found that of all people over 18 who have ever been married, 35% have been divorced [representing 26% of all Americans over 18]. Sadder still is the fact that there is no statistical difference between those who claim to be Christians and those who do not. In other words, it is just as likely that one who claims belief in Christ will divorce as one who is an unbeliever. In that same poll, 66% disagreed that divorce for any reason other than for adultery is a sin. Only 24% of those who claimed to be Christians agreed that it would be sin to divorce for some reason other than adultery. It seems many who claim to believe Jesus are willing to disagree with Jesus on this matter. Should we be surprised that many would disagree on other topics, especially if those topics would personally and adversely affect them? Don't be, because they do.
.....Another Barna Poll [April 2004] was on the matter of illegal music copying [12 billion songs illegally copied this year, according to last Friday's report on the ABC News Nightline program], and was aimed at those under 18 because that is the age group that most often does this. It was found that 80% believed there was "nothing morally wrong" with copying music and only 8% believed it was "morally wrong." Again, it is a sad discovery to find that the numbers are almost exactly the same for those who claim to believe in Jesus as the Christ. Additionally, 80% admitted to doing it in the last six months. To further the incredulity, those 80% of so-called Christians who admitted to it also admitted to illegally copying what is defined as "Christian" or "religious" music! Is there something wrong with this picture?!?!
.....Do we remember the lessons of Israel? Maybe we should have a short refresher course after hearing the above statistics! Maybe we need to be reminded of what happened to a nation that was recognized as God's people. And if this could happen to God's people, it could certainly happen to a nation that was never identified as such. [In spite of what some people believe, America was never "God's chosen nation."]
.....Before Entering the Promised Land. Before Israel even got to the Promised Land, they had turned against God and were ready to go back to Egypt (Num. 14:1-5). But because they rebelled, they were promised that they would wander for forty years and that they would eventually die in the wilderness. Because of this, they were not able to receive the promise and their example stands as a warning to us today so we do not fall short of the promise of eternal life in heaven (cf. Heb. 3:12-4:11).
.....In the Promised Land. Once in the Promised Land, the unfaithfulness of the Israelites did not cease. After Joshua and his generation passed away, it is said “another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” (Jdgs. 2:10) Is it any wonder then that we find that they soon “forsook the Lord” (v. 12) and “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (17:6)? Does this sound familiar?
.....The First Century. More than 500 years after the Israelites returned from captivity, when the Messiah came, the religious leaders were leading the people not in the commandments of God, but their fathers' traditions. And when Christ brought the Word of God to the common people, simultaneously chastising and condemning the religious leaders of the day for their hypocrisy, they put Him to death! Again: Does this sound familiar? How do many religious leaders and preachers treat one who points out their errors and hypocrisy today? Do not even some of our own brethren use the same tactics to silence criticism?
.....Friends and brethren, we do not need government programs and distinguished Senate subcommittees to solve this country's problems. There is a simple answer to halting the decline of morality in this country: stand for the truth and live a godly life! You can make a difference. But God already knew that (Titus 2:11-13).

Acceptable service to God must be with reverence and godly fear. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” (Heb.12:28). Reverence for God should be everywhere. The pathetic note is that it is usually a scarce article. We speak of reverence for our country, the flag, the aged, various memorials and for the dead. Consideration should be given to these, but above all, there should be reverence for the Living God. Just what is reverence? “Honor and respect felt or manifested—profound respect mingled with love and awe” –Webster. It is closely akin to honor, respect and admiration and even includes these thoughts. There must be a difference between worship and reverence. We are taught to worship God and Him only. (Matt.4:10). Pertaining to the relationship between husband and wife, Paul admonished the wife to reverence her husband (Eph.5:33). As one considers these two passages, he can see that there must be a difference between worship and reverence. We might conclude that reverence is a requisite or essential of worship and that one can not worship acceptably without reverence.
WHY SHOULD REVERENCE FOR GOD BE ABOVE ALL?
Because He is the creator (Gen.1:1, 2:7). The creature should certainly fear, love and respect his creator, but such is not always true (Rom.1:25). Man has at times made a miserable failure of his mission in glorifying God (Isa.43:7).
Because man is dependent upon God as a guide (Jer.10:23). God who is so good to supply us with such means of guidance should be an object of our deepest reverence. Men should show great honor and respect to those that guided them to safety and greatly helped in making them what they are today. Think what God has done for His children!
Because God is the father of our spirits. As the father of our spirits, He rightly deserves our reverence (Heb.12:9). God has made our bodies and is father of spirits. Both body and spirit must unite in reverential service to Him.
HOW MAY WE SHOW OUR REVERENCE FOR GOD?
By reverencing His name. The word reverend is only found once in the King James Version of the Bible and when it does, it has reference to God (Psalm 111:9). It is a lack of reverence for God to refer to any man as “Reverend.” We reverence His name by not using it in a vain way. God’s name is to be hallowed and not used in vain (Matt.6:9). It is never right or proper to use profanity or even the euphemistic by-words such as Gosh, Golly, Gee, Lordy which are corrupted forms of God’s name. His name should never be used in any light, useless or flippant way (Eph.4:29, 5:3-4).
By reverencing His word. One cannot reverence God and disrespect His word. He who reverences the word will not wrest or pervert the scriptures to his own destruction (2Peter 3:16). “...but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa.66:2). So many in the Lord’s church appear to have lost the proper reverence for His word. Their attitude betrays them!
By reverencing His commandments. We can’t reverence the person and scoff at His word and the commandments that we are to obey. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1John 5:3). When we wholeheartedly obey, we are proving our love for the Lord and manifesting reverence for His commandments. It is the curse of inconsistency to contend that we have reverence for God and then refuse to do what He has for us to obey.
By reverencing the worship of God. To enter the court of praise with fear and devotion, respect and love is the highest thought of reverence. In every service, we should understand that we are in the presence of God. An ideal assembly is mentioned in Acts 10:33: “Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.” Generally speaking, our actions depict the feelings that are in our hearts. Outward signs are indications of inward feelings. Talking, laughing and unnecessary gestures in the services do not depict an atmosphere of reverence. A visitor at a particular service was quoted as saying that the service had more of a circus atmosphere than that of worship to God. With proper preparation and thought, things that tend to disturb the spirit of reverence in the worship, could be easily eliminated. Some may deny the fact that they lack reverence, but it is hard to convince others that they possess it by such conduct in the assemblies. God knows our hearts. We can not deceive Him! We must possess proper reverence for God if we hope to enter heaven.

I remember lookin' up to look up to him
And I remember, most the time he wasn't there
I'd be waitin' at the door when he got home at night
He'd pass me by to go pass out in his chair

And I'd sing: Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep trippin' and stumblin'
If you'd look down here, you'd see:
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me

He stumbled in the gym on graduation day
And I couldn't help but feel so ashamed
And I wasn't surprised a bit when he didn't stay
He stumbled out before they called my name

And I thought: Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side.
It's not just me who's watching
You've caught everybody's eye
And you're trippin' and stumblin'
And even though I've turned eighteen
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're still leading me

The old man's still like he always was
But I love him anyway
If I've learned one thing from him
It's my kids will never have to sing...

Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're swayin' side to side
Your footsteps make me dizzy
And no matter how I try
I keep trippin' and stumblin'
If you'd look down here, you'd see:
Walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me
Yeah, walk a little straighter, Daddy
You're leading me

Years ago, within churches across this country, an issue arose as to whether or not the church was authorized by Scripture to take monies collected for the work of the church and send it to human institutions or for benevolence toward unbelievers. In the beginning, at least, the effort to find the answer revolved around the Scriptures and establishing what exactly the church's work was, and how it was to be carried out. After many years of fruitless discussion, often hindered by those who were intent on doing certain things one way or another, one widely-respected publication decided the issue was "closed" and refused to print any more on the matter — at least anything from those who opposed them. Despite the pleas of honest men to at least discuss it so the truth could be found, the editors and publishers refused to discuss the matter any further and a "quarantine" was placed on those they now labeled as "antis."
The results were devastating to the cause of truth-seekers everywhere, and soon churches across the country followed suit, putting the issue "off-limits" and labeling those who sought an answer as "divisive" and insinuating [if not openly stating] that some were bent on "binding where God has not bound." Though many were honestly trying to get others to see what the Scriptures said — nothing more and nothing less, those who went beyond the pattern would not take part in open discussions even as they took part in a simultaneous effort to label those who opposed them as "dividers." Those labels and those tactics are still being practiced by those who support institutionalism and the sponsoring church arrangement, as evident by the publications they write and distribute.
For that issue, some tried to define the discussion as a matter of "personal opinion" and "unnecessary division" rather than the matter of Bible authority, but when they were unsuccessful in doing that, they simply cut off discussions and faithful brethren left those churches to find others who were still interested in finding "book, chapter, and verse" for all they taught and practiced. Like old Ahab [the man led by his wife to adopt idolatry and bring God's wrath on Israel] who accused Elijah [the man of God] by saying, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” (1 Kings 18:17), some accused the truth-seekers of being "trouble-makers" though all they sought was an open and honest discussion of the matter.
For those still interested in truth, the reply was often, "Who is doing the dividing?" And when they were accused of deciding what could be done based on their opinions, they asked, "Are we not speaking only the word of God?" Sadly, those words fell on deaf and apathetic ears.
Friends and brethren, the time may be different and the topic may be different, but the questions are still the same: Who decides? Who divides?
Who Decides? It is discouraging to hear this from some young preachers I have met within the last decade, if only as an indication they have not been taught properly by those who have gone before them. Unfortunately, some have been unwilling or simply too lazy to study God's word to learn how to properly establish authority, and when discussions arose over unfamiliar issues, they improperly categorized these things as "opinion" or "matters of indifference" and neither supported nor denounced teachings and practices that were contrary to God's will. And when issues arose within local congregations that demanded a stand for truth, some began asking, "Who decides what is right or wrong? How can we know when to draw the line?" as if it was a matter of personal opinion and not a matter of either having or not having the authority to teach or practice these things.
I remember a few years ago when I began working with a young man who was studying to become a full-time preacher. In the course of one discussion about marriage, divorce, and remarriage, I commented that I could not have any fellowship with a certain man because I knew for a fact that he was teaching error on that topic. It was then that the young man asked me with all sincerity, "How do you know where to draw the line?"
At first I was a little surprised, but realized that some simply have never taken the time to study this very matter. My simple answer was this: "When a man teaches anything that, as a result, leads men into sin, I must not have fellowship with him. That is not to say I completely cut him off without talking to him first, but I will not invite him to speak when I know he espouses error."
This seemed harsh to the young man then, but he unfortunately saw the fruit of inaction just a few months later when the elders refused to take a stand on this same matter and condemned me for saying what they would not. They had somehow come to the conclusion that strict adherence to God's will was "binding where God did not bind" though the Scriptures were plain. At no time did I offer my "opinion," but kept trying to direct them to the Scriptures, and pleaded for an open discussion of the matter. I never got it.
The answer to this question is simple: God decides! When it comes to what is right or wrong in the sight of God, only God decides what is right or wrong — not man. God gave that authority to Jesus (Matt. 28:18) and we should respect that. Man has no authority to declare something wrong when God has not — but neither does he have the authority to say something is right when God did not. Pointing out error is not "binding where God did not bind" — it is called preaching the truth “in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2).
Who Divides? When the institutional question arose, and it was clear some were set on going ahead with their plans — even if they had no authority — some were quick to deflect the blame to those who stood firmly on the Scriptures by calling them "dividers." But who really did the dividing?
When Jeroboam made two calves of gold and set one in Dan and the other in Bethel, and when he said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” (1 Kings 12:28), who was it that divided Israel? Was it those who remained faithful to the Lord's will, or Jeroboam and his followers who abandoned the will of the Lord, set up false gods, made priests from every class of people (v. 30), and established diverse practices that God had never commanded? Who divided?
Friends and brethren, it will always be the one who introduces error who will be identified by God as the "divider" — not the faithful. Though the faithful may always be fewer in number [Ex., Joshua and Caleb], this is no indication of right or wrong. Though the faithful may be in positions of power [Ex., the Pharisees], this is no indication of right or wrong. Though the faithful may be younger and less experienced [Ex., Timothy, 1 Tim. 4:12], this is no indication of right or wrong. Though the faithful may not be published in brotherhood papers and may not be on the board of certain foundations [you fill in the blank], this is no indication of right or wrong. What defines what is right or wrong is whether or not it agrees with the word of God!
Some of these labels and charges are being thrown about recklessly even as we speak. Reputations are being destroyed, motives are being impugned, and false teachers are deceiving many. But, friends and brethren, do not be misled; search the Scriptures as did the Bereans (Acts 17:11) that you may know the truth. When you know the truth, you will then know how to decide, and you will know who the true "dividers" are. Then, stand with the faithful!