Musick-al Note # 94
While many of us wear or have worn second-hand clothing or shoes, and drive second-hand cars, we would rather be able to obtain new things for ourselves and our families. To this end we are always seeking to rise a little higher on the wage scale and some even get a second job to enable their getting new things. This drive within us is natural and helps us to maintain our ambition for greater work.
In the realm of religion, many people have settled for a second-hand religion with no ambition to do differently. In no other area of life are people satisfied with second-hand things. Yet in the area of religion you hear people say “If it was good enough for Mother and Father, its good enough for me” indicating that their mind is closed about the subject. Too much of the Christianity displayed today is nothing more than a second-hand Christianity handed down from the parents to the children and of course there is no freshness, no honor, no glory and certainly no zeal when it is displayed to the world. Such second-hand religion is obnoxious and hated by everyone who seeks to think and to own valuable things. Such Christianity can well be paralleled to the people described in Judges 2:10 who came after the generation of Joshua, which “knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel.” Their religion was a second-hand religion and they really knew not the Lord God. Their ignorance contributed to their down-fall and they did evil in the sight of the Lord. How much different are they from the children of Christian parents who have no vital faith of their own; who feel cramped and hemmed in because of their parents’ convictions; who attend services only because they have to; who do not enjoy spiritual things as singing, prayer, preaching or partaking of the Lord’s supper? They laugh, talk, play with the babies or write notes during worship periods; they chew gum and blow bubbles during the communion and use the activities of the church to be with boy-friend and girl-friend. How different this generation will be by maturity without a knowledge of God, without understanding the Bible, without faith in the Almighty and His Son and without desire to support the Lord’s work (Joshua 2:10-15). God blesses every individual who has a vital faith in Him.
Is your religion second-hand, handed down by parents or preacher? Everyone should follow the Word of God that they might follow the God of the Word. Build a close, personal relationship with the Son of God that your religion will not be in vain.
Gordon Musick
Musick-al Notes 