Exodus 20:7 (New Living Translation)- "Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name." "In the eyes of many, religion has lost its relevance and is little more than a quaint relic from another time."1 Religion is how we can come to God by our own efforts. On the other hand, Christianity is God coming to humanity as Jesus.2
We often think that we can do things better ourselves than the way that God does things. When God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, life was a paradise. Then Adam ate of the fruit of the tree from which God told him to abstain. Adam was saying, “I don’t have faith in what the Lord has said. I know what’s better for me.”
To further show humanity that we would not follow a few simple directions, God’s chosen people of Israel were later given the Ten Commandments. Foreshadowing God's plan, a sacrifice was required to make up for any disobedience. The punishment for unforgiven disobedience is death.3 Knowing that we would not obey perfectly, at the right time God provided the sacrifice.4
God said to Moses: I am the eternal God. So tell them that the LORD, whose name is " I Am," has sent you. This is my name forever, and it is the name that people must use from now on.5 I AM is always6 of the present. Thou was of the present, but is now of the past.
In a Shakespearean play, even teens may become sentimentally foolish and enjoy Thou's lingo. But, these are not the words with which they choose to regularly converse. Then there are also seniors that have gone decades relating to and about God with words of this genre. I AM has gone an eternity of decades being the word of the present. Who should adapt to whose style?
There are also that there are some concerns that still communicate in the lingo of Thou's time. Only if one is in such an area might it be wise to use these words. Be real-igious!
Even though nobody regularly speaks King James' lingo these days, an excuse for witnessing the KJV is that God can use any version. Well, there are quite a few more people that speak with profanity. To reach these people, what is needed is the PMV, Potty Mouth Version. While you'd be correct in saying that it is not in God's character to use vulgar words, neither is it in God's character to use words of yesterday.
In another form of communication, there was a time when the world was possibly in such chaos because of our reliance upon computers . To conserve valuable computer memory, programming for years in the 19xx's were entered with only xx. Fears abounded as we entered the 21st century that 20xx years would cause catastrophic confusion. On December 16, 1999, a Reverend Fun cartoon showed Thou's lingo to be as funtional for today as a defective slide projector with the caption "Be Ye Y2K Compliant."
No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.7 Thou should not be the master of our communication. I AM isn't fooled into thinking that we are more righteous when we so submit.
Always Progressive8
Yesterday and today and forever the same.
Lord Jesus the Christ is his name.
More than the idolatrously unworthy "Thou,"
He is always relevant for now.
The Ancient of Days is younger than we
And the only way to God is he.
For we have done wrong not even just once but more.
Perfection on the cross he our sins bore.
From death he did rise and will come again.
Move on with him now to be ready for then.
1- Billy Graham © Christianity Today, p. 27-28, December 8, 1997
2- John 1:1,14, NASB: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
3-Romans 6:23, NLT: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
4- John 3:16, WE: God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only Son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever.
5- Exodus 3:15, CEV
6- Hebrews 13:8, NLT: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
7- Matthew 6:24, NIV
8- Best Poems of the '90s, p. 148, ©1996, The National Library of Poetry, Mark R Henninger
Table of Contents/Intro
I AM vs. Thou
The Living Word Wins
A better Way
The Living Word Does Matter
Who is Saved?
Let's Do It
email me @ bobbimark@intergate.com