Seeing in other human beings the Image of God, and treating
them accordingly.
- n. 1. Fear mingled with respect and esteem;
veneration.
- The fear acceptable to God, is a filial fear, an awful reverence
of the divine nature, proceeding from a just esteem of his
perfections, which produces in us an inclination to his
service and an unwillingness to offend him. -- Rogers.
- Reverence is nearly equivalent to veneration, but
expresses something less of the same emotion. It differs
from awe, which is an emotion compounded of fear, dread or
terror, with admiration of something great, but not
necessarily implying love or affection. We feel reverence
for a parent, and for an upright magistrate, but we stand in
awe of a tyrant.
- 2. An act of respect or obeisance; a bow or courtesy. 2
Sam. ix.
- v.t. To regard with reverence; to regard with
fear mingled with respect and affection. We reverence
superiors for
their age, their authority and their virtues. We ought to reverence
parents and upright judges and magistrates. We ought to reverence
the Supreme Being, his word and his ordinances.
Webster's, 1st ed., 1828
Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which
corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather
be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Hebrews 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear:
I am aware of how God is working through the people and events
in my life to produce the character of Christ in me.
I also know that each person I meet is created in the Image of
God, fearfully and wonderfully made. God instructs me to treat
this person as a future or present child of God, who can or does
bring glory to God through the development of the character of
Christ. My reverence toward that person will help develop that
character.
Even evildoers create the character of Christ in me, and may
someday be have a vital life message to share with others.
Let not thine heart envy sinners:
but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
{18} For surely there is an end; and
thine expectation shall not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:17-18
Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so
love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence
her husband.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren.
-- Romans 8:28-29
I have remembered Thy Name, O LORD, in the night, and have
kept Thy Law.
-- Psalm 119:55
This isn't that New Age
"Positive Thinking" stuff, is it??
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