THE LANGUAGE OF PRAISE

Have you ever noticed how often we blindly mouth the words, "Praise God," "Hallelujah," "Praise the Lord" and "Glory to God" without declaring definitively what we're praising God for? How sad our state becomes when even our praise to God becomes merely "Christianese." Survey the Psalms and note, almost without exception, when the psalmists praise God, they include the attribute, character trait, wisdom, teaching, or deed for which they are giving God praise.

In doing so, the biblical writers give us the correct format and formula for our praise. They also demonstrate that we are better stewards of our minds, hearts, mouths and lives when we use them to cheer for God rather than complain to God. Juan Carlos Ortiz stings us with this soul-searching truth: "As far as God is concerned, there are only two languages in this world: the language of His Kingdom and the language of the kingdom of darkness. The first is the language of praise. The second is the language of complaint. Praise recognizes virtue. Complaint criticizes virtue. And every human being speaks one language or the other" [Disciple, (Carol Stream, IL: Creation House, 1975), 69].

SIN'S PROGRESSION REQUIRES TRUTH'S SUPPRESSION

In order to live on in sin, a person must throw out God's truth and establish an untrue truth, a lie, and then live that lie as though it is the truth. This is not new. Consider the words of the apostle John: "This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed" (Jn. 3:19-20).

Furthermore, the apostle Paul reminds us that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18). Why and how do people suppress the truth? Answer: Because of and by their unrighteousness.

Mike Minter, in his book A Western Jesus: The Wayward Americanization of Christ and the Church, said, "No one rejects truth for no reason. No one rejects truth with their intellect; they reject truth with their [ungodly] morality" (72). Again, the only way to continue living a lifestyle of sin is to keep God's truth suppressed by believing and living a lie as though it's the truth.