Most of us were taught in church that we should 'Fear' God and that when we do wrong then He gets mad and punishes us.
I think you would agree with me that there are mean spirited people in the church today.
These angry people assign to God their inability to control people and their anger when people do 'wrong' or don't 'act right'.
Let me just say to you that God is not like these people.
God is not some kind of egotistical, religious control freak who's offended at you every time you sin! Jesus is your greatest defender, Satan is your accuser! "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
" Hebrews 7:25.
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
" Re.
12:10.
Notice that Jesus lives now to make intercession for you and me.
As our great High Priest, He sits on the right hand of the Father dispensing forgiveness, love, healing, and peace according to the new covenant sealed by His blood.
On the other hand, Satan is our great adversary and his days are filled with accusations.
The problem is that his accusations are falling on the deaf ears of the one who guarantees our unconditional acceptance by His blood.
Where Satan does have an audience however, is here on earth.
Here we receive his condemnation as the voice of God from authority figures, friends and relatives, and he speaks them to our own minds as well.
Remember that Jesus is interceding for you but we are taught that we should be afraid of God! Let's examine what the bible says about the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil".
The best understanding of the fear of the Lord is that we should have an awesome respect for the character of Jesus and the great sacrifice He gave for us all.
This awesome respect also includes the acknowledgement that the cross was enough for us.
To hate evil is to hate the religious spirits (remember who the enemies of Jesus were?) and how they destroy people.
The evil in the world is also the spirits that draw people into all kinds of sin to destroy their lives, but remember also that Jesus was a friend to sinners.
The church has made friends with the Pharisees but it has made an enemy of those who are in trouble! Don't be afraid of the one who intercedes for you and don't fear the one who accuses you.
In other words, as the bible says 365 times, "Fear not!" And the words "Fear not," are more than not coupled with the phrase "for I am with you".
God is not mad at you, He is mad about you! Notice that when Jesus rebuked those who followed Him it was for their lack of trust and only because He wants to give us His best.
But when He rebuked the Pharisees it was for their hypocrisy! When you develop an ordinate respect for God, as we all should have, you receive His gifts as any child of good parents.
We respect Him as our creator and the one who created everything we have.
We honor Him as the creator of the people that we love.
What the fear of the Lord really comes down to is the gratitude that leads to a loving trust relationship with God.
Blessings, Ray
I think you would agree with me that there are mean spirited people in the church today.
These angry people assign to God their inability to control people and their anger when people do 'wrong' or don't 'act right'.
Let me just say to you that God is not like these people.
God is not some kind of egotistical, religious control freak who's offended at you every time you sin! Jesus is your greatest defender, Satan is your accuser! "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
" Hebrews 7:25.
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
" Re.
12:10.
Notice that Jesus lives now to make intercession for you and me.
As our great High Priest, He sits on the right hand of the Father dispensing forgiveness, love, healing, and peace according to the new covenant sealed by His blood.
On the other hand, Satan is our great adversary and his days are filled with accusations.
The problem is that his accusations are falling on the deaf ears of the one who guarantees our unconditional acceptance by His blood.
Where Satan does have an audience however, is here on earth.
Here we receive his condemnation as the voice of God from authority figures, friends and relatives, and he speaks them to our own minds as well.
Remember that Jesus is interceding for you but we are taught that we should be afraid of God! Let's examine what the bible says about the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil".
The best understanding of the fear of the Lord is that we should have an awesome respect for the character of Jesus and the great sacrifice He gave for us all.
This awesome respect also includes the acknowledgement that the cross was enough for us.
To hate evil is to hate the religious spirits (remember who the enemies of Jesus were?) and how they destroy people.
The evil in the world is also the spirits that draw people into all kinds of sin to destroy their lives, but remember also that Jesus was a friend to sinners.
The church has made friends with the Pharisees but it has made an enemy of those who are in trouble! Don't be afraid of the one who intercedes for you and don't fear the one who accuses you.
In other words, as the bible says 365 times, "Fear not!" And the words "Fear not," are more than not coupled with the phrase "for I am with you".
God is not mad at you, He is mad about you! Notice that when Jesus rebuked those who followed Him it was for their lack of trust and only because He wants to give us His best.
But when He rebuked the Pharisees it was for their hypocrisy! When you develop an ordinate respect for God, as we all should have, you receive His gifts as any child of good parents.
We respect Him as our creator and the one who created everything we have.
We honor Him as the creator of the people that we love.
What the fear of the Lord really comes down to is the gratitude that leads to a loving trust relationship with God.
Blessings, Ray