DOES GOD WANT CHRISTIANS TO FEAR HIM?

[missmuffet]

For unbelievers the fear of God is judgment. Believers have the reverence of God. We have no reason to be afraid of God. The fear of God to believers is respect and submission to God. To be in awe of Him.

[Jayne]

When I was growing up and still to this day, I loved/love my earthly father very much.  As a child, it was a perfect love.  And it did cast out fear.  Fear of what?  Fear of want, fear of the monsters hiding under my bed, and fear of the unknown.

But I also feared my earthly father.  I didn't want to disobey him or incur his punishments by misbehaving.  I had a healthy fear and respect and awe of my dad.  I still do. 

It's the same way with God.  I love God and he loves me.  And that perfect love does cast out fear.  Fear of what?  Fear of evil, fear of what people can do to me or my family, and fear of the unknown and/or things out of my control.

But I also fear God.  I don't want to incur his wrath or chastisement, though they are welcomed eventually.  I'm sure that if I saw the Angel of the Lord, or an ordinary angel, or if God spoke to me in a vision - I would tremble.  When the Holy Spirit speaks to me in Bible passages that I read - I sometimes shudder and close my eyes as I take in the magnitude of what he is trying to say to me via the Bible.

God's love for me does cast out my fears of all things ungodly.

My fear of God maintains my peace of mind and comfort and invites God to teach me more.

So yes, each Christian should fear God.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Jayne

[john1]

54 minutes ago, missmuffet said:

To be in awe of Him.

1 John chapter 4 verse 18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

1 hour ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

and sadly often that tormenting fear  , for the sin they are in,   if they remain in it without repentance

i have noticed a delusion sent a false peace under a false IMAGE OF GOD.  the GOD that loves you as are , the GOD that don't punish.

I watched a man sadly go through this .  HE had fear and torment .  He was sinning and even when warned how that wars against the soul

he would not listen .     Some time later he had this peace ,   but his peace was in a GOD that has even muslims as saved,   hindus as saved.

THAT IS SO SCARY .  He now believes that .   He would not put down his sin no matter what , and now that sin is EVEN OKAY in his eyes.   THAT IS SO SCARY.

SO SCARY for that one .  cause now they sin willfully and THINK they saved .     We better all start afresh and anew

and don't let those preachers tell ya sin is no big deal.   or even worse that some sins are no longer even seen as sin.

 

I hate to say that the churches are "brainwashing" people, but they sort of are. I keep seeing and hearing the same errors over and over again---as though people are repeating things they've memorized---and it's obviously not substantiated by the word of God: It's coming from seminaries; it's coming from pastors; it's coming from the teachings of Calvin and Arminius and "early church fathers" of this kind and that.  And people are listening to teachers and pastors and taking their word, instead of searching the Scriptures to see if what they are saying agrees with what the Bible teaches. Especially if what is being taught sounds nice; or if it is traditional, and everybody they know believes it or does it.

After all, the more people believe a thing, the more likely it is that what they believe is correct, right? Not necessarily. (And if we look at the Scriptures, the majority were usually wrong. Remember Noah? Lot? The people of Israel in the wilderness, during the time of the Judges, in the time of Elijah, and in the time of the Prophets? The Jews at the time of Christ?)

Unfortunately for many, the objective truths of God's word don't change according to personal preference or popular opinion. We either know them (to the degree that God has taught us), or we don't. But knowing them or not knowing them, liking them or not liking them, living according to them or not, doesn't change the truth, or the fact that we are and will be subject and accountable to God's truth, and not to people's various teachings based on misinterpretations and misunderstandings.

Nobody is going to be able to blame their pastor or their seminary professor for what they didn't know or for teaching them wrong on the Day of Judgment. All true Christians have the Holy Spirit and most also have the written word of God to consult, whether and however they choose to use it. 

Our seeking is determined by our own desire. Some of us seek to confirm what we want to believe, or to find justification for doing what we want to do---and not sincerely, to know the truth in order to do what is pleasing to God, no matter what it is, or what the personal cost.

(God knows the heart and weighs our actions, and He answers people like this accordingly: They stay confused.)

And some of us don't seek much at all, because we're lazy, and busy with other priorities and pursuits, and it's just not that important to us. We're fine to let the pastor tell us what to believe and what the word of God says and means without objective fact-checking. And God doesn't reward laziness.

Besides this, I know that most Christians like what they're getting---regardless of whether what they are getting is correct or not. Even if they are told and shown that various teachings they are embracing are erroneous and that things they are doing aren't pleasing to God---according to His word---they keep on. They probably already know it. They simply don't care. The sad truth is, they love themselves, as their actions prove to God, day by day; but they love to talk about how much God loves them and everybody else. The ones who are not like the Christians of the church in Laodicea, are like the Christians of the church in Ephesus.

The fact is, most people don't wind up in hell because God doesn't love them; they wind up in hell because they don't love Him. So what difference does it make how much God loves you if you don't love Him? Hell is full of people who God loved.

 

For the time is coming when people (Christians) will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

(2 Timothy 4:3,4 ESV; parentheses mine.)

They hire the men they want to hear, and fire the ones they don't.

For wicked men are found among My people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich; they have grown fat and sleek... 

(Fits the profile of the pastors of many 'successful' churches today...)

An appalling an horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; My people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?

(Jeremiah 5: 26-28, 30,31 ESV)

Edited February 11, 2018 by LightShinesInTheDarkness

[john1]

1 hour ago, frienduff thaylorde said:

and love don't say that sin don't harm

Philippians chapter 3 verse 9

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.     And love is greater than faith.

[ScottA]

The message to fear God came to mankind as a reminder that we are on a collision course with certain death...if...we do not take His warnings seriously. It's not a threat, it's a reality. Without God's prescription for Him saving us...we have every reason to be fearful.

Thank you God - for the reminder!

[Heleadethme]

7 hours ago, Adstar said:

I disagree..

While fear of God is the beggining of wisdom and is good for those who are not yet within the right place with God.. When one is in the right place with God the knowledge of the perfect love of God casts out all fear within us...

So fear is the start of wisdom but wisdom then ends fear..

1 John 4: KJV

17 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. {18} There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. {19} We love him, because he first loved us."

Actually this scripture is talking about casting out the fear of death....no longer being in bondage to it.  It is not saying the believer will stop fearing the Lord.....the bible doesn't contradict itself.  Death and the fear of it is the last enemy to be defeated in the life of the believer.

[frienduff thaylorde]

19 minutes ago, john1 said:

Philippians chapter 3 verse 9

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.     And love is greater than faith.

Though I give all my goods to my neighbors , though I give my coat to him and gave away all my goods if I have not Charity it profits me nothing.

Charity is way more than way you make it John.

Charity rejoices IN TRUTH.  Charity does not behave itself unseemingly.

SO If one who behaves unseemingly is feeding the poor or whatever IT PROFITS HIM NOTHING.

Might wanna preach the whole definition of charity .   stead of just a few good deeds .

For I know many sinners who teach do good to your neighbor,  I know many false religions doing just that , in fact all the false

more and more are lining up to teach those things.    BUT THEY FALSE .  so doing good to your neighbor aint the all of it , it aint the all of LOVE

NOT IF it aint accompanied with a total love for truth and righteousness too.    The pope , the interfaith they all brining all faiths and religions together

under a false LOVE,  its a love of do good but live under any religious mindset ya desire .

Heck it includes gays who don't repent .   and lets face it ,   man with man or woman with woman

well lets take our clue from THA BIBLE.   man with man working that which is UNSEEMINGLY.   so yeah,   john,  did ya read that

and other religions like allah and budda and atheist , they joining hands in what they think is love cause the call is feed the poor love your nieghbor

only problem is ........THEY DONT REJIOIC in the TRUTH .  thus they KNOW NOT Love no matter what they do with their goods.

CANT FIND A WAY AROUND THIS , CAN YA JOHN.   

[LightShinesInTheDarkness]

44 minutes ago, john1 said:

Philippians chapter 3 verse 9

and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.     And love is greater than faith.

 

Love and faith depend upon each other and compliment each other.

Love is not a substitute for faith, but the perfection of it. That is why the Bible says that love is the "greatest" virtue, and the "more excellent way": We may have and use spiritual gifts, and do works of faith, but those works are not complete in God's sight if they are not done in love. And the spiritual gifts will eventually be unnecessary and will cease, when Jesus returns and we are made perfect; but how much like God (who is love) we are, will remain forever; and Christ-likeness is more important than having spiritual gifts. 

Likewise, it is impossible to love God or anyone else without faith---which includes both keeping God's New Testament commandments with the instruction of His Spirit as to how to apply them, and doing what we know He wants us to do in specific situations and personal matters (personal faith)---which things comprise the evidence of our belief:

Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (James 2:18) 

The commandments of the New Testament are our instructions for how to love God and others. Without keeping these, there is no "love", nor any works, that God recognizes or is pleased with.

We must have faith to walk in love, and without love the practice of our faith is not complete.

[john1]

7 minutes ago, LightShinesInTheDarkness said:

Likewise, it is impossible to love God or anyone else without faith

1 John chapter 4 verse 19

We love because he first loved us.

 

Proverbs chapter 10 verse 12

Love covers all wrongs.

1 Peter chapter 4 verse 8

Love covers a great many sins.