FEAR OF GOD

[Alex2165]

The work and the curse.

 

Jeremiah 48.10

10.Accursed is the one who is slack in doing the work of the Lord, and accursed is the one who keeps back the sword from bloodshed.

 

The first part of this sentence I understand completely, and in some cases I even experienced fear when I did some work related to my faith or to the church, and thought about it that I did not done enough or may be in the right way, thinking that I could  done it much better.

So under fear to be accursed, whatever I did or do in the name of my faith and the Lord, I always keep this particular statement in my mind.

 

I also experienced and know very well how ordinary Christians and the church in general do their work in the name of Christ. I witnessed a lot of demagogy, empty words, people talking by cliché s and slogans according to tradition of the church, but at the same time do nothing!

 

I have been in many meetings were the church decided to do something, for example attracting young people to the church, or do some charity, or improve quality of the service and worship, but like usual it remained only as words, promises, and on the paper, and do not go any further than that.

 

So it seems to me that slaking and does the work for GOD with negligence and disregard by pastors and the members of the church who have no fear to be accursed and invoke the wrath of GOD, become absolutely normal thing.

 

Actually some Christians argued that we should have no fear of GOD at all, because GOD is love, and there is no fear in love.

 

1John 4.18

18.*There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

 

*("There is no fear in love", means, there is no fear in our love if we truly love the Lord. Love does not lies, hate, deceives, cheat, kills innocent, and does not sin in any way. So because of it there is no fear of the wrath and the anger of the Lord on such person, because out of true and deep love for the Lord a man does not sin and obeys Him completely. Only few can have such love and they are perfect in it, but for the rest of us, the fear of the Lord is essential to keep us from committing trespass and transgression before the Lord.)

 

But it also was written about fear:

 

2Corinthians 7.1

1.Since we have these promises beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of GOD.

 

Job 28.28

Words of Job to Bildad

28.And He said to human kind, 'Truly, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."

Psalms 111.10

10.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.

In this case I don’t see how “respect” can bring any wisdom.

 

Proverbs 9.10

10.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 15.16.33

33.The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility goes before honor.

Proverbs 1.7.28-29

7.The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction.

28.Then they will call upon me but I will not answer, they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29.Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

Psalms 2.11

11.”Serve the Lord with fear, with trembling,”

Psalms 96.9

9.Worship the Lord in holy splendor, tremble before Him all the Earth.

Psalms 119.120

120.”My flesh trembles for fear of You and I am afraid of Your judgments.”

Proverbs 24.21-22

21.My child fear the Lord and the king, and do not disobey either of them,

22.disaster comes from them suddenly and who knows the ruin that both can bring?

Isaiah 8.12

13.But the Lord of hosts, Him you shall regard as Holy, let Him be your fear and let Him be your dread.

Jeremiah 5.22

22.Do you not fear Me? Says the Lord. Do you not TREMBLE before Me? I placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass, though the waters toss, they cannot prevail, though they roar, they cannot pass over it.

Proverbs 2.5

5.then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of GOD.

 

So it looks like that the service or any work for the Lord without fear of Him would not really succeed, and a person who has no fear of GOD will be accursed in one way or another. And for such person will be much better not to do any work for GOD at all than do it with negligence.

 

It is also similar by its meaning to a statement that says: “faith without work is dead.”

 

And so the work without fear of GOD is not really work but mostly consisted of demagogy and idling without any positive results.

 

The second part of the verse perhaps relates to justice. Many Christians opposing death penalty and other forms of punishment for criminals who without reasonable doubt committed outrages crimes.

 

Of course if take to account that many people also have been punished for crime not committed, in this respect our justice system cannot be trusted.

 

But I believe that in those cases there is absolute evidence and facts are present deserving death, it should be done as the Law prescribed, and the Christians shall not oppose it.

 

Leviticus24.17

17. “Anyone who kills a human being shall be put to death.”

 

( "Life for Life." (Genesis 9.5-6) (Exodus 20.13, 21.12-14.23-25.29-31) (Leviticus 24.17.21) (Numbers 35.33) (Deuteronomy 19.21) (Matthew 26.52)

[Neighbor]

"I witnessed a lot of demagogy, empty words, people talking by cliché s and slogans according to tradition of the church, but at the same time do nothing!"

Sorry, but I find the whole of the opening set of premises to be totally foreign to what I have been led to by the Holy Spirit. And thus all that follows seems to be  moot.  The premise is not any part of the churches the Holy Spirit has sent me to serve, attend, support, and  to work at.

Right now there are  workers trapped at Haiti as example, four from our own  local body of Christ. 

From decades ago when the Holy Spirit sent me along with some very talented and hard workers to  Nassau, to build classrooms within  sight of the hangings happening at the cemetery across the road, on to today with sisters trapped at Haiti, individuals in large numbers have gone into all the world. Each volunteer having raised their own money to do so to share of  our Lord, and to hold the hands of our suffering brethren in encouragement for them to build their own churches with their own local leadership an to take up their cross. 

None of the volunteers were, nor are, lazy do nothings. They all just go about their business in the name of our master, our lord and savior Jesus. So I must contend that  there are easily found many that go bout the work of our Lord. They tend to do so quitely softly but with strong determination to serve regardless of situation  and consequence.

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Neighbor

[Sower]

The Fear of the Lord.

The word 'fear' used in the bible means what most understand it to be, FEAR!  It would be a blessing to many if they had a little more fear of our creator. 
      
Many do not like the idea of having a fear of our God, when He loves us so much.  They like to think of a God of love. Only. And instead, believe that we should have a reverential awe. But if anyone would do just a cursory word search, they will see the truth.  Dreadful-fear-afraid-revere -make afraid-dread-terrible -morally reverence-terror, etc. 

Because Got the Father is my Abba, He loves me so much, He will whip me to the furthermost, when needed. And I need it. This is constantly on my mind, and we all do need to remember. But it is because He loves us, as a father, we receive discipline. Godly discipline, and not as the world does, with a blue ribbon for any action.
We should have a reverential awe of our God. The best way, according to God is :    Ecc 12:13 
 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.       

         

[dr3032]

I find myself in agreement. One must learn how to fear the lord first before they begin to understand, and from there, the love grows.

Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and pick up his cross daily and follow'."

That denial of self is much more easier said than done, and far too many people are fond of neglecting that part.

Edited July 11, 2018 by dr3032

[frienduff thaylorde]

On ‎7‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 9:49 PM, Yowm said:

Our fear will never be good enough or perfect enough. I fear I will be found walking in my own righteousness rather than His.

Philippians 3:18-21 NKJV
[18] For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: [19] whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame-who set their mind on earthly things. [20] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

 

ITS real simple .   IF we are in CHRIST and HE in us ,   we will walk righteously by the SPIRIT .     Walking righteously by HIS POWER .   Whole new heart .

A whole NEW SPIRIT , which aint new ,  But for us who believe it has set us free from the power of darkness .   And that same SPIRIT is in everyone who believes IN CHRIST .

SO that same spirit unctions men to also WARN and REMIND the church to Be doers AND NOT HEARERS ONLY .  

WHEN I WARN , ITS BY THE SPIRIT , THE SAME SPIRIT THAT UNCTIONS ME AS WELL .   ITS REAL SIMPLE .  IT IS THE GRACE OF GOD AT WORK IN THOSE WHO ARE T RULY HIS ,

AN NO MAN CAN BOAST .   ONLY WE BETTER HEED THAT SPIRIT .

[Alex2165]

To Neighbor.

 

OK, you took my post personally. And so do I will be personal and frank with you.

 

There is not even a slightest doubt in my mind that some churches and missionaries do great and awesome things in the name of the Lord, and I personally heard many wonderful true stories, read about, and even saw documentaries about people who sacrifices everything they have and went on the mission for the love of Christ.

GOD blesses them all.

 

You on the other hand presented your point of view like there is no such thing as demagogy, idling, and hypocrisy in the church, and as long as you live you never seen anything like it in the church. Very strange.

 

Well, I do not want to disappoint you by obvious well known examples of corruption of the church and their “missionaries” who collect huge amount of money and waste it on administration cost and on the project from which they can profit from, but for you my exposure of it looks like: “And thus all that follows seems to be moot” in my post, as you mentioned. Well, you entitled to your own opinion and I respect it.

 

You claim to be driven by Holy Spirit. I also heard it many times from many people, who claimed that Holy Spirit told them something, or Holy Spirit guided them to do something, or Holy Spirit told them to collect more money (this is perhaps the most common statement in the churches), and some also claim that Holy Spirit told them to buy a brand new I-Phone, and so on.

 

If you are as you claim to be, a man who really was driven by Holy Spirit and you do the good work in Haiti as you claimed, in order to save souls as your primary mission, as volunteers at your own expense and not at the expense of others, then GOD bless you and your helpers.

 

But I will stand my ground firmly in my conviction that entire body of Christianity today needs immediate reformation in order to continue its existence.

Today the church not only have problem to refill themselves and attract new members, but also incapable to provide decent teaching of Bible blocking the Word of GOD with they own doctrines, traditions, and rituals.

 

And if you sir so “blind” that you can see it, because Haiti is to far from the civilized world and you never noticed how church turns people away from Christ by their corruption, greed, and straight forward lies and deceit, then may be will be better for you to “come down to Earth” and to see it for yourself. Concerning me, I see it every Sunday.

 

Non-believers and people in general judging GOD according to behavior of the Christians, and it disturbs me greatly when newcomers come to the church, see it, hear it, and then walk away never to return again.

 

Have a good day.

 

[Alex2165]

To Naomi

 

As far as I understand and see from all the passages and verses concerning fear of GOD, the fear is real, and based on the retribution for committed violation or crime against any human being, which is also violation and crime against GOD.

 

Numerous punishments of all sorts very clearly indicated in the Bible, and can be easily avoided if only people will listed and obey their Lord.

 

So fear of GOD prevents us to sin, and as result of it gives us long lasting life, prosperity, and best of all salvation and eternal life.

 

Paul also wrote about fear of GOD when he described the Law of Moses as the Law driven by fear, and in this instance he was absolutely right, because Law of Moses prescribed all sorts of punishments for different types of violation, iniquities, and sins.

 

But about teachings of Christ which is solely based on the Law of Moses without any physical rituals but only based on the 10 Commandments and on all its spiritual principals and ideals, that is a spiritual Law of Christ that can be obey only by love, because love is self-sacrifice entity and need no fear in order to obey and to follow spiritual Statutes and Commandments of the Law of Moses.

 

One who truly love the Lord obeys Him out of love for Him, one who have no love but only appreciation or respect for the Lord, obeys Him out of fear.

 

In both ways a person can be forgiven, saved, and inherit eternal life, but the status in the Kingdom of GOD will be different for those who obeyed Lord out of fear and those who obeyed Him out of love.

 

So this indicates that to follow the Lord out of love much better than to follow Him out of fear.

[enoob57]

33 minutes ago, naominash said:

Thanks for answering me. Now my question is, what status difference do you mean? Do you mean obeying the Lord out of love is better? 

That's the only obedience God recognizes … 
Ex 20:6
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
KJV
Deut 11:1
11 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.
KJV
John 15:10
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
KJV
Rom 13:10
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
KJV
1 John 5:2-3
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
KJV
 

[Alex2165]

Hi Naomi

 

Under “different status” I meant different statuses in the Kingdom of GOD.

 

Just like we have hierarchy on Earth, and so the hierarchy also exists and in Heaven, in the Kingdom of GOD. Because we are created in the image of GOD and reflect His intellectual properties, our societies are also built and very similar to society of GOD in Heaven.

 

We are created in His image, and so, we think and do things just like He does, and because of it, we practically imitate His works almost in everything we do, as well in construction of our societies, social order, and our political, commercial, and social hierarchies here on Earth.

 

So, our salvation and eternal life not the only things that we will inherit, but also according to our deeds and our life on Earth, we also will receive from the Lord our ranks, statuses, and positions in the society of Heaven, just like we have it here on Earth.

 

Zechariah 3.7

7."This says the Lord of hosts, 'If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My House and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here.’

 

Matthew 5.19

19."Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

 

Matthew 11.11

11."Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist, yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he."

 

Matthew 18.4

4."Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven,"

 

Matthew 19.30

30."But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

 

Matthew 20.16

16."So the last will be first and the first will be last.”

 

Mark 10.31

31."But many who are first will be last and the last will be first.”

 

Luke 13.30

30."Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

 

Luke 7.28

28."I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John, yet he who is least in the Kingdom of GOD is greater than he."

 

Revelation 20.12

12.And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened. Also, another Book was opened, the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works as recorded in the books.

 

Is anything else beside these verses presented here existing in the society of Heaven? Certainly yes, and whatever it may be, it is most likely will be familiar to us, because we built the layers of our societies similar to the layers of classes and hierarchy of the Kingdom of GOD.

 

Also descriptions of the angels revealed many different level, positions, and statuses, and ranks, and their positions in the Kingdom of GOD, each and every one of which has its own level, work and duties to do, destination, and purpose, just like on Earth among human beings.

[Guest]

All i can say is that you gave lots of good points. 

I personally do fear God. It is right to do so. I love and fear Him and am respectful and humble. I am just so grateful to Him fir my life and the miracles and blessings He gives me and also the lessons He teaches me as He forges me to do His Will. 

Just do your best and know that God knows all you do. Ask for His mercy.