And we know and believe the love which God has in us. God is love, and he who is remaining in love is remaining in God, and God is remaining in him
First Epistle of John 4: 16, Concordant New Testament
The question was asked by a good friend upon reading my post from yesterday. Why is it that God does not want us to fear Him? Now, if I were to have this conversation with someone who has been steeped in the traditions and theology of the mainstream church as I once was, I might get a totally different answer. Indeed, there was a time when I was still in the church that I actually feared what God would do to me if I did not behave in a way which He found acceptable. Imagine that, trusting in a God who might one day turn from you and deny your salvation because of how you behaved. Is there any doubt that I have come to see the Christian church as an institution based on fear? The fear of how God will ultimately see and judge us. In spite of this, as comedian George Carlin has stated, He love you. God loves you, and He needs money, He always needs money. I will go out on a limb and say that any church that is preaching that we should fear God is not teaching of His love and mercy. For it is through Gods love and mercy for us that, while we were still in our sin, God saved us {Paul to the Romans 5:8}. So, what is there to fear from God? One might point to Gods actions of retribution detailed within the Old Testament and quickly say, AH HA! To this I say, what about Jesus? How is it that Jesus fits into the narrative of a jealous and vengeful God? Can we trust in the forgiving sacrifice of Christ while still living in fear of God? Well, far too many believers continue to do just that. Yes, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin, but if I don't behave God may just not grace me with an eternity in heaven as He has promised. Surely this is what Jesus was referring to when He proclaimed "I never knew you!" {Matthews Account 7:23}. In actuality, what Jesus was referring to in this passage was to those who claim to know Him but do not truly know Him personally. I admit that I once was among this crowd. I knew OF Jesus, but did not really know Him personally. I was living in fear.
Religion has actually convinced people that there is a invisible man living in the sky watching everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you and he needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money.
~George Carlin~
I've shared the George Carlin quote I often use with a few church going friends who have scowled and said that they find it offensive. What? So, someone calls out the mainstream church for doing what they do and you're offended? Answer me this, how is it that the traditions and theology spoken by those within the church exemplify the love of God? Does convincing others that the same sin which He has dispatched His Son to put to death is still an issue show the love of God? Or, as I believe, has the church gotten it wrong? I believe that the mainstream church has errored in their attempt to resurrect that which Jesus died to put to death {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. It is through Jesus that Paul is able to proclaim that we must now consider ourselves "Dead, indeed, to sin" {Paul to the Romans 6:11}. THIS is the love of God exemplified. That while we were yet in sin, Christ died for us. But the true knowing of the love of God, and the reason that we should not live in fear of Him, is that we now live our lives IN HIM. Jesus makes this clear in the book of John {Johns Account 14:20}. Jesus in the Father, we are in Him, and He remains in us. Why should we fear who we are? For it is the Father who has created us in His likeness {Genesis 1:27}. Not only that, it is through the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross that we now live our life in Him. We can be assured that there is no fear within the love of God.
~Scott~
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