Religion has actually convinced some people that there is an 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 doesn't 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 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-knowing, all-perfect and all-wise, somehow he just can't handle money
~George Carlin~
I remember growing up in the church learning to fear God. Learning to fear that He would turn His back on me and that I would somehow lose my salvation which had been given to me through His grace. Come to think of it, a lot of what I learned from the church was based upon fear. This is the precise reason that I started using that quote from George Carlin at the beginning of a few of my writings, because George described perfectly the preaching of the mainstream church. Even today, in conversations with people that I know who continue to attend one church or another, they speak of God with an attitude of fear. My mother loved to watch the old Billy Graham crusades on TV, but even Billy used fear to get his message across. Repent, or face the fire of hell! Believe, or spend your eternity in that lake of fire. It seems that fear has been the message of the church for many years. Is their intent to scare people into salvation? If so, they're doing a good job of that. But was it Gods intent that we should fear Him enough that we would follow Him? Absolutely not! The apostle Paul speaks to that which the Father has given to us, and it's not a spirit of fear {Paul to Timothy (2) 1:7}. What He has given unto us is love. After all, love is the true nature of God {First Epistle of John 4:8). It is through His love for us that He dispatched His only Son to take our sin upon Himself {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:21}. It is through His love for us that we have been created in His own likeness {Genesis 1:27}. It is through His love that I am not known as a sinner, but as His beloved child {First Epistle of John 3:1}. Need I say more? In fact, I would suggest that all which the Father has done for us He has done out of His love for us. But if you are given to listening to the sermons coming out of the church you might not realize that at all.
There is a common saying that you will catch more bees with honey than you will with vinegar. That is, people are more attracted to the good things in life than the tragedies. Apparently that message has been lost on those within the church. Is it no coincidence that one of the most common phrases preached by pastors today is "Thou shall not!" It's as if we're still standing at the base of Mount Sinai listening to Moses declare the laws given to him by God! But is this how the Father wants for us, to fear Him? Does He desire our fear, or our love and devotion? Paul speaks to the truth that we no longer live under the rule of the law, but within the love and grace of God {Paul to the Romans 6:14}. Again, this message of love has been lost on those in the church. Those who continue to preach the message of our salvation based upon fear. One of my favorite parables spoken by Jesus is the story He gave of the prodigal son. How the son moved away from home, squandered his father's inheritance then came to his senses and returned once again to the place he knew that he would be loved, back home. But how would his father react to him? Would he treat his son with contempt for squandering his inheritance? He feared his fathers reaction. But his fears were not realized because when his father saw his son coming home, he suddenly ran to embrace him. The son he thought he had lost had returned. The reason that I love this parable of Jesus is because I believe that Jesus spoke it as an example of the Fathers love for us. That despite our trespasses He shows us His love and grace reconciles us unto Himself {Paul to the Corinthians (2) 5:18}. His desire is not that we would fear Him, but love Him. Because He has not given us that spirit of fear, but of love.
He who is not loving knew not God, for God is love
First Epistle of John 4: 8, Concordant New Testament Translation
~Scott~
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