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LOST RIVER CHURCH OF CHRIST | |||||||
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A Culture Of Fearby Lawrence Kelley
What motivates you? President Richard Nixon is quoted as saying, "People react to fear, not love. They don't teach that in Sunday School, but it's true." This is a valuable insight into the thinking of the world. Unfortunately, it is too often the thinking of Christians. It is true that fear is a motivator, but contrary to Nixon's belief, we shall see that it is far less effective than love. Most importantly, it is vital that we understand how we, who are the friends of Jesus, are called to live in our contemporary culture of fear. Fear and Love in scripture. The bible exhorts us repeatedly to "fear the Lord." Deut. 6:13 - You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Also see Job 1:8; Prov. 1:7; Lk 12:4,5. But our text encourages us to move from fear to love and that where love is perfected, fear is eliminated. There are two ways to square these passages. First, the fear we are to displace with love is the dread that comes from the expectation of wrath and punishment. Those outside of Christ know that the wrath of God rests upon them for their sins. They feel the guilt and rightly cower before an all holy and all mighty Judge. This kind of fear is driven out by the love that God has shown us. In Christ He has put our sin and guilt away and we have no reason to fear His punishments. The removal of this kind of fear does not mean we are not to be in fear or awe of His majesty. So we retain reverential fear, while putting away punishment fear. Second, fear is for slaves: Gen 9:2 - The dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth. Love is for friends: John 15:11-17. In a similar way, fear is the "beginning" of knowledge, not its completeness. Fear is for the immature; love is for the mature. Love was part of the O.T. but the emphasis was on fear. Fear is part of the N.T. but the emphasis is on love. God is bringing humanity to maturity in Christ, and maturity is measured by love. Coming to a mature relationship with God, necessarily results in a mature relationship toward everything else (1Jn. 4:20,21). The mature Christian is not controlled by fear, but love and this may be the greatest contrast between the believer and the worldling. The secularists demand that we see constant threats and live in perpetual fear. You must fear biological warfare, West Nile virus, mad cow disease, bird flu, dirty-bombs, corporate domination, global warming, terrorism, poisoned pet food, etc. Furthermore, you must grant them greater power to crush the enemy. By contrast the Christian lives with the knowledge that the greatest enemy has already been crushed (1Jn 3:8). We know that Christ rules and reigns and is in the process of subduing all rebellion (1Cor 15:25; Isa 42:4). We know that God is control of history and that not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will (Matt 10:29). This does not mean we are to sit back and do nothing. God uses His people to achieve His ends. We should go about our lives with the quiet confidence inspired by faith and love, not despair and fear. We are not the world's slaves but friends of the King. We do what He says which is fear not and love one another. Christians must stop hyperventilating as if we were about to lose the war. So how are victors to live in a culture of fear? Do not imitate pagan fear, Num 14:9 Do not. . . fear the people of the land...their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them. Be skeptical of every exhortation to fear, 1 Jn. 4:1 do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. Recognize that fear is addressed to slaves; you are a royal priesthood, 1Cor 7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Expect the world to fear Christ in you Dt. 11:25 No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you. Check your motives when dealing with others, fear or love? Mt 20:25 You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. . . .Yet it shall not be so among you Keep scouring the shire: The Dark Tower has fallen, and there is a king in Gondor. Acknowledgments: Marc Siegel Doug Jones Frodo Baggins |
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Copyright © 2006, Lost River
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