The Fear of God
“God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)
There have been thousands of men, women and children who have ran down the isle of the church after hearing a version of the 1741 sermon of Jonathon Edwards entitled “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” based in part on the above verse in the book of Hebrews. It may be the most famous sermon ever preached – and the most heretical blasphemy against God ever preached.
It is not that fearing God is not commanded in the Bible. Mankind has forfeited the blessings which come from keeping His commandments because he did not fear God, but our eternal salvation is not “in the hands of an ANGRY God”, but in the hands of “the LIVING God”, Who has righteously judged sinful mankind to chastening in this life and eventually death for our sins.
"For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6)
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)
There have been thousands of men, women and children who have ran down the isle of the church after hearing a version of the 1741 sermon of Jonathon Edwards entitled “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” based in part on the above verse in the book of Hebrews. It may be the most famous sermon ever preached – and the most heretical blasphemy against God ever preached.
It is not that fearing God is not commanded in the Bible. Mankind has forfeited the blessings which come from keeping His commandments because he did not fear God, but our eternal salvation is not “in the hands of an ANGRY God”, but in the hands of “the LIVING God”, Who has righteously judged sinful mankind to chastening in this life and eventually death for our sins.
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)
But He is also "loves" humanity and is “God our Savior”.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him…This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM FOR ALL, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (Romans 5:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:3-7)
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him…This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who WILL HAVE ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM FOR ALL, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (Romans 5:8-9; 1 Timothy 2:3-7)
God loves us and gave His Son Jesus as a “ransom for ALL”, not just a few evangelists of unsound mind like Jonathon Edwards and those who respond to their blasphemy.
And it is not that the Apostle Paul did not mention the “fear of the Lord”, he did, but it was reminding his listeners that all of us “must appear before the judgment seat of Christ” and have our works here on earth (including the sermons we preach) clearly revealed as either good or bad…. We will be praised only for the good. And no one will be condemned to eternal conscience torment formed in an unsound mind.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for ALL, therefore ALL died; and He died FOR ALL, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5:10-15)
I used to fear God for the wrong reason. I was baptized three times from the age of 7 to 12, each time after being told I may not be saved and would go to hell if I died. This blasphemy coming from those who I trusted to know such things - pastors and evangelists. After 45 years of personal study of the Scripture I now consider those folks, as sincere as they were, as...
And it is not that the Apostle Paul did not mention the “fear of the Lord”, he did, but it was reminding his listeners that all of us “must appear before the judgment seat of Christ” and have our works here on earth (including the sermons we preach) clearly revealed as either good or bad…. We will be praised only for the good. And no one will be condemned to eternal conscience torment formed in an unsound mind.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for ALL, therefore ALL died; and He died FOR ALL, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Corinthians 5:10-15)
I used to fear God for the wrong reason. I was baptized three times from the age of 7 to 12, each time after being told I may not be saved and would go to hell if I died. This blasphemy coming from those who I trusted to know such things - pastors and evangelists. After 45 years of personal study of the Scripture I now consider those folks, as sincere as they were, as...
"...false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
Most all of them that I have known have good intentions, and actually seem to believe what they teach. But they are lazy in their study of Scripture, preferring the commentaries of men. They are unaware of whose "light" they are shining. But all will be exposed at the "judgment seat of Christ". They themselves are saved as all humanity will be, but much of what they taught will be burnt up in the fire. And I am sure at that time they will thank the Lord for doing so.
"For other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each man's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is. If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire..." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
Most all of them that I have known have good intentions, and actually seem to believe what they teach. But they are lazy in their study of Scripture, preferring the commentaries of men. They are unaware of whose "light" they are shining. But all will be exposed at the "judgment seat of Christ". They themselves are saved as all humanity will be, but much of what they taught will be burnt up in the fire. And I am sure at that time they will thank the Lord for doing so.
"For other foundation can no man lay beside that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone is building on this foundation gold and silver, precious stones, wood, grass, straw, each man's work will become apparent, for the day will make it evident, for it is being revealed by fire. And the fire, it will be testing each one's work - what kind it is. If anyone's work will be remaining which he builds on it, he will get wages. If anyone's work shall be burned up, he will forfeit it, yet he shall be saved, yet thus, as through fire..." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)
Do you still fear God?
Well start praising God for your salvation, start cleaning up your works here on earth, and do your best to love your fellow man. And in time that fear of God will just evaporate into faith in the glorious truth that “God is love” and in His perfect love, all fear is "cast out".
“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4:16-21)
Jonathon Edwards was NOT “of a sound mind”.
Well start praising God for your salvation, start cleaning up your works here on earth, and do your best to love your fellow man. And in time that fear of God will just evaporate into faith in the glorious truth that “God is love” and in His perfect love, all fear is "cast out".
“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.” (1 John 4:16-21)
Jonathon Edwards was NOT “of a sound mind”.