Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “The Hard Way”. A lesson on going your own way versus God’s way. And once again, our quarterly brings-up the idea of “fearing God”. It’s quite compelling that the same word (fear) is used for “reverence” as is used for being “scared to death” or “afraid”. And the only way to know which definition to use is by its context. For example, it says in Psalm 128: 1, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord”. It makes no sense to say, “Blessed is everyone who is scared-stiff of God”. Fear used here obviously means to “reverence". And yet, being afraid of God is one sentiment that many have. It’s the sentiment of those who don’t know our Father well. Fear (being afraid) of God has never been an ideal motivation. Fear is an inferior motivator, just as hope-of-reward is inferior. Both of these motives appeal to self and the preservation of self. It is the motivation, though, that most begin with when relating to God. Often, the first beginning of our consciousness of God is full of fear. It is true-love alone filling the heart, which is able to cast-out fear leaving no room for fear’s presence. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). As long as love is imperfect in us, there is room for fear.
When the first inclination of our true calling from God stirs our souls, we invariably start to relate to Him from a selfish motive, because it is all we know. We even picture God in a devilish light… like one of ourselves. A god who must have retribution before he can forgive. One who must “balance-the-books” before a sinner can come Home. One who is murderously wrathful towards sinners and stokes the fire of hell. We do not recognize Him as our Father who will die for His children, who insists upon giving Himself to us, insists upon us blessing others… just like He Himself is unselfish and lives to bless others. That which is the power and worth of life we must be. And the vague consciousness of this makes us afraid. We love our poor self-centered existence, such as it is. God loves it as it must be… and we fear Him.
God takes us where we are, accepts whatever we honestly offer. Then helps us to outgrow ourselves, preparing us to offer the true offering… to know Him whom we ignorantly worship. He must abolish our fear, with the truth about Himself. Until we apprehend Him, He receives our homage of blood, the belief that the Son’s death appeases His wrath so we can escape the “fire”. He will destroy the lie that is not all a lie, by the truth which is all true. Although He loves us utterly, He does not tell us there is nothing in Him to make us afraid. He cannot remove that fear of Himself from our hearts except by letting us know His love with its purifying fire that consumes all that we sinners hold dear. Our fear of the fire can only be cured by embracing the fire. God will not persuade us that fear is a vile thing, that He will have none of it, while yet we are in-love with our own will and are still slaves to every passionate impulse we have.
The fire of God, which is His essential being, His love, His creative power, is a fire unlike its earthly symbol. It is only at a distance that His fire burns. The farther from it, it burns the worse. When we turn to approach Him, the burning begins to change to comfort. Because that which it burns in our soul is not the soul. But what is at-odds with our soul. And the burning of the foul fungal growth of sin and self which springs from our soul is felt through every spiritual nerve. But when the parasite of sin is consumed away, then that which was seen as burning before, we now feel as love, comfort and strength. The fire of God consumes only death… and all that clings to death. So if any child of the Father finds that he is afraid before Him, that the thought of God is a discomfort to him, then that child needs to run in his nakedness, a true child, for shelter from his own evil and into the Father’s arms. No glory of God should breed fear. When a child of God is afraid, it is a sign that the “Father” is not yet freely understood or believed. His glory can breed fear only in him who knows not his Father. And the only place to find relief from the fear is in the very heart of that Father. It is the man of evil, the man of self-seeking, not the man who would do right, who is reasonably fearful of God.
So let us know our Father as is our privilege. As we come close to His heart of Love, He will show us what to fear. “God does not bid you fear that He will fail to fulfill His promises, that His patience will weary, or His compassion be found wanting. Fear lest your will shall not be held in subjection to Christ's will, lest your hereditary and cultivated traits of character shall control your life. ‘It is God which works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.’ Fear lest self shall interpose between your soul and the great Master Worker. Fear lest self-will shall mar the high purpose that through you God desires to accomplish. Fear to trust to your own strength, fear to withdraw your hand from the hand of Christ and attempt to walk life's pathway without His abiding presence” (Christ’s Object Lessons pg. 161). God’s fire is a comfort. God changes our love for self into a holy fear of all that is self. God changes our fear of Him and His consuming fire into love for Him and His consuming fire that purifies us. Fire becomes a comfort to us and we long to “dwell with the devouring fire… with the everlasting burnings” (Isaiah 33:14). The Fire of God has become the comfort and warmth of the Home-fire where all of our strivings for self are gone. Where all of our fears are gone. We are back home where we belong. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not. And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:20). May we ever “draw near” to our God and His healing/ cleansing fire… and “fear not”.
With brotherly love,
Jim