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Only perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 2:5 describes how we know that love is perfected in us.
Blessings
Steph
And loving our neighbor is the fulfillment of the law, and we love Him and the the righteousness of the Law because He first loved us,not by Him putting us in fear of Him.
Only perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 2:5 describes how we know that love is perfected in us.
Blessings
Steph
Amen... Steph
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:5)
Forgiveness does not remove the moral obligation to obey the commands of God. Some individuals may take the promise of 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".....as a license to sin, but John makes clear that this would be to abuse and misapply the promise (v. 1)
“Jesus Christ the righteous” is presented as sacrifice, advocate, and example.
And in the Bible, to “know” someone includes close communion and love.
To know Christ means to “keep his commandments.” This knowledge of Christ is called a “perfected” love of God (v. 5), not because it makes us personally sinless, but because it is irrevocably established in those who live by it.
Anyone who presumes to have received forgiveness from God but who spurns the gift of obedient love as unnecessary is a “liar.”
Instead of receiving “Jesus Christ the righteous” as Savior, such a person manufactures a false christ, a savior who is indifferent to righteousness.
Seems to me a lot of people want to believe that fearing God is not important/necessary/applicable, etc.
How do such people interpret/apply many Scriptures which talk about fearing God? Especially since many of these passages address Christians in the New Testament?
Steph1980,
When you talk about fear of God, are you talking about fear as being 'terrified', or fear as in respect and reverence and awe?
When you talk about fear of God, are you talking about fear as being 'terrified', or fear as in respect and reverence and awe?
Hi Lego...
I found a little interesting info on what words are used for "fear" in the Bible.
In Hebrew, yirah (Jon 1:16, Ps 90:11), yare (above, Mal 3:16) and pachad (Job 3:25a, Ps 119:120) mean reverent fear, terror, or dread, normally translated simply fear. There are other words in Hebrew for mere respect, reverence, or honor, such as kabad (Ex 20:12). In Greek fear/terror is phobo (Mat 28:4,1 Pet 2:17c), where reverence or honor is timao (1 Pet 2:17a/d).
1 Peter 2:17 is interesting because it tells us to "timao" the emperor, and everyone. But to "phobo" God.
Also, where people use the Scripture that "God has not given us a spirit of fear...", the Greek word is actually neither phobo nor timao but is deilia (meaning timidity). 1 Tim 2:7
I think of fearing God like this... When you approach the edge of a high cliff, if you are anything like me, you begin to experience great fear, panic, and a desire to get to a safe distance from sure peril. When you retreat from the cliff's edge, peace begins to descend, you feel far safer and more secure. The further you get away from the edge, the better off you feel. Of course, even thinking about being near the edge can stir up that sense of dread which is a great motivator to make you keep your distance (even though you know you are now safe!). That feeling of 'fear' when you are actually safe is the proper reverence and awe that we are to have when we are walking in His precepts. We are fully secure, and yet aware that a cliff exists, and that straying to its edge can be deadly.
Every analogy comes short eventually, but that is one that helps me to understand the fear of the Lord. There is a way to experience safety, and it is to hate evil and walk in obedience (be perfected in love).... To walk away from the cliff. The problem is when people, including those who profess faith in Christ, prance around at the edge of disaster with absolutely no dread or fear.
1 Thess 5:3 "While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape"
if you mean the word of Paul, which is all it is, then yes. And no it is not sad. What is sad is that people think Paul's writings are equal to "gods" writings and they are not. What is sad is the bondage these people have to a silly book. And since they follow some ancient fearful writings, they fear something they cannot understand or know, and in a way the proof of this is in the Fear itself. What is sad is a whole religion built around fear, in the face of 21st century reason and knowledge. Do I fear "god" NO!!!!!!!!
but then again, I don't go around waving a bible either ...if I believed some parts of it then I might live a life in fear and hate instead of in peace and love.
I can do better than that, I wish others could too
I'm kind of confused. Are you an atheist? A Bible hater or only a partial Bible hater? Am I reading you wrong? If so, I apologize.
I don't agree with you at all. My religion is based on love of God, neighbor and God's word. Paul's word is God's word. Paul was inspired. He wrote as the Holy Spirit guided him. Fear is a part of loving God. It is a component but not the driving force behind motivation to love God, at least for me anyhow. Faith is what spurs me on. Apparently, you lack faith. I say that not to put you down, but to state an obviuos fact. Because you lack faith, I do feel sorry for you. I wish I could say something that would cause you to rethink your position.
It is disturbing to me that there is very little fear of God these days. The teachings of Scripture about judgment and the terror of the Lord are written off as "N/A" for the Christian, and not urgent for the unbeliever. Jesus is only characterized according to what is palatable to the listener. Obeying God is optional. Being a disciple of Jesus means being a "committed Christian" (implying that there is some other variety?)... What has happened??
Where is the fear of the Lord?
Why does a person need to fear a supposed "loving God" ?
An increase in one, results in a decrease of the other.
As Mystics stated, "Fear negates love and love casts out all fear."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steph1980
Dear Jerwade,
Only perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 2:5 describes how we know that love is perfected in us.
Blessings
Steph
Quote:
Originally Posted by pcamps
And loving our neighbor is the fulfillment of the law, and we love Him and the the righteousness of the Law because He first loved us,not by Him putting us in fear of Him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steph1980
Hi Lego...
I found a little interesting info on what words are used for "fear" in the Bible.
In Hebrew, yirah (Jon 1:16, Ps 90:11), yare (above, Mal 3:16) and pachad (Job 3:25a, Ps 119:120) mean reverent fear, terror, or dread, normally translated simply fear. There are other words in Hebrew for mere respect, reverence, or honor, such as kabad (Ex 20:12). In Greek fear/terror is phobo (Mat 28:4,1 Pet 2:17c), where reverence or honor is timao (1 Pet 2:17a/d).
1 Peter 2:17 is interesting because it tells us to "timao" the emperor, and everyone. But to "phobo" God.
Also, where people use the Scripture that "God has not given us a spirit of fear...", the Greek word is actually neither phobo nor timao but is deilia (meaning timidity). 1 Tim 2:7
I think of fearing God like this... When you approach the edge of a high cliff, if you are anything like me, you begin to experience great fear, panic, and a desire to get to a safe distance from sure peril. When you retreat from the cliff's edge, peace begins to descend, you feel far safer and more secure. The further you get away from the edge, the better off you feel. Of course, even thinking about being near the edge can stir up that sense of dread which is a great motivator to make you keep your distance (even though you know you are now safe!). That feeling of 'fear' when you are actually safe is the proper reverence and awe that we are to have when we are walking in His precepts. We are fully secure, and yet aware that a cliff exists, and that straying to its edge can be deadly.
Every analogy comes short eventually, but that is one that helps me to understand the fear of the Lord. There is a way to experience safety, and it is to hate evil and walk in obedience (be perfected in love).... To walk away from the cliff. The problem is when people, including those who profess faith in Christ, prance around at the edge of disaster with absolutely no dread or fear.
1 Thess 5:3 "While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape"
Thoughts?Blessings,Steph
Sorry . . . but my thoughts are that anyone who claims to love such a "GodFather-like" God is either deceiving themselves or has no idea what love is. Savages and barbarians can be forgiven for believing such a concept of fear and for lacking any real understanding of the Gospel of love Christ proclaimed . . . but modern day humans have no excuse, IMO. They cannot be querying their hearts about it. It is pure indoctrination to the ancient ignorant "precepts and doctrines of men."
Sorry . . . but my thoughts are that anyone who claims to love such a "GodFather-like" God is either deceiving themselves or has no idea what love is. Savages and barbarians can be forgiven for believing such a concept of fear and for lacking any real understanding of the Gospel of love Christ proclaimed . . . but modern day humans have no excuse, IMO. They cannot be querying their hearts about it. It is pure indoctrination to the ancient ignorant "precepts and doctrines of men."
I can point out portions of the Gospel writings, words Christ spoke, that are undeniable clear about the fear of the Lord. The problem is that some don't understand what it means that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."
Only perfect love casts out fear. 1 John 2:5 describes how we know that love is perfected in us.
Blessings
Steph
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyber Munchkin
Amen... Steph
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. (1 John 2:5)
Forgiveness does not remove the moral obligation to obey the commands of God. Some individuals may take the promise of 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness".....as a license to sin, but John makes clear that this would be to abuse and misapply the promise (v. 1)
“Jesus Christ the righteous” is presented as sacrifice, advocate, and example.
And in the Bible, to “know” someone includes close communion and love.
To know Christ means to “keep his commandments.” This knowledge of Christ is called a “perfected” love of God (v. 5), not because it makes us personally sinless, but because it is irrevocably established in those who live by it.
Anyone who presumes to have received forgiveness from God but who spurns the gift of obedient love as unnecessary is a “liar.”
Instead of receiving “Jesus Christ the righteous” as Savior, such a person manufactures a false christ, a savior who is indifferent to righteousness.
Two, "dear john" letters in one day, have mercy.
It is within this perfect love, that I forgive you.
"There is no love without forgiveness, and no forgiveness without love; for what power has love, but forgiveness."
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