Fear

[aspen]

What are you afraid of?

Government?
Taxes?
Death?
Liberals?
Corruption?
Hell?
Betrayal?
Atheists?
Communists?
Socialists?
Change?
The homosexual agenda?
The One World Government?
The Tribulation?
The Judgment?
The End of the World?

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

[Hollyrock]

What are you afraid of?

Government?
Taxes?
Death?
Liberals?
Corruption?
Hell?
Betrayal?
Atheists?
Communists?
Socialists?
Change?
The homosexual agenda?
The One World Government?
The Tribulation?
The Judgment?
The End of the World?

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

I am afraid of a few things that you mentioned plus flying and deep water and I don't know how to stop the fear. How do I walk in perfect love ?

 

[Angelina]

...making God angry... :huh: have you ever experienced God's anger??

 

[aspen]

I am afraid of a few things that you mentioned plus flying and deep water and I don't know how to stop the fear. How do I walk in perfect love ?

Flying and deep water are scary!!

I am not sure we are going to ever be able to live without fear completely until we are totally redeemed and welcomed as citizens of Heaven. I sure like to daydream about it.

In the meantime, Christ is constantly reminding us that anxiety and fear are superstitious - it does nothing to influence the outcome. So, I am learning to embrace my blindness - turning my fear of the unknown over to Him.

I have a long way to go to redemption

...making God angry... :huh: have you ever experienced God's anger??

No

 

[Hollyrock]

...making God angry... :huh: have you ever experienced God's anger??

I don't think I have experienced God's anger but He has spoken to me in a very firm voice once or twice...it got my attention too

 

[aspen]

What is anger? Seems to me, most people are angered because of unfulfilled expectations - we expect to experience 5 green lights in a row and end up having to stop at all five.

Do you really think God has any expectations for us? Not if He is all-knowing.

 

[brightmorningstar]

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
God is love, almost all the things you mention are not of God or love, they are things of the world.

 

[Jake]

What is anger? Seems to me, most people are angered because of unfulfilled expectations - we expect to experience 5 green lights in a row and end up having to stop at all five.

Do you really think God has any expectations for us? Not if He is all-knowing.

Yes, God does have expectations for us, the standard is that of Jesus.
1 jn 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom; serve the Lord with fear.

 

[aspen]

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
God is love, almost all the things you mention are not of God or love, they are things of the world.

Yep. So why is the board filled with so much of it?​

Yes, God does have expectations for us, the standard is that of Jesus.
1 jn 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom; serve the Lord with fear.

Jesus walked in sober awe of His Father, which is referred to as fear.

 

[brightmorningstar]

aspen2,

Yep. So why is the board filled with so much of it?

Is it?

 

[aspen]

aspen2,
Is it?

Your question worries me. If you cannot see the [edited by the mod] contests on this board, I am not sure you understand what fear looks like. Take a tour of the eschatology thread....

Yes, God does have expectations for us, the standard is that of Jesus.
1 jn 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom; serve the Lord with fear.

Actually Jake - I agree with you. I need to modify my statement - God certainly has expectations for us, but they are clear expectations, not hidden. So, we are not going to be surprised by any of the expectations God has for us on Judgment Day - He has been clear.

Thanks for your comment.

 

[Jon-Marc]

My main fear in life is getting old and feeble and having to depend on someone else for all my needs. Of course, if I'm fortunate enough to follow in the footsteps of other men on my dad's side, I won't live past age 70; that's less than 4 years away. There's a hereditary illness in my family that causes men on my dad's side to die at or before age 70.

Maybe someone put a curse on our family. Just kidding--I don't believe in such things. The hereditary illness, though, is real. No man on my dad's side of the family has lived past 70 during my lifetime.

 

[thisistheendtimes]

Let's see now, we are discussing SCRIPTURE (a SPIRITUAL topic).

The "FEAR" that SHOULD be discussed is "FEAR OF God" (and we might as well also address the topic of 'FEAR OF satan').

Scripture is talking about SPIRITUAL FEAR (specifically the "fear of God", not the things or activities that we are cautious of in everyday life (being afraid/cautious of certain things is wise and healthy).

The fear OF GOD is ONLY THE BEGINNING of wisdom FOR AN UNBELIEVER, but when we come to know God, our love should become PERFECT (no more fear of Him......because we have,,..or SHOULD HAVE learned of His loving kindness and that He is not a 'punisher', He is a REWARDER.

Now, who wants to "draw near" to God?.....I'm not talking about those who came to Him only to get salvation, or those who think He's cool and LIKE Him, I'm talking about those who have an ever-present URGE to know Him like King David (a man after God's HEART).

Since you are here on this forum trying to understand more about Him (God is NOT a scripture/text book, nor is He an obedience contest judge or a lawyer). We should NOT FEAR HIM at all (even in word usage). Because our love is now PERFECT (or should be, 1 John 4:18) and we WANT His loving correction when He teaches us the error of our way, our only attitude toward Him is LOVE. I did not resent/fear my dad when he taught me not to do things that were bad (I knew he was teaching me "goodness"). So neither should we resent God for correction. Let GOD DECIDE when AND IF you should be taught, you may not be ready to understand yet (or at all) because of your experiences in life (maybe you are a different kind of person that He will use later on (secularly or otherwise) to help drug addicts, prisoners, people who are suicidally depressed (like I was), etc..

Hebrews 11:6

"whoever would DRAW NEAR to God must believe that....

1) he exists....
2) AND that he REWARDS those who seek him"......this is why we must have a "FAITH FOR faith"...not simple "faith TOWARD" God.

Romans 1:17 "the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith"....THAT is the goal/objective, is it not?.

Hebrews chapter 6 defines the APOSTATE DEVOTION and says that OUR DEVOTION/RELATIONSHIP today should no longer BE BASED on what Jesus DID. Salvation has OCCURED/happened (the "DOCTRINE OF CHRIST", the final 'sin sacrifice', Christ and Him crucified) has HAPPENED...FOREVER/finalized), it is DONE and has been ACCOMPLISHED/finalized. Now we should MOVE ON to a deeper, more intense devotion (a "more excellent" devotion)....

1 Corinthians 12:31 "And now, let me show you a more excellent way" based on the "GREATEST of these" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Hebrews 6:1 says we should move on to "MATURITY" in Jesus (the "more excellent" devotion to Him) and no longer have REPENTANCE as a foundation, but JESUS ONLY as our foundation.....AND ALSO that we should no longer have mere "faith TOWARD God" (we are completely aware that He does "EXIST", and now we shall also believe that He is a loving kind "REWARDER").

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God" (Hebrews 6:1).

A "more excellent" devotion is based on having only one attitude towards God (LOVE, God is LOVE)....NO FEAR of Him (make your offering/devotion/relationship to Him what He is.....LOVE. Love your chosen loved ones, but "PERFECT" love is for God only.

Isaiah 29:13 "and their fear of me is a commandment OF MEN" (talking about those whose worship is 'LIP SERVICE').

So IF and when God decides that you should be taught the error of your way, DO NOT RESENT Him for it (do not fear His reproach, it is the loving correction that He decided you need).

==========

We also have no need to fear satan.....YOUR SPIRIT strengthened by GOD'S Holy Spirit (the combination) keeps satan (the man of lawlessness...a great MYSTERY) BOUND FROM YOU....

2 Thessalonians 2:6
"And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time".

....FULL understanding of the "MYSTERY of lawlessness" is that WE play a part in "lawlessness" by giving in to satan's temptation. WE (the modern secular "church", "SON of perdition") are the result of centuries of LIES/perdition.

........NO FEAR!.

All verses are from the RSV.

 

[aspen]

Let's see now, we are discussing SCRIPTURE (a SPIRITUAL topic).

The "FEAR" that SHOULD be discussed is "FEAR OF God" (and we might as well also address the topic of 'FEAR OF satan').

Scripture is talking about SPIRITUAL FEAR (specifically the "fear of God", not the things or activities that we are cautious of in everyday life (being afraid/cautious of certain things is wise and healthy).

The fear OF GOD is ONLY THE BEGINNING of wisdom FOR AN UNBELIEVER, but when we come to know God, our love should become PERFECT (no more fear of Him......because we have,,..or SHOULD HAVE learned of His loving kindness and that He is not a 'punisher', He is a REWARDER.

Now, who wants to "draw near" to God?.....I'm not talking about those who came to Him only to get salvation, or those who think He's cool and LIKE Him, I'm talking about those who have an ever-present URGE to know Him like King David (a man after God's HEART).

Since you are here on this forum trying to understand more about Him (God is NOT a scripture/text book, nor is He an obedience contest judge or a lawyer). We should NOT FEAR HIM at all (even in word usage). Because our love is now PERFECT (or should be, 1 John 4:18) and we WANT His loving correction when He teaches us the error of our way, our only attitude toward Him is LOVE. I did not resent/fear my dad when he taught me not to do things that were bad (I knew he was teaching me "goodness"). So neither should we resent God for correction. Let GOD DECIDE when AND IF you should be taught, you may not be ready to understand yet (or at all) because of your experiences in life (maybe you are a different kind of person that He will use later on (secularly or otherwise) to help drug addicts, prisoners, people who are suicidally depressed (like I was), etc..

Hebrews 11:6

"whoever would DRAW NEAR to God must believe that....

1) he exists....
2) AND that he REWARDS those who seek him"......this is why we must have a "FAITH FOR faith"...not simple "faith TOWARD" God.

Romans 1:17 "the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith"....THAT is the goal/objective, is it not?.

Hebrews chapter 6 defines the APOSTATE DEVOTION and says that OUR DEVOTION/RELATIONSHIP today should no longer BE BASED on what Jesus DID. Salvation has OCCURED/happened (the "DOCTRINE OF CHRIST", the final 'sin sacrifice', Christ and Him crucified) has HAPPENED...FOREVER/finalized), it is DONE and has been ACCOMPLISHED/finalized. Now we should MOVE ON to a deeper, more intense devotion (a "more excellent" devotion)....

1 Corinthians 12:31 "And now, let me show you a more excellent way" based on the "GREATEST of these" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Hebrews 6:1 says we should move on to "MATURITY" in Jesus (the "more excellent" devotion to Him) and no longer have REPENTANCE as a foundation, but JESUS ONLY as our foundation.....AND ALSO that we should no longer have mere "faith TOWARD God" (we are completely aware that He does "EXIST", and now we shall also believe that He is a loving kind "REWARDER").

"Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God" (Hebrews 6:1).

A "more excellent" devotion is based on having only one attitude towards God (LOVE, God is LOVE)....NO FEAR of Him (make your offering/devotion/relationship to Him what He is.....LOVE. Love your chosen loved ones, but "PERFECT" love is for God only.

Isaiah 29:13 "and their fear of me is a commandment OF MEN" (talking about those whose worship is 'LIP SERVICE').

So IF and when God decides that you should be taught the error of your way, DO NOT RESENT Him for it (do not fear His reproach, it is the loving correction that He decided you need).

==========

We also have no need to fear satan.....YOUR SPIRIT strengthened by GOD'S Holy Spirit (the combination) keeps satan (the man of lawlessness...a great MYSTERY) BOUND FROM YOU....

2 Thessalonians 2:6
"And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time".

....FULL understanding of the "MYSTERY of lawlessness" is that WE play a part in "lawlessness" by giving in to satan's temptation. WE (the modern secular "church", "SON of perdition") are the result of centuries of LIES/perdition.

........NO FEAR!.

All verses are from the RSV.

What an outstanding post! Thank you for doing the work necessary to post this information.

My main fear in life is getting old and feeble and having to depend on someone else for all my needs. Of course, if I'm fortunate enough to follow in the footsteps of other men on my dad's side, I won't live past age 70; that's less than 4 years away. There's a hereditary illness in my family that causes men on my dad's side to die at or before age 70.

Maybe someone put a curse on our family. Just kidding--I don't believe in such things. The hereditary illness, though, is real. No man on my dad's side of the family has lived past 70 during my lifetime.

I understand that fear. I am a hospice volunteer. The strange thing is that it actually helps my fear of dying to work with people who are having to face death. Boy, it was scary at first. but watching the process of handing over control to others, which has to happen when you die slowly has really helped me see that Christ is present in a special way during the dying process.

 

[Hollyrock]

 

[Jake]

Yep. So why is the board filled with so much of it?​

Jesus walked in sober awe of His Father, which is referred to as fear.

3374. yirah (fear)
dreadful, exceedingly, fearfulness

 

[thisistheendtimes]

"dreadful, exceedingly, fearfulness".......Exactly, there is nothing for God's LOVERS/SONS to "DREAD" about The Lord (neither did I dread my dad).

If you prefer not to love The Lord wholly and completely (without also somehow "fearing Him" at the same time,.....fearing Him at the same time as LOVING Him is.illogical, it simply is not POSSIBLE), then your LOVE FOR HIM has not been perfected.

If your idea of loving someone properly is to INCLUDE FEAR in your feelings about them, do you also FEAR your children and your wife?.

....whatever, the "depths of God" is not for everyone, many people LOVE the "bible" (no apology offered for saying this).

 

[Jake]

"dreadful, exceedingly, fearfulness".......Exactly, there is nothing for God's LOVERS/SONS to "DREAD" about The Lord (neither did I dread my dad).

If you prefer not to love The Lord wholly and completely (without also somehow "fearing Him" at the same time,.....fearing Him at the same time as LOVING Him is.illogical, it simply is not POSSIBLE), then your LOVE FOR HIM has not been perfected.

If your idea of loving someone properly is to INCLUDE FEAR in your feelings about them, do you also FEAR your children and your wife?.

....whatever, the "depths of God" is not for everyone, many people LOVE the "bible" (no apology offered for saying this).

Like it or not, this definition of fear is what the Hebrew's meant when they wrote it down, which is now called the Bible - look it up in Strong's Concordance. Why do people take away from what the Hebrews meant? When people do this, they entirely change the meaning of the Bible and they change who God is.

The problem with today's feel good Christianity is that people forget that God is also the Judge. He destroyed OT people for their disobedience and God has not changed. He will destroy more people, it's in the Bible. The issue with modern day Christianity is, they have no fear of the Lord, they sin and it's ok......after all "they're saved", no accountability, no responsibility.

You can't have a healthy fear of the Lord and love Him, too? - Solomon did, so did David....and Moses.....and Noah....and on and on.....

 

[thisistheendtimes]

So, you love the Hebrews too and care about what they say?. Since you fear the Hebrews, it is NOT GOD ONLY that you trust and rely on for divine favor.

In order to LOVE GOD ONLY (with "PERFECT LOVE"), you have to rely on HIM ONLY for all DIVINELY SPIRITUAL benefit.

John 10:8
"ALL who came before me are thieves and robbers"......

.....this includes the HEBREWS, also MOSES, etc. (take God at His word......or do you lack the courage to leave the common teachings that man has taught you). Even Paul himself could not be so meaningful to humanity as God.

In essence, God wants us to acknowledge and comply with natural law (peaceful co-existence, harmony), but man always complicates EVERYTHING and 'dramatizes' devotion to become a prudish, snobbish, PARTISAN 'march' like SOLDIERS/PUPPETS "following" the leader (the 'Pied Piper' protocol).

"partisan" means 'RULE/CODE following',....observing "protocol" (all this is PRIDE,....VAIN pride, vanity).

....but in the end it is just "chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes).

Colossians 3:14 "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony".

 

[Jake]

So, you love the Hebrews too and care about what they say?. Since you fear the Hebrews, it is NOT GOD ONLY that you trust and rely on for divine favor.

In order to LOVE GOD ONLY (with "PERFECT LOVE"), you have to rely on HIM ONLY for all DIVINELY SPIRITUAL benefit.

John 10:8
"ALL who came before me are thieves and robbers"......

.....this includes the HEBREWS, also MOSES, etc. (take God at His word......or do you lack the courage to leave the common teachings that man has taught you). Even Paul himself could not be so meaningful to humanity as God.

In essence, God wants us to acknowledge and comply with natural law (peaceful co-existence, harmony), but man always complicates EVERYTHING and 'dramatizes' devotion to become a prudish, snobbish, PARTISAN 'march' like SOLDIERS/PUPPETS "following" the leader (the 'Pied Piper' protocol).

"partisan" means 'RULE/CODE following',....observing "protocol" (all this is PRIDE,....VAIN pride, vanity).

....but in the end it is just "chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes).

Colossians 3:14 "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony".

:blink: What???
Why are you yelling?
If you don't believe what is written in the Bible, regardless of who scribed it, then there is nothing left to say.