Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Fear Of The Lord



(Audio version; Music: "Great I Am" and "Oceans" by: WorshipMob)










Introduction

            I had a lengthy on-line discussion with a woman this week, who I’ll call Susan (not her real name). The initial discussion began when I agreed with a comment that someone else made saying that abortion was never about choice. Instead, it is about avoiding the consequences of a choice already made. I merely agreed with what I believed was a very astute observation. I never expected that it would begin an extended discussion with Susan who disagreed vehemently with me. Susan believed that it was unfair that the mother would have to forfeit her life in order to save her baby. As you can imagine, I was having a hard time tracking Susan’s train of thought. So I clarified my position that I didn’t expect to save the baby and kill the mother. My position is that they both deserve to live. To which Susan clarified her point. What she meant to say is that the mother may have to forfeit a productive work life. If you had to re-read that, don’t worry I had to read it a few times myself to believe it. So I said that I believed the life of a human being was far more important than a productive work life. I explained that a person is created in the image of God and objectively defined by God while a productive work life is subjectively defined by a sinful culture. She responded by inferring that I somehow was saying that work is sinful. Of course I said nothing of the kind so I asked her to go back and re-read what I wrote. And that’s when the truth of our conversation revealed itself because she said, “No, to an atheist like me, nothing matters.” And there was the real truth behind her worldview where personal satisfaction and a productive work life, among other things, are more valuable than a human life.

            I’ve interacted with enough atheists to know that there usually isn’t anything I can say to get them to change their minds and there’s certainly nothing they can say to get me to change mine. Nevertheless, I was saddened because her comment that, “nothing mattered” betrayed a life of hopelessness. So I told her that if she ever got tired of living a hopeless life where nothing mattered, I would be happy to talk to her about Jesus Christ who could give her endless hope in this life and the life to come. Not surprisingly, she rejected my offer because she said she had no need for belief in “mythology of a baseless dream.” I’m not even sure what that means. However, her rejection of God explains why she has no problem with the idea of killing babies. In her depraved mind, if there is no God then there are no consequences for sinful behavior. I tried one last time to reason with her and reminded her that if her unbelief is right and my belief is wrong then my belief costs me nothing. However, if my belief is right and her unbelief is wrong then her unbelief will cost her everything. To which she said she rejects any religion based in fear because there is no love. I left it at that because what she doesn’t realize is that we can’t begin to understand the depth of God’s love unless we have a biblical understanding of the Fear Of The Lord. As Solomon said, the Fear Of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but those who are morally deficient despise wisdom and discipline (Prov 1:7). Let’s take a look and see if it is possible to truly love the Lord unless we make room in our lives for the Fear Of The Lord.

Subject Text

Luke 12:4-10

4“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Context

            By this point, the crowds following Jesus were growing increasingly larger with each miraculous healing and mass feeding. Wherever Jesus went, the crowds would follow and whenever Jesus spoke, the crowds would listen with wonder and amazement at the power of His teaching. However, always lurking, always listening were also the religious leaders; the Pharisees. Realizing their power and influence over the people was slipping away, the religious leaders confronted Jesus more often. And every time they questioned or confronted Jesus, Jesus presented them to the people as a symbol of corruption and unfaithfulness. The backdrop of our Subject Text is the increased frequency of clashes between Jesus and the religious leaders. It is also important to remember that the religious leaders weren’t just figure-heads, they wielded real power—the power to discipline the people; the power to sentence those who broke the Law to the punishment required by the Law including death in the case of blasphemy against God. Remember that the religious leaders condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy when He claimed divine equality with God. Jesus knew that those who followed Him would risk the same charges and the same fate. Consequently, Jesus wanted to make sure in our Subject Text that their fear was oriented toward God. Jesus didn’t want them to be filled with the fear of people who could only destroy their bodies. He wanted them to understand that there is a fate far worse than earthly death.

Text Analysis

4“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

            Let me just say that I don’t know how you practice not being afraid of being killed for your faith. I suppose it is a courage that is developed over a period of time of constantly living with the possibility of being put to death for your faith or witnessing the death of those around you for their faith. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), here in America we don’t worry about that sort of thing—at least not for now. However, I know that some of you in other parts of the world live every day with the threat of being exposed as followers of Christ. Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure that Jesus didn’t intend for us to invite death or seek death. The point that Jesus is making in v. 4-5 is that we shouldn’t be silenced in our witness to the world about the truth of Jesus Christ or discouraged from our duty to live lives of faithful obedience to Him out of fear of death. For those of you who live this kind of life and faith daily, I want you to know that I pray for you often that you will continue to have the strength to remain faithful to the One you have chosen to follow. I also want you to know that your faithfulness in the face of the possibility of death is an inspiration and encouragement to me and I’m sure to many other Christians of what real faithfulness looks like.

            I want to offer a few words of encouragement to Christians around the world who don’t risk death every day because of your faith in Jesus Christ. It can be frightening to risk your reputation or your livelihood because of your faith in Jesus Christ. Christians all around us every day compromise their witness and faithfulness to Christ for fear they will be ridiculed and rejected by the culture if they stand up for what they believe. We see it when Christians accept as normal, harmless, or business as usual, greed, deceit, over-indulgence, pornography, homosexuality, abortion, or any other sinful practice all because they don’t want a sinful, self-prioritizing, and unbelieving culture to call them names or, in some cases, bring legal action against them that might cost them their livelihood or their freedom. I believe this too is what Jesus is warning against. Don’t fear those who can control only those things that are temporal. Instead, we are to fear the One who controls all things—temporal and eternal.

            I want you to notice something else very important about v. 4-5. Notice that Jesus calls those who follow Him, listen to Him, and obey Him, “friends.” Jesus isn’t just referring to the disciples. He was speaking to thousands according to 12:1. And by extension He is referring to us. This is important on many levels but especially with respect to the point I want to make in this lesson. Let’s follow Jesus’ theological trajectory. It is wholly consistent to fear the One who can condemn us to an eternity in hell while being the One who is so desperately in love with us that He will die for us so that He doesn’t have to exact that judgment. The One who has the power to condemn those who reject Him to hell is the same One who calls those who believe in Him, “friends.”

            “Physical death is a season, perhaps painful and protracted or perhaps instantaneous, but a season nonetheless, after which physical life is terminated. Nothing in this experience is deserving of genuine fear. True fear—concerns the fate of life after physical death. It hardly seems necessary to note that v. 5 assumes the existence of life beyond the grave. By introducing a final authority beyond earthly life, however short or long that life may be, Jesus sets human existence in an entirely new perspective. The purpose of life is not disclosed in the existential Now, but rather by the One who determines its eternal destiny.

            The word ‘hell’ in Greek, Gehenna (Heb. Ge-hinnom), signifies the valley south of Jerusalem that empties into the Kidron Valley, in which Judahites prior to King Josiah sacrificed their sons and daughters in burned offerings to Baal Molech on a ‘high-place’ called Topheth. During King Josiah’s reform Topheth was dismantled, desecrated, and turned into a smoldering rubbish dump as a lurid reminder of wickedness, suffering and shame. Gehenna was a graphic image of hell to Jesus’ audience—as near as a stone’s throw from the temple…The reference to Gehenna attests to God’s ultimate authority over life beyond the grave.”[1]

6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

            Jesus is very careful in vv. 6-7 not to leave His listeners and by extension all of us with the image of God as some kind of a cruel dictator whose rule is based in fear. Jesus is very careful to portray God as loving, caring, and compassionate with the ultimate power to determine our eternal destiny. God is not some distant being who is entirely unknown and unknowable who demands strict obedience and exacts harsh judgment on those who fail to be perfectly obedient. Instead, God became incarnate in the person of Jesus so that He could be near us and demonstrate His love for us by dying for us even while we were disobedient sinners just so we could have the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. For those of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus we aren’t in relationship with Him based on the fear of His power over our eternal destiny even while we fully understand that He wields that power. Instead, we are in relationship with Jesus based on the love He demonstrated for us by dying on the cross in our place because of our many sins. Just as God is aware of all the intricate details of His created order, He has not forgotten that He created humanity in His own image. He knows every aspect of your life—the good and the bad. As important as all of creation is, even five sparrows that are worth only a few pennies, God knows exactly how important you are; how important I am. That’s why He allowed Himself to be put to death. I want you to stop and think about that for a moment. God, incarnate in the person of Jesus, the Creator and Ruler of all the universe, allowed humanity to humiliate, brutalize, and kill Him as a message to you. Interestingly, that message is not, “fear me” or “bow before me.” No, the message of the cross is, “I love you.”

            “If God in his care forgets not even sparrows, five of which can be bought as food in the marketplace for two pennies, and if he in his knowledge has even numbered the hairs of a person’s head, how much more care and concern will he in his wisdom manifest for the disciples and friends of Jesus? If God’s unrestricted providence extends to such minutiae, will it not be concerned also with the disciples of the heaven-sent mouthpiece of God? The sayings stress how little reason there is to be afraid of other human beings in the setting of persecution and martyrdom. For the disciples’ names already stand written in heaven.”[2]

8I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God.

            Have you ever wondered about the best way to thank God for your salvation? Mind you, I’m not asking you how you would pay Him back. That’s not even possible. If you’ve been reading my lessons for any amount of time then you know that I’m not a huge fan of words without action to support those words. I don’t believe in saying “I love you” without the loving actions to support those words. I don’t believe in saying “I care for you” without the caring actions to support those words. I don’t believe in saying “thank you” without demonstrating how that thankfulness shapes my life in my words and deeds. So how do we say “thank you” to Jesus for making the ultimate sacrifice for us? By having the courage to tell others about Him, that’s how. When we stand up for the truth that is Jesus Christ in the face of those who hate us for doing so, we are saying “thank you” with our actions. And if our salvation isn’t enough, when we reach the final judgment before Jesus according to vv. 8-9, we will hear Him brag to all the angels who surround His throne of all the times we had the courage to stand up in the face of opposition and hatred and proclaim the salvation message of Jesus Christ. Sadly, however, there will also be those who when faced with the possibility of being ridiculed or persecuted for their faith will shrink away and reject what they once said they believed. Unfortunately, Jesus will bring these people to the attention of angels as well but this time to reject them in the same way that they once rejected Him. Think about that—which will you be? Close your eyes for a minute and imagine the scene if you can with Jesus on His throne surround by countless angels who do nothing but worship Him non-stop. Can you see yourself fall down before Him when it’s your turn? Imagine Him raise His nail-scarred hand to silence the angels so He can say something. Imagine Him step down from His throne and walk down to where you are face down and pick you up and put His arm around your neck as He stands beside you. Imagine Him say to the angels, “This is ________________ (fill in the blank with your name). Let me tell you about the time she told her children about me. And about the time she told her neighbor about me. And this other time when she told a co-worker about me even though she knew she would get in trouble for it. She belongs to me.” Imagine Him turning to you and saying, “Well done good and faithful servant. Welcome to the rest of your life.”

            I don’t know if it will actually happen that way or not but I’m certain I’d rather have Jesus commend me for witnessing about Him than condemn me for rejecting Him. “God sent his Son to die for people worldwide, and salvation is offered to all people. But individuals still must choose whether or not to accept God’s offer. Jesus clearly explained that anyone who publicly confesses faith in and allegiance to him will find that the Son of Man will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God’s angels. By contrast, the person who denies any relationship to Jesus will face denial by Jesus in heaven. These words refer to those whose lack of allegiance will be revealed under pressure. Most likely, this does not refer to an incident where lack of courage might cause a believer not to speak up, but rather to a person who totally rejects Christ and lives a life of denial. The astounding statement is that each person’s standing before God is based on his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.”[3]

10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.”

            If you’ve ever been confused about v. 10, you’re not alone. People can say awful things about Jesus and still have an opportunity to be saved. However, anyone who opposes the Holy Spirit is lost forever. That is frightening to think about and it has frightened many Christians throughout the ages who have wondered if it is possible to accidently blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and be eternally condemned. Well let me assure you that if you’re worried about it then you’re far removed from the danger of committing the only unforgiveable sin. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing to Satan the work that the Holy Spirit accomplishes. It is the persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit’s work in the world and the ongoing rejection of God Himself. It is an attitude that rejects to the very end the opportunities to believe in Jesus.

            “Jesus contrasted rejecting the Son of Man and blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. This appears to place the Spirit in a position superior to that of Jesus. Closer examination shows, however, that the contrast is not between the Spirit and the Son. The contrast is between deserting Jesus in his earthly ministry in one particular situation and rejecting the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in bringing salvation.

            Readers in Luke’s Gospel could easily read the previous verses and remember some moment in their personal history when they did not stand up and confess Jesus. They might then read verse 10 and decide they could never be forgiven. This verse tries to correct such a feeling. It wants to say that everyone has denied Jesus at some time. They can be forgiven. Peter could deny Jesus during his trial and still be forgiven and accepted back. A person who has the Holy Spirit wooing him to salvation and who constantly rejects him cannot be forgiven. Thus, if you know the Spirit is inhabiting your life and guiding you, then you know you have not committed this unforgivable sin.”[4]

Application

            I’m no stranger to fear. I grew up in a home where I was always afraid; afraid every day of what might happen if I did or said the wrong thing around my dad after he’d had too much to drink. My relationship with my father was rooted in fear; fear of what he would do to me if I screwed up in some way. And trust me, he backed up the fear with his fists or with a belt or with whatever else he managed to get his hands on. The problem with growing up in that environment is that fear became ingrained in my worldview. I made decisions rooted in fear for most of my life. And they were usually the wrong decisions. Interestingly, that began to change when I finally became a faithful follower of Christ instead of just a pretend follower of Christ. However, do you want to know something? My faith in Christ is rooted strictly in love not fear. I love Him because of what He did for me even while I recognize the awesome power He has over my eternal destiny. I am motivated to obedience and faithfulness not because I’m afraid of what might happen if I’m not obedient or faithful. I’m obedient and faithful because I don’t want to disappoint or hurt the One I love and the One who demonstrated His love for me on the cross.

            I hope my children will be able to say that their relationship with me while they were growing up was always rooted in love not in fear even though they knew I established very clear boundaries around their lives. This is the kind of relationship Jesus wants with us. He wants us to be able to love Him because He first loved us. He wants our relationship with Him to be rooted in love knowing all the while that He holds our eternal destiny in the palm of His hand. I want to ask you a question: What propels you into a relationship with Jesus, love or fear? I suppose there are people out there who have come to faith because they feared the consequences of not believing, although I have to confess that I’ve never met anyone like that. Conversely I’ve met countless people who have come to faith because they were overwhelmed by God’s love for them through Jesus Christ. So does it matter whether or not we fear God? Honestly, I don’t really know. The reality, at least for me, is that the deeper my love for Christ grows, the more I understand what it means to fear God. The more He reveals Himself to me the more in awe I am of Him and all He can do and all He has done in me and through me. I don’t think God wants us to be afraid of Him. In fact, I’m sure of it. I think He wants us to know how much He loves us. I think He wants us to grow closer to Him every day. I think He wants us to love Him more and more every day. I’m pretty sure He knows that the natural consequence of loving the Lord is an awe-inspired Fear Of The Lord.







[1] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Luke—The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2015), p. 365.
[2] Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke X-XXIV—The Anchor Bible, (Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1985), pp. 957-958.
[3] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 307.
[4] Trent C. Butler, Luke—Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2000), p. 203.

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