Love and Fear

There are numerous commands and principles highlighted within the Bible. Some of them are black and white do’s and don’ts, and others are righteous guidelines that we should follow. Some come with earthly consequences, and others we may not feel this side of heaven. But if we are able to understand the character of God and the spirit behind what we are taught, there are instances where our heart, over our actions, protect us from the wrath or the judgment of God. It is true that we are to confess and repent when we sin, by First Peter also teaches that “love covers over a multitude of sins”, because as one of my Bible commentators put it, love can turn away the wrath of God. Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 6 goes on to say:

“Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.” 

And earlier it says in chapter 14, verse 27:

“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.”

Love and reverent fear are attributes of the heart that influence God. I believe that if we have love in our heart, our sinful and selfish desires are stripped away. We begin to take on the likeness of Christ which can soften God’s heart and soothe his anger. After all, God is love. And when we reflect more and more of his nature, our confessions of sin are authentic and transparent even before we open our mouth. Likewise, when we fear and reverence the Lord, with a humble and contrite heart, we are inevitably able to avoid evil. Because this, too, helps us to have the right heart; a heart of obedience. And the act of obedience, by definition, is the opposite of sin. I don’t believe that these verses are saying that love and fear, in and of themselves, can wipe out sin. But they are necessary ingredients if we are to truly repent and to truly obey.

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Love and reverent fear are biblical attributes that every believer should try to attain and maintain. Proverbs reminds us that the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. And it also reminds us that through love and faithfulness, sin is atoned for. So I would challenge you to examine your heart today. We should all ask ourself, “how much love do I have for others?”, and “do I reverence the Lord as almighty and sovereign?” These are things that shouldn’t occasionally be on our heart and in our mind. They should be ever present, from when we rise in the morning to when we go to bed at night. Because the absence of these attributes mean that we are out of step with the Spirit. When we try to live life without love, we are inevitably selfish, which leads to sin. And when we try to live life without the reverent fear of the Lord, we become prideful and arrogant which also leads to sin. So I encourage you, as I encourage myself, to remember that love covers over a multitude of sins and through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.

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Sin While Fasting

I believe that fasting is one of the most powerful ways we can get God’s attention. As we deny ourselves food for a period of time, sacrificing our basic physiological need, with every hunger pang, we are reminded of our goal to press into God as we appeal to him. Some fast out of desperation, crying out to God for an answer to a pressing issue or for deliverance from something or someone, while others fast regularly as a spiritual discipline, beating their flesh into submission as they also refine and hone their spiritually submission to God. Whatever the reason for our fast, our behavior, and our actions, during our fast are just as important as the act of fasting itself. Isaiah puts it this way in chapter 58 of his book, in verses 3 and 4 which says:

“‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” 

God honors the fast. I’ve seen it with others and I’ve experienced it myself. There have been times when I’ve fasted where God has given me a clear answer to a problem I’ve been facing, when he has redirected my ministry work, or when he has moved mightily on my behalf. You may have experienced the same. But, as we learn in Isaiah, our heart and our actions must be in step with the Spirit during our fast for our efforts to be most effective. God said, “you cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” We cannot walk in sin, or disobedience to God, and expect our fast to move God’s heart. So denying ourselves food for a period of time is only part of the fast. We must also walk in step with the Spirit by disciplining our heart and our will. And I believe that this can best be accomplished if we are in regular communication with the Father through prayer and the reading of his word. That way, not only will he influence our actions and our countenance, but God can uses these two communication methods to speak back to our heart and answer our cries.

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Isaiah reminds us that fasting is more than an act of sacrifice. I believe it is also a purification process, and an act of spiritual submission in obedience and humility. To most effectively move God to action through our fast, we must have our entire self involved in the process; body, mind, soul and spirit. After all, Jesus told us that the greatest commandment is for us to love God with all of our heart, soul and mind. So it would track that our fast should engage these parts of ourself as well. And if we fast the way that Jesus modeled; denying ourself while honoring God, I believe that it would be his pleasure to move on our behalf.

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Christian Attitude

The Bible never said that the life of a Christian would be easy. On the contrary, Jesus said that we will be persecuted and that the world will hate us. The Bible reminds us that it will rain on the just and unjust alike. So calamity can come to anyone. It doesn’t matter how righteous you are. And Paul reminds us that believers are called to maintain a different attitude than other humans. We are to be overly merciful, overly loving, and in some cases un-human. It is the nature of humanity to be selfish, to want to repay evil to those who are evil to us, and to be proud. But, the Bible teaches us that the character of a Christian should be the exact opposite. In Romans, chapter 12, verses 12 through 18, Paul said:

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” 

Becoming a true follower of Christ, exhibiting the Christian attitude that Jesus and Paul tells us that we should have, is counter-culture and counter-human. It reminds us that we are to always take the high road when in conflict with others, we are to always think of others with a loving, merciful and empathetic heart, and we are to be completely faithful in our mission to know God. I encourage you to re-read these verses in Romans and pay close attention to each and every sentence. This is what it means to have a Christian attitude; to trust God, build a close relationship with him, love our enemies, empathize with others, strive to be at peace with one another, check our base human instincts, and to be perfect in the eyes of others. That is a tall order. But isn’t it nice that Paul lays it out so clearly for us? As we reflect on these few verses, we are able to get a clear picture of the attitude we should all have as we occupy space on this earth. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can train ourselves to be counter-culture and un-human. And over time, we may even prefer it.

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As you examine the Christian attitude that Paul suggests every believer should strive to maintain, which directive do you find to be the most difficult? Which area trips you up the most? Is it a lack of faithfulness to prayer? Is it difficult for you to give to those in need? Do you find it hard to empathize with those who are mourning, or are you jealous of those who are blessed and find it difficult to rejoice with them? Are you too proud to associate with those who you feel are beneath you? Do you want to hurt those who hurt you? Whatever your failing, I would challenge you to allow the Holy Spirit to conform you into the likeness of Christ. Jesus was in step with all of the mandates highlighted by Paul in these few verses, and we should aspire to do the same. It is true that these mandates are counter-culture, and some are even counter-human. But we are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. And taking on these characteristics, with the help and the power of the Holy Spirit, will guide us toward that goal.

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Total Dependence

If you live in America, and if you’ve been blessed with a loving family, financial security, and a strong group of friends, it is possible to go several days without reflecting on our need for God. It is possible to buy into the illusion that we are in control; that we direct our future, and that life will continue to play out in our favor. But I would challenge you to train yourself to embrace the truth. The truth is that apart from God, we can do nothing. If we do not remain in him, we can’t bear any fruit. And if we are not able to bear fruit we are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. Jesus reminded us of this in John, chapter 15, verse 4 through 6, which says: 

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” 

Every believer wants to bear fruit. We want to grow in our faith, we want to obey his commands and we want to be used by him. To do this we must remain in him. As true as “without faith it is impossible to please God”, if we do not remain in him we can do nothing. We need to understand and embrace our complete and total dependence on the one who not only saved our soul but who also gives us life. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. A branch out of contact with the vine is lifeless. It is dead. Jesus is our source of life for today and for eternity. Earlier in the book of John, Jesus said that he came that we might have life and have it to the full. True believers understand that the only way we can truly live is to remain connected to Jesus, the vine.

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In America, we are raised to be independent and self-sufficient. But believers know that true strength and security comes from our dependence on God. He is the source for everything we need. Just like an infant is totally dependent on their parents even though, at times, it might be unaware of that, we are dependent on God, even if, at times, we lose track of that truth. When we buy into the illusion of independence, there will come a time when that illusion is shattered. But, if we hold fast to the truth of our dependence on God; if we remain in him as he remains in us, we will realize that whatever happens in life, we will not waver. Jesus said that apart from him we can do nothing. I hope that you and I will never try to do anything apart from him. So I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, to filter all that we are through our relationship with God. Just like a branch that is connected to the vine; the stronger our relationship with him, the more healthy we will be and the more fruit we will bear.

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Good, One Less Thing

After coming through a natural disaster where homes may have been destroyed or the city infrastructure may have been shakened, often times, in the aftermath, you may hear someone say that “we should focus on what is important in life”? Usually meaning that we should focus on those things that money can’t buy like family, love, joy, and peace. If you are familiar with the iconic movie, “Forrest Gump”, you may remember my favorite line from the title character that also highlights this point. It was when Lieutenant Dan shared with Forrest that they were able to make millions from their shrimping business because a major storm virtually wiped out the competition. Forrest’s response was “good, that’s one less thing”. In that moment, Forrest realized what many of us forget. Not only is money not everything, but it is only one of several things that make up life. It should not be our sole pursuit, nor will it bring us what really matters in life. Jesus helps to put this truth in perspective in Matthew, chapter 6, verses 24 through 26 where he says: 

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you eat or drink; about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?” 

“Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Yes, money serves a purpose, and yes money is important. But it shouldn’t drive us. It shouldn’t be our primary pursuit. Jesus reminded us that we can’t serve both God and money. So we need to ask ourselves; is money our pursuit or is God? In a strange way, Forrest Gump also helps us to put things in perspective. For those of us who have been blessed with enough money so that food, clothes and shelter isn’t a daily concern, we realize that this provision is only “one less thing” - one less concern; that life is comprised of more than what money can buy. Though this is true, every believer should take heart in the rest of what Jesus said; “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?” If we are able to truly put our faith and trust in God; if we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, Jesus explains that God will take care of the things that money can provide as well.

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I believe that we can all learn something from Forrest Gump. Because upon learning that he had been blessed with enough money that all of his physical needs were met, he responded by saying, “good, that is one less thing.” To mature believers, having enough money to take care of our physical needs is only “one less thing” to concern ourselves with. In fact, that shouldn’t even be a concern because Jesus explains that God will provide for us. But in truth, God will likely use money to meet our physical needs. However the provision of having our physical needs met is only one less thing because Jesus reminds us that life is more than that. So I would encourage you to pursue God, not money. Either one may serve as a source of security. But money is only an illusion of security, and God is true security. Dependence on God is the only way for a mature believer to live. Because when we have him, not only will he take care of our physical needs, but he will be the source for all of our other needs as well.

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