FEAR NOT

Worry is conforming to the world’s way of responding to the pressures of life, Worry is fear all dressed up... masquerading as something normal... we all worry, right? But, for the blood bought saint, worry vents our fears, giving fear a voice denouncing our faith in God. This makes worry about the worse thing a saint can do. There are only two ways for a saint to respond to the pressures of life, either Fear or Trust, and they are diametrical opposites that cannot co-exist. And just as fear bears the fruit of worry, and ultimately depression, trust bears the fruit of love, joy, and peace... even in the worse storms of life. Our fruit always tells on our heart. Following is a reflection on how David, the great psalmist, handled worry by destroying fear with the reality of God’s sovereignty:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off.You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; in You I take shelter.  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul; for I am Your servant.                                                                                  

FOR I AM WITH YOU

(Psalms 139:1-18 & 143:8-12)

UNIVERSALISM: THE ABUSE OF GRACE AND LOVE

THE ABUSE OF GRACE: The Apostle Paul dealt with the abuse of Grace in many passages, including Romans 5:21-6:2 (John’s translation): “Just as our sin nature has ruled us and will cause our physical death and eternal separation from God in Hell, so also our right standing with God will allow God’s enabling power to rule us, providing heavenly life of endless duration through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say to this?  Shall we continue to allow our sin nature to rule us that God’s saving grace and mercy may increase more and more? God forbid, may it never be!  How can we who have died to our sin nature continue any longer to spend our life under its control?” How indeed...

We are either slaves to our past, slaves to our habits or slaves to God.  Either our sin nature will rule us or God will rule us. Grace gives diplomatic immunity: “But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20B NKJV).  The grace of God has been given in greater measure than needed and will always be “more than enough” for sinner’s with a repentant heart.  This in no way implies we should flagrantly sin and presume upon God’s grace.  “Shall we continue to allow our sin nature to rule us that God’s saving grace and mercy may increase more and more? God forbid, may it never be”! The phrase “God forbid” used in this passage is the strongest Greek idiom for repudiating a statement, and does not indicate when or how God forbids.  We don’t know when we have gone too far, when we have crossed the line where God’s merciful Grace is no longer available.  God’s Grace is not automatically applied to those who sin willfully; the existence of grace and mercy do not guarantee application if one does not seek and desire God’s help.  If a born again believer willingly and deliberately commits sin, with full knowledge that it is sin, there simply is no guarantee of abounding grace. Access to God’s throne of grace may be justifiably denied. Such a believer spurns and tramples underfoot Christ’s atoning work, treating as common, unholy and profane the precious blood of Jesus, and insulting and outraging the Holy Spirit, the one who imparts Grace (Heb. 10:26-31). Grace is amazing and awesome, but it is not ours to fragrantly abuse and wastefully expend. Nowhere does God’s word teach a Grace that supersedes God’s command to holiness or demand for Justice.

THE ABUSE OF LOVE:  John made the primary assertion that "God is Love." 'God" has the definite article and "love" is anarthrous; the predicate is expressing the quality, character, or nature of the article here. This means, God as to His nature is love, He has a nature that is loving. But God is not literally ‘Love”, God is not an emotion! John also states “God is Spirit” using the same Greek grammatical construction; God has a nature that is spirit, not physical or visible. John also said “God is Light” and in Him is no darkness at all. Paul said God dwells in unapproachable light... His glory, the metaphor being God’s brilliant glory penetrates the sin darkened soul of man. The Psalms tell us “God is a Just Judge”, and God calls Himself “A Just God” in Isaiah. God applies justice within His own infinitely wise council neither needing nor heeding the council of man. The Bible states categorically, unconditionally and repeatedly that “God is Holy.” The standards of God’s holiness were not created, they exist as an integral part of His nature, from eternity past to eternity future, and they are not negotiable. Much of the N.T. is about the reconciliation of God's Love and God's Justice, which is found in the cross. God's holy demand for Justice made the cross necessary, providing the opportunity for His Love to be demonstrated. We simply cannot dissect God's nature and attributes, He is infinite in all of His perfections, holy in all His ways. It would be most foolish to think God’s love for us would somehow override His command to holiness or His demand for Justice. Blindness of this magnitude is motivated by man's desire to "help" God by tweaking His message. "Cool" and "Relevant" are the “in” gospel adjectives, the mortar of which strongholds are built. But God... well, He is still the same...