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HEART * MINISTRY * MISCELLANIES *

Friday, January 18, 2008

Question my salvation ? YES
If FEAR is the beginning of wisdom.....

What do we say about the light and breezy services happening at so many churches.
Yes, I'm still a bit perturbed about Osteen, and others like him who think that the Gospel is some self-esteem "have heaven now" garbage....but over and above that even.

Wrestling MUCH when I was first saved in 2000 - over this "fear of the Lord" I went around asking people what they thought that it meant. MOST people said "reverence" or "awe of God" with a smile on their face and a pretended profoundness. Okay well, I was a baby Christian asking other baby Christians what it means to "fear Him who can cast soul and body into Hell"
When we had just had the wrath removed from our heads - it really didn't make sense that a believer should fear the God their Father..........none of us could grasp this concept it seemed.

Well, in March of 2005....I found myself paralyzed after a sermon called "The present effects at trembling at the wrath of God." http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2005/

I sat in the pew for about an hour that night after he finished speaking.........in shock that I feared the one whom I love and pray to......and the fear was mingled with joy to be on this side of his wrath.......comforted also, by the words of my pastor :
"I said a few moments ago, If you know God for who he really is in the greatness of his holiness and justice and wrath and grace, you will tremble in his presence. And this is not something you will grow out of. In fact the immature must grow into it."

Three facets of knowledge have contributed to produce joyful fear and trembling in my life and the lives of many dear brothers and sisters that I know and love.

* The more we know truly- what we deserve, due to our inability forsake sin without the grace of God and to do righteousness

* The more we know GOD himself, His CHARACTER and HOLINESS.......that we've sinned against the one who deserves infinitely and absolutely, our obedience and loyalty and love, the more we realize how much we deserve hell.

* The more we understand the WAYS of God and the foreshadows He has given to show us that the cross was where He was headed throughout the entire course of history.....the more we understand the IMMENSENESS of the meaning and reasons and precious beauty of Calvary.

Sidenote:
I HIGHLY recommend checking out the YouTube posted on this blog called
"ARE YOU SAVED?"-
http://denyyourselfdaily.blogspot.com/

Every believer should examine themselves........regularly.
RC Sproul said yesterday on the radio broadcast, reiterating the command to "make our calling and election sure"
That many will say "LORD, LORD" to Jesus.......implying a personal relationship with him......just as there are some people who walk around after a one time meeting a celebrity and act as though they are intimate friends with them. So also, many professors of Christianity have 'met' Jesus and think that on judgement day simply saying "Jesus died for my sins" is some sort of password that will remove the wrath of God and excuse them of the wicked and lukewarm life they lived here on earth.

Press on to know and love and fear the Lord our God......

"Listen to the way the Bible says it so paradoxically, and yet, all true saints know what these words mean.
Psalm 2:11, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
This fear is shot through with joy.
Isaiah 11:3, “And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.”
This fear is full of delight.
Nehemiah 1:11, “O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer . . . of your servants who delight to fear your name.”
This fear is what the saints delight to experience."

We thank God for your ministry of His word Pastor Piper.
In Christ Jesus by His merciful doing,
Jen2

1 Comments:

At 1/26/2008 6:16 AM, Blogger Craver Vii said...

Wise counsel. I hope these words are heard and taken to heart.

 

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