Someone in a post
was upset about the need to fear God and that organized Churches fed into that
fear as a means of control. That if he
loved so why did we need to be in fear of him?
It isn't uncommon
for the reference to God Fearing Man to be misconstrued as a negative in our
relationship with God. This type of
argument I've heard before. In Biblical
times and in modern day theology fearing God means to be in state of reverence
or in awe. We use the word fear in our
everyday lives as a bases to avoid things, like riding a motorcycle for fear of
an lethal accident or avoiding snakes for fear of being bitten. This does not pertain to Scripture. Easiest way I have found to understand
Scripture with fear is to substitute the word awe or reverence in its
place.
This doesn't work
100% of the time but gives you an idea:
Example:
- Old Testament
And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they
shall wisely consider of his doing.
It could read - And
all men shall revere, and
shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
- Old Testament
The God of Abraham,
and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob
sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
It could read -
The God of Abraham,
and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob
sware by the awe of his father Isaac.
Most of the rest of
the references in Scripture referring to fear is to fear not. Understandably when people thought that they
might be crossways with God did have a certain degree of fear. After all he did drown the world at one
point, threw Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and has blasted people with
lighting from time to time. But, the
scriptures says not to fear for God does love us and provides us a means to
return to him.
Churches are
required by the Lord after the fashion of the church he organized on the earth
with the 12 apostles. To vilify churches
is like saying guns kill people where really people kill people they just
sometimes use guns. Our relationship
with God is a personal one thus the one purpose of many to gather together for
worship is to shore one another up in the face of the adversities of the world
today. Just as there are good and bad
people some hid behind their Bible for
nefarious purposes and others aren't hiding but extending their Bible in front
of them to share. It isn't us to judge
but to have caution as to who we will align ourselves with. Some people in some churches leach and some
don't and are sincere. It is up to us to
choose wisely through prayer, study and discernment as to which is which.
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