You can never bring about the Kingdom of God by means of fear (see Romans 14:16-17). It is not the Kingdom of God if it is brought about by fear or coercion.
God allows and respects the freedom of creatures, even to the point of rebellion and blasphemy! The realm of freedom is a prerequisite of virtue, just as it is of sin. It is God's great risk.
Richard Rohr, from The Price of Peoplehood
This should be written up over every desk where people prepare sermons, and in every room where they conduct Bible studies. So much teaching these days, sadly often from the evangelical end of the spectrum, seems to be based on fear. "Don't think that - it isn't Biblical." "Don't ask those questions - it shows lack of faith." "Don't trust, or even love, those people, they'll lead you astray." "Don't read that, it'll poison your mind." "Here be dragons!" "There be demons!"
I don't know which text some people have concealed between the covers of their NIV Study Bible or their NLT Life Application Bible. My Bible contains 1 John 4.16b-19: "God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgement, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us."
God is love. He is also the God of Heaven and earth and all the is, has been and ever will be. Of what should we be afraid, if we are following our Lord, who trusted his Father to the Cross and beyond, into eternal life?
1 comment:
Amen, amen, amen!
Perfect love casts out fear. How is there still so much fear around?
Our love for each other in the Body is so important, isn't it.
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