Knowing The Terror Of The Lord

[Michael The Disciple]

Paul knew the terror of the Lord. He thought of it as a good thing. He linked it to being accepted by the Lord and the judgment. In the end time restoration we will hear more about it. Todays teaching either ignores it or opposes such teaching. They know only about a "nice" Jesus.

8 We are confident , I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour , that, whether present or absent , we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done , whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. 2 Cor. 5:8-11

Paul says we labor to be accepted by Christ. That we will stand before him for how we have lived. If we fear God now it will help us to overcome sin.

1. Love God
2. Fear God

These two principals will assure our acceptance into the Heavenly Kingdom. They work together not against each other.

[bbyrd009]

I think there is a trial by fire if you will that a Christian must face, and we even have a story for it. While I generally translate (insert Hebrew word here) "respect," respect is not what you're gonna be feeling the first time you're anywhere near the Presence of God...I'm pretty sure you're going to be looking for a hole to hide in, lol. "Terror" describes this quite well.

[houston]

Love God. Fear God.

Balance, balance.

Nice Jesus was like a splash of fresh water. The mean Jesus waiting for me to mess up so He can kill me and send me to hell caused major anxiety issues for me.

I am glad to know the loving, patient Jesus. He picks me up when I fall. He corrects me when I am wrong. Balance, balance.

But, I will say that many want to know Him in the power of His resurrection. Not many want to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering. Somewot off topic, I apologize.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by bbyrd009

I think there is a trial by fire if you will that a Christian must face, and we even have a story for it. While I generally translate (insert Hebrew word here) "respect," respect is not what you're gonna be feeling the first time you're anywhere near the Presence of God...I'm pretty sure you're going to be looking for a hole to hide in, lol. "Terror" describes this quite well.

Right! The Hebrew words used for this are incredible to consider. And yes, I am intimately acquainted with the "fear of the Lord." It's life changing...

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by houston

Love God. Fear God.

Balance, balance.

Nice Jesus was like a splash of fresh water. The mean Jesus waiting for me to mess up so He can kill me and send me to hell caused major anxiety issues for me.

I am glad to know the loving, patient Jesus. He picks me up when I fall. He corrects me when I am wrong. Balance, balance.

But, I will say that many want to know Him in the power of His resurrection. Not many want to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering. Somewot off topic, I apologize.

Right. I spent so long knowing for sure that I wasn't the kind of person He wanted. Getting to know "the nice Jesus" is the only reason I'm living for Him today. I think more sinners understand the judgment of God than some Christians like to give them credit for. I wish more sinners knew the passionate love of God as well as they know His judgment.

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by houston

Love God. Fear God.

Balance, balance.

Nice Jesus was like a splash of fresh water. The mean Jesus waiting for me to mess up so He can kill me and send me to hell caused major anxiety issues for me.

I am glad to know the loving, patient Jesus. He picks me up when I fall. He corrects me when I am wrong. Balance, balance.

But, I will say that many want to know Him in the power of His resurrection. Not many want to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering. Somewot off topic, I apologize.

Could you please name someone whether a Preacher or Teacher who claims to be a Christian that teaches Jesus is waiting for you to mess up so he can kill you?

Its sayings like this that have dulled mens hearts to the truth. The truth is Jesus opposes SIN. Many times men blunt the force of that word by saying they "messed up".

We are so used to hearing cliches we think of them as being true. Jesus is not looking around hoping to find his people in sin so he can punish them. His teachings are given us that we may know how to PLEASE HIM.

If one sets their heart to please Jesus, doing his will they will find favor with him. If they take no heed to separate their lives to him his face will be against them.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

The Lord desires fellowship and intimacy with his sons and daughters. Yet he will stand against them if they sin.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

Could you please name someone whether a Preacher or Teacher who claims to be a Christian that teaches Jesus is waiting for you to mess up so he can kill you?

Its sayings like this that have dulled mens hearts to the truth. The truth is Jesus opposes SIN. Many times men blunt the force of that word by saying they "messed up".

We are so used to hearing cliches we think of them as being true. Jesus is not looking around hoping to find his people in sin so he can punish them. His teachings are given us that we may know how to PLEASE HIM.

If one sets their heart to please Jesus, doing his will they will find favor with him. If they take no heed to separate their lives to him his face will be against them.

10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

The Lord desires fellowship and intimacy with his sons and daughters. Yet he will stand against them if they sin.

You're only speaking to Christians in this post. You are not speaking to the lost and the message they hear. There are "pet sins" that some churches seem to preach hard about every. single. time. the. door. is. open. Trust me, that message gets out, loud and clear, that God hates the sin so much the sinner has no chance of approaching Him. I will absolutely NOT name preachers or churches where this kind of thing goes on. I'm afraid if I started, I'd have to type all night.

Even the verse you quoted... "but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." How do "the evil" dare approach this God?? His face is against them, He doesn't want them, He can't stand them... I know this isn't what you're trying to say, and I know even in some of these churches with the "pet sins" that they spend so much time on, it's not what they're trying to say. But it's very, very hard to hear anything else when the message of judgment is so loud. You really do not have to tell a sinner they've sinned. The presence of God is awesome and the Spirit reveals more deeply than any preacher could ever preach. But it's done in love, that draws a person to Christ, it never pushes them away. Preach the Jesus of love and compassion and mercy and grace and introduce sinners to Him and let Him change their hearts and convict of sin. He does hate sin...because it keeps us from being who we were created to be and keeps us from doing what we were created to do....worship Him.

Please do not think I "go easy" on sin. I absolutely do not. I can't. The cost is too high.

[bbyrd009]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

The Lord desires fellowship and intimacy with his sons and daughters. Yet he will stand against them if they sin.

Ha, it's just that simple. Nice Houston, and I agree with manifesting that Christ, def. Understand that there is a terrible aspect of God, which is not revealed in an avoidance or ignorance of hate and death, however. There is a sense in which you should be familiar with these concepts in order to be "sly as a fox," and we have horrible concepts of both hate, death, and other "negative" sounding concepts (hate is not a sin, as many suspect, and the day of your death is better than the day of your birth)
http://www.wikihow.com/Hate

[Michael The Disciple]

You're only speaking to Christians in this post. You are not speaking to the lost and the message they hear. There are "pet sins" that some churches seem to preach hard about every. single. time. the. door. is. open. Trust me, that message gets out, loud and clear, that God hates the sin so much the sinner has no chance of approaching Him. I will absolutely NOT name preachers or churches where this kind of thing goes on. I'm afraid if I started, I'd have to type all night.

Its pretty odd. In 37 years of being around Christians I have never heard one Preacher or Teacher ever say Jesus is out there hoping his children will fall so he can hurt or kill them. I DO always hear Christians SAY that they hear this but I have never YET had one NAME THE NAME of one who said it. Probably because such teaching does not exist in the Christian Church.

Are there Teachers that say we should fear God if we sin? I have heard a small number teach this and I highly encourage it because it is true and would help many see that God does expect holiness from his people.

But it's very, very hard to hear anything else when the message of judgment is so loud. You really do not have to tell a sinner they've sinned. The presence of God is awesome and the Spirit reveals more deeply than any preacher could ever preach. But it's done in love, that draws a person to Christ, it never pushes them away. Preach the Jesus of love and compassion and mercy and grace and introduce sinners to Him and let Him change their hearts and convict of sin.

This is the modern thinking. Paul preached judgment to a Governor of the Roman Empire

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance , and judgment to come , Felix trembled , and answered , Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. Acts 24:25

Paul did not only preach the love of God. He preached the WHOLE counsel of God. As we should today.

[KeptByTheWord]

I distinctly remembered this story when reading your post MTD. Exodus 20:18-20. Moses had just given the Israelites the 10 commandments. The Israelites began cowering in fear and stood afar off when God began to reveal himself in the mountain with thunderings, lightenings, the noise of a trumpet and the mountain smoking.

Exodus 20:19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not GOD speak with us lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces that ye sin not.

The TERROR of the Lord was very evident here for the children of Israel! They would rather Moses dealt with this, then themselves. They needed a mediator. May I say that Jesus is our mediator, between the terror of God, and justly due judgement, as Moses was their mediator between God, and them? There was great FEAR in their heart because they could not deal with God on their own abilities. With Moses ( I think) being a type of Jesus, as the mediator between God and man, they needed a mediator between the fear, judgement, and terror of the Lord.

It does do us good to remember there is a God to be feared. We have been given the way now into mercy and grace, and the blood of Jesus is our covering. But it will be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God on the day of judgment. SO much more should the blood of Jesus and the message of the cross be preached. Without the blood of Jesus, we would not be able to stand before God, but because we have been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb, there is no more fear in our hearts.

A wonderful scripture to remember concerning LOVE and FEAR:

1 John 4: 16-18 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We will have BOLDNESS in the day of judgment! Why? Because as we have taken on Jesus and his blood is our covering, God will look at the blood of Jesus on our lives, and mercy will be extended to us.

So yes, there is terror, there is fear, apart from the blood of Jesus, but because His blood was shed, there is hope for us now. We are covered by his Blood, and fear of the judgment is ours no more, but as this verse says, we may have "boldness in the day of judgement" Talk about exciting!! This is the message to be preached, don't you think!!!