2319AFC051223 – Sanctifying Fear
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Acts 8:14-17 – 14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit 16 (for as yet the Spirit had not come] upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 66:16, 20 –
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.
1 Peter 3:14-15 – 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you
John 14:21 – 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Grace and Peace to each of you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus the Christ, in the Power of the Holy Spirit. Alrighty then, who’s afraid of God? Is this an image of God that usually comes to mind when you think of him?
If you’ve spent any time reading the Old Testament – especially 2 Chronicles – you know that lots of people died either directly from “the hand of God,” or from those whom God empowered to wipe out his (and/or Israel’s) enemies including the nearly-genocidal extinctions of the Seven Nations of Canaan. Steve Wells, a self-proclaimed atheist, authored a book titled “Drunk With Blood: God’s Killings In The Bible” which seems to stretch the truth more than a few times by negatively manipulating Scripture. In it he has done a “deep see dive” into the number of persons killed by, or for, or in the name of God. He estimates it to be as high as 25,000,000 – twenty-five-million. Most of those are in the Old Testament, with considerably less than 1,000 in the New Testament. Most people, including Christians of all stripes, “sorta-kinda” know about some of that, but will excuse it as “probably justified and necessary” because God was wiping out sinners or folks opposed to his Law (which, by the way, is Torah – the Entire Law of God, including since about 300 AD, all 613 Mitzvot (↔ Learning Link), not just The Ten Commandments). On the other hand, some of us can think of God as a nice grampa type who benevolently watches over us as in this painting of God the Father by Giovanni Battista Cima, also called Cima da Conegliano (c. 1459 – c. 1517). In my heart, this is the way I think of the Author of Life and of the Absolutely Perfect Plan.
Earlier this year, in 2304AFC012723 – The Discipline of Discipleship, we featured The Emerald Throne from Art created by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 1992, 2002. For me, personally, that is more in line with how I imagine “my El Shaddai-Olam” in my morning prayers (← Check it out!). Some of you who might know my Facebook page will recognize this logo on my Facebook home screen:
This image reminds us there is a “proper fear,” the Fear of the Lord, which includes adoration, thanksgiving, and praise – like Standing Ovation Praise. Now, most of us know that when we see that phrase – fear of the Lord – it does not always mean we are to be afraid of God. It means to be in awe of God, to reverence and to venerate him by honoring and respecting him, and to know he is our Creator, our Salvation, and our Enduring Hope. Fear Not, because you Fear God! Fear Not and Know Fear. (← Check it out!) Someone has written that there are 365 instances in the Bible that tell us not to be afraid. I’d say that is pretty convincing evidence that being afraid in our lives is not what God intended for us. Here’s a good quote from the following selections in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke: Matthew 10:28 – 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. And Luke 12:5 – 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! (Use the link to see about 20 translations of this passage from Luke.)
I used to think that passage refers to Satan, but it does not. It is referring to God’s final judgment after the Resurrection. In my admittedly limited experience, that is the only time Jesus told us to be afraid of God – or did he? Could we not read that as “rather give reverence to him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” instead?
In most instances when we read, “Fear God,” we know it means to reverence God, to give God our awe and admiration for his Magnificence as Creator of the Universe (including each of us). Note that God created the universe. God is not the universe and the universe is not God. Mysteriously, God is omnipresent in the universe but still separate from it. The substance of the universe is only the universe, and the substance of God is only God. Now that we have that out of the way (I hope), let’s take a look at “sanctifying.”
To sanctify is to consecrate, to set apart, to purify, dedicate, to ascribe the qualities of sacredness and holiness. When we ask God to sanctify our actions (↔ Music Link) or our very selves, we are asking him to help us to be wholly holy as he has commanded. Let us recall the word from The Apostle Peter: 1 Peter 1:13-16 – 13 Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14 Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15 Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (See also Matthew 5:48 – 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Most of us are afraid we will never live up to that standard! If so, it is because we are forgetting how very much God loves us (his Only Begotten Son teaches us that). So many times in Scripture God says, “Don’t be afraid.” Jesus repeatedly told the Apostles, “Fear not,” or “Do not be afraid.” How do we keep from being afraid of God?
First, be faithful to the Gospel. In the words of the simple instructions Jesus gave at the beginning of his ministry (and the end of John’s) – “Repent and believe the Gospel.” Prophecies that do not include a call to repentance were instantly recognized as false prophecies. We must start out with Faith that is nurtured and pruned through repentance. That is how we face and overcome the fear that all of the commotion around us can stir up. That is the second thing we must do. We must not fear.
You see, it is fear that the Foe uses to make us abandon our mission to go to all corners of Earth to proclaim the Good News. Satan uses F.E.A.R. to keep us in doubt and desire to keep us dissatisfied. We don’t have to submit to those tactics; in fact, we must not buy that line of baloney from Satan or his minions among our fellow earthlings. Some time ago I sent you a very special music link: Be Not Afraid (↔ Music Link). Maybe you could watch it again? We cannot, must not, should not be afraid to make the Gospel known and to live it as completely as we can. We know that Jesus has told us he is always with us, that God is always watching over us, and – as the Apostle Paul said – “all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, who are called according to his purpose.” (See Romans 8:28) Ah, that last little phase there is quite the hook! For what purpose are we called? We are called to be faithful, to testify from the housetops (see Matthew 10:26-33, especially verses 32 and 33), and to reverence God. Check out the APP if you believe it’s OK to wait until That Great Day to make up your mind about God’s judgment.
God Our Father himself said, Isaiah 41:10 – 10 … do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. We have Jesus’ word as well in John 16:33 – 33 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world! So, Belovéd, what shall we do? Scripture shows us we need not be afraid, so what outlook should we embrace? Let’s choose Psalm 37:3 – 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Again, who can do that, and how? Here’s what God himself says about this: Leviticus 20:7-8 – 7 Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes, and observe them; I am the Lord; I sanctify you. I can’t do it! Can you do it? (Remember last week we said ” Prayer is a gift of Grace. We cannot give Grace to ourselves any more than we can give Salvation to ourselves. Grace comes from God, God is always of and in community.”)
God will sanctify us if we consecrate our complete selves to him which means we Love him, we obey him, we give him primacy in all things by living our lives as his servants following the example of Christ. Our “fear of the Lord” is our loving reverence for his majestic benevolence across all of his Creation – including us, Belovéd. That reverence is what effects, brings about, is the outcome of letting him be God and letting ourselves be his children. That relationship is the consecrating reverence, the sanctifying fear, that makes us able to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. If he will sanctify us, we can sanctify – to consecrate, to set apart, to purify, to dedicate, to ascribe the qualities of sacredness and holiness – our reverence for him and his magnificent Love and Salvation. God does Sanctify us when we are baptized, when the Bishop lays his hands on us and we receive the Holy Spirit when we are confirmed (see Acts 8:14-17 above), when we rightly receive the Eucharist, when we offer our lives as witnesses to his Kingdom, and more as when in our hearts sanctify Christ as Lord – God is always finding ways to make us his!
Next time we’re tempted to think of God as a mean old man (an image sent to us by the Tempter), let’s just remember this from 1 John 4:18 – 18 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. Jesus said it like this in John 14:21 – 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them. We are sanctified in and because of his Love. As the Psalmist said, Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast Love from me. If you review our Key Verse from Psalms, you will see – and receive – an invitation: Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. When we reverence God, our sanctification comes as we worship him and he blesses us. Our reverence is sanctifying as we set aside our wants to give God Glory and Praise (↔ Music Link). As we read in our Key Verse from 1 John 2:4-6 whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk just as he walked. (↔ Music Link)
Belovéd, let us all sanctify our fear by giving him All Glory, Laud, and Honor. (↔ Music Link) Let this be our daily Prayer:
Almighty Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – I love You. I worship You. I adore You. I praise You. I glorify Your name. I give you thanks for revealing your Great Glory through Christ Jesus Our Lord. I ask you to enlighten, guide, strengthen, and console me. Teach me Your will and empower and inspire me to fulfill it completely, for it is my heart’s desire to serve You well in all that You ask of me and everything that You allow to happen to me. Only make Your will known, and grant me the graces necessary to faithfully follow You to the place You have prepared for me. I offer You this prayer in the name of Jesus, The Christ, our Lord who lives and reigns with God, The Father Almighty, in the unity of The Holy Spirit, The Lord, the Giver of Life. AMEN.
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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