At the Honor Academy, they talk a lot about the “fear of the Lord.” You are cautioned not to become too “chummy” or familiar with God – after all, He is the King of Kings, the God of the Universe and you need to show him the proper respect. Here is a recent comment to illustrate:
I believe the “Aura of a Statesman” falls under the Excellence core value. Moses and Paul are from a different culture. Moses may not have been an excellent speaker but he grew up as royalty in the king’s house which taught him “protocol”. He was raised by a king so he knew how to treat the King of Kings. That is why there is a scripture that talks about how close Moses was to God…
In America we live under a democracy. We choose our elected officials. This seems great but it hasn’t taught us how to treat or deal with royalty. We don’t understand the protocol. God is the King of Kings. We have no point of reference in our society of a King.
This week, I also received this email from an alumnus:
I actually owned a CD set of John Bevere teaching “The Fear of the Lord” as a path to intimacy with God. I’m not sure where the intimacy would come in, but his primary message was that we don’t respect God enough in church. We want to be all chummy with Jesus, but He’s God, and God is powerful and could kill us instantly if He wanted to. I remember he yelled most of his teaching on the CD.
Both of these comments seem to suggest that the fear of God is an extremely important, if not primary way, that we are to approach and deal with God. Probably the most oft-quoted Scripture in this regards is from Proverbs 1:7a
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge
Notice it says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, not the culmination. Its the starting point, not the ending point. Its kind of like saying, “Kindergarten is the beginning of scho ol.” You start in kindergarten, some important things happen there, but you don’t aspire to stay there. Eventually, you grow and move beyond the basics.
So what does the New Testament say about approaching God as King through fear? Does God want us to primarily approach him through a servant/King dynamic? Does he want us to be afraid of Him?
1) The law was given to bring us to Christ. We do not stay enslaved to, or afraid of, the law.
Galatians 3:25-25: Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.
2) Instead of being slaves, we are now God’s friends through Christ.
John 15:15: I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
2b) We are also adopted into His family now. God is our daddy and He doesn’t want us to be afraid of Him any more.
Romans 8:15-16:For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
3) Through Christ, we can approach God with freedom and confidence, not fear.
Ephesians 3:12 : In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
4) We have a mediator that sympathizes with us so we don’t have to be afraid.
Hebrews 4:16 – Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
5) We can actually rely on God’s love for us! We don’t have to fear judgment! Fear actually shows our immaturity, not our maturity.
I John 4: 16-18: And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
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Now, I’m no expert on this topic. And there certainly are NT references to fearing God. But, all Scripture has to be interpreted in light of Jesus because He is the image of the invisible God. In light of who Jesus was and the way He revealed the Father as sympathetic to us and loving us tells me that the way TM teaches fear is not reflective of the heart of God. We are to come to him with boldness, freedom, confidence and without fear. The HA teaches you to fear God’s punishment – but I John says that you don’t understand God’s love if you still fear his punishment. So who are you going to believe: Jesus or the Honor Academy?
17 comments:
When I think of “fear” in the biblical sense I think of respect. I don’t think of fear as being afraid of God.
These teachings seem to contradict some of the teaching that were present when I was at the HA. The whole “Dating God” and having “coffee with Jesus” seemed to show that God is rather chummy with us.
I know what you are talking about RA and Shannon. That was the most confusing part of all, there was this strange dichotomy fear God so much that you can’t even speak, and then go sit on his lap and tell him all your problems!
How confusing!
Good Post RA. Thanks for writing, ” all Scripture has to be interpreted in light of Jesus because He is the image of the invisible God.”
We live in the time of the Greatest Commandment. Love. When we center our lives around Love all the other things (standards) we are so trying to “be” (or uphold) will find it’s place. Yet, it won’t be because we so rigidly followed all the “rules.” It will be because we have stepped into the LOVE of Jesus.
I have been blessed with a very Good Earthly Father. He and I “Chum” around all the time. Even yesterday, He and I hung out together. However, I still reverence him as my Daddy. When he speaks into my life I listen. Even, If I really don’t agree. Then I thank him for caring about me so much. (The coolest thing is that he allows me to explain my heart and share with him why I may disagree because He has respect for me as well. I truly believe God respects how we feel, think, perceive, grow…)
I believe that this is the kind of “fear” God asks of us. To reverence Him and like Shannon Kish says, to “respect” Him. And in return, He gives us a certain amount of that respect too. I think in order to be intimate with someone we must have that exchange of Love. He is a Good God.
RA, thanks for all the thoughtfulness you put into your posts. I hope this comment comes across in the same Love I have written it. I am not a “writer.” (That’s obvious). Basically, I am agreeing with this post and adding why I do agree. (Sorry for the lack of excellence in my typing. haha.)
I think the “fear” referred to elsewhere in the NT is caused by what C. S. Lewis referred to as “the Numinous”– not the fear that something will hurt or punish you (like a man-eating tiger or a nasty schoolteacher) but the feeling of being in the presence of the Other (e.g. ghosts or spirits). You don’t fear a ghost because you think it’s necessarily going to do something bad to you, but “fear” is still very much the right word for your emotion.
I just read The Graveyard Book in which the main character is a boy raised by ghosts (it’s a bit complicated). So on the one hand, he’s perfectly right to be friendly and chummy and affectionate with the ghosts. On the other hand, the ghosts are still sometimes unsettling and freaky by definition. Not because they’re going to hurt him–they love him–just because they’re ghosts! (The book makes a lot of this; it’s a very enjoyable read.)
Or as C. S. Lewis put it, “Of course He isn’t safe, but He’s good!”
As for the fear that God is going to hurt or punish you, you’re absolutely right–“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“Or as C. S. Lewis put it, “Of course He isn’t safe, but He’s good!”
Yeah Eric. I’m with ya on that.
The Graveyard Book = fun read
“Or as C. S. Lewis put it, ‘Of course He isn’t safe, but He’s good!'”
This is the truth. The “fear of God” is not the same as “being afraid of God”. God is to be honored and respected. We do have grace through Jesus to approach Him with confidence, however, that confidence does not equal disrespectfulness. Those terms (fear, confidence, casual, respectful, disrespectful) can be interpreted and applied in a church environment differently ways by various generations.
This is what TM taught during my time with them.
For me, I have always believed that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings and that God and Jesus Christ are not the same people. God is our father in heaven whose image we were created in, and Jesus Christ is our brother, who was sent to do God’s will . And, I think that a relationship with God is very personal, and there is no reason that someone can’t be close to him- if we are his children why would we not confide in him and respect him like our earthly fathers? Whenever I hear the phrase “fear God” I always think of respect and not literal fear. He doesn’t want us to be afraid of him and we have no reason to fear him (in the literal sense) if we are doing what is right.
I should first mention that I have never had any direct experience with TM, but I grew up going to Christian schools where this “Fear the Lord; God is your best friend” confusion was taught. A chapel speaker would teach us how/why we should fear God, and would have single verses to support his/her message. The next week a teacher would talk about how we can have a personal/intimate relationship, complete with verses to support the message. But I have never heard a speaker reconcile these two messages together. And in real life I have never had a best friend whom I feared would do me physical harm if I did something wrong.
When I think about God these days I find myself thinking about Jesus and the stories we have of him while he was on the earth. If Jesus is God (either in a separate components of the trinity or as a single God that expresses it’s “Godness”in different ways) than wouldn’t we be able to see these characteristics of God in Jesus?
May I just say that it like all things is a balance. Yes we are beloved friends and children of God but you also must remember He is indeed the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He is due respect and obedience if not for His power and position but simply for what He has done for us. Being friendly and intimate with the Lord and also being respectful and reverent are not opposites in my mind, they are complimantary I believe.
The often overlooked meaning of “Fear of the Lord”….
Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Btw I have been involved with 2 GE missions trips and applied to attend the Honor Academy this coming August and am awaiting their reply. Im sorry you seem to have had a bad experience but what I have seen of them and their work and the impact it has had on most graduate interns I have meet in the way they persue God and His will in their lives is a great thing that I plan to make the most of.
Good luck, Justin. And, I mean that sincerely. I hope that you do NOT have to go through the same pain and abuse that many many alumni endured.
Run any speaker under a fine tooth comb long enough and you’ll find more flaws then you can imagine. Either declare you are perfect or stop posting ridiculous nit picky rage because you couldn’t make the cut or dropped out of ESOAL or w/e else. It’s sad people are allowed to post whatever cap they want on this side aside from the actual truth behind HA.
Rofl I am pretty sure the -Bible- you know the truth.. says frequently throughout that fearing God is important, its smart, it makes since and it is to hate evil.. so I don’t understand why you would think otherwise.. maybe give er another read through?
Christian, I am pretty sure that the Bible– you know, the truth– was actually quoted directly seven times in the post above. e.g. “The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love without fear is the perfection of wisdom.
How about you go give the Bible another read-through. You might be surprised.
The apparent contradiction here is that we are told to both love and fear God, and yet 1 John says there is no fear in love. However, fear can mean two different things. The word “fear,” according to Merriam-Webster, has two present-day usages:
3 : to have a reverential awe of
4 : to be afraid of : expect with alarm
1 Peter 2:17 and the verses listed next to it use “fear” in the first sense, as is evident from their context. For example, Psalm 33:8 says, “Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.” (And reverential awe, or profound respect, is compatible with love.) 1 John 4:18 uses “fear” in the second sense, as is also evident from context – punishment is something to be afraid of. Thus Christians are to love God and stand in awe of him, but not to be terrified of him.
-http://www.rationalchristianity.net/fear_god.html-
I think that is well written enough, better said than how I could have said it.. I don’t have much a way with words XD
Christian – Sounds like both you and I are in agreement that TM is incorrect when they teach interns to be terrified of God.