I need to give myself a bit of a break today, so I'm just going to share with you what I chatted with the Lord about yesterday concerning this. It was right after I had posted the study and I had to go to an appointment so I took that opportunity to chat with Him on the drive over there.
I was concerned that I wasn't getting across what He wanted me to and I told Him that I felt it was really extra hard for us to understand His Word about certain things, especially for those of us living in America, but others who live in modern countries as well. I've talked to Him about this quite a few times at length, so this wasn't anything new except that this time I wanted to try and get the concept across to others and not just myself.
I have pointed out to him various passages to make my point:
Romans 7:25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Revelation 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
Matthew 27:11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
Matthew 18:32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Luke 17:9-10 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’ ”
2 Corinthians 6:4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
Matthew 20:27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Here and now, we honestly don't have any real concept of slavery, or masters, or Kings, or dictators etc. At least I don't. Oh I know what the words mean; I know history and what various kings, dictators slaves, servants, and masters have done, both good and bad, but I have no emotional knowledge of what it means to live under a King (a real King, not like the Queen of England is now) or to be a Master, or to be a slave. I think the closest we come to it is when we're children and we have to live (hopefully) by the rules our parents make until we're old enough to move out. I've tried to imagine what it would be like for someone (a Master or a King etc) to give me an order and expect me to obey it--something I didn't want to do; and I honestly can't wrap my mind around it. I think things like, "well, I'd run away, I'd hide, I'd say no" etc. Even knowing from all my reading that would most likely warrant a beating or worse. See, I have the head knowledge, but I don't have the heart knowledge. I can't imagine living with that kind of fear on a daily, hourly basis. Knowing that some other human being had my life in their hands and could quite literally, within the law, do whatever he or she pleased with me.
Just like now, as
So what has this got to do with the study about the cross we are to carry or anything else for that matter? It has to do with it because God, Jesus, is our King. He is our Lord and our Master. (or He should be) We are His slaves, His servants. He is a kind and loving Master and has even gone so far as to say He no longer calls us servants, but friends. We have a tendency to stop reading right there though. Read the rest of what He says then:
John 15:15-17 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. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Are you seeing what I see? Yes, He loves us; yes, He has called us His friends; BUT He still commands us, and He still tells us what He expects from us and does so in no uncertain terms. He doesn't say, "you're now my friend and my father will give you whatever you ask for". He says "Then" meaning when we are bearing fruit that will last. That isn't a request, it's a command, which He makes even clearer with His last statement, where He says "this is my command".
We have a tendency to think of Him on the same level as perhaps the President of the USA, only of course we know He has more power, but we're not afraid of Him at all! He holds our very lives in His hands--every breath we take is by His Grace and His Will. Yet humans mock Him, disdain Him, even totally disregard Him. Why? Because we have no fear of Him. The fact that He holds our lives in His hands isn't REAL to us! I tend to think that at least part of the reason it's not real is because we have no real emotional understanding of the things we just talked about.
So now let's bring this back to the topic of the study:
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 10:38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
I did a quick search in the Bible for the phrase "fear the Lord" and came up with 82 hits in 81 verses in the ESV Bible. (I used that one as it generally gives the most accurate information when looking for specific words) The KJV gave 75 hits in 74 verses. Then I tried the phrase "fear God" and got 34 hits in 34 verses.
Here's a couple of examples:
1 Peter 2:17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Revelation 14:7 He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Luke 12:4-5 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
This verse from 2 Corinthians is often translated "terror of the Lord".
