By
Coach Dave Daubenmire
December 16, 2010
NewsWithViews.com
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. -Luke 2:9
Sore--causing great mental pain, distress, or sorrow
Fear is a healthy thing. Although it can certainly become paralyzing if not realistically dealt with, to the point of torment, fear can be a good thing.
As a football coach it is always good for my team to have a respectful fear of crossing the coach. It is not me that they fear, but rather, the consequences that their actions might bring as a result of their disobedience.
Fear of fire keeps one from carrying a gas can near an open flame, (although I always cringe when I see a cigarette hanging out of someone’s mouth as the pump gas into their car.)
Fear
of the police causes me to drive my car within the posted speed limit.
It is not the cop I fear, but the potential he has for lightening the
load in my wallet.
Unfortunately, today, most of us fear the wrong things.
We fear losing out on the big sales on “Black Friday.” We fear what unkind things our friends might have to say about us if we stand up for what is right. We fear not being able to pay our bills, or that our children might be miss-treated by a football coach. Sometimes, we are “afraid” that the IRS will notify us that something we submitted prompted an audit.
Some of us are so afraid that we will allow strangers at the airport to grope us in order to protect us from terrorists.
But
very rare is the person who fears the Lord. Most people see the Lord
as a friend…or perhaps a Santa-like gray-beard…upon whose
lap they would be comfortable sitting and asking for things.
The thought of Him as the Righteous Judge is a concept they have not
even considered.
Even America’s court system tells us that “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” I wonder if our ignorance regarding the nature of Jesus will serve as a defense at the White Throne Judgment?
“Please forgive me Jesus…I didn’t know. My pastor told me you were a God of love…”
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” If you don’t possess a deep fear of God you are not very smart. All wisdom springs from the “fear of the Lord.”
But not a fear like a child’s nightmare of someone hiding under the bed, but rather, a sense of awe…a total submission…an understanding that at the snap of His fingers your aorta could explode. We are talking about the God who slung the stars into space, who controls the ebb and flow of the oceans, who controls even the direction of a devastating hurricane.
We don’t talk about THAT Jesus in church anymore, do we? We speak as if He is still “wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.” We no longer conceive of what it means to be “sore afraid.”
Last week I was discussing with a group of home-schooled kids the idea of “salvation.”
“How many of you are saved?” I asked. Every hand in the room shot skyward. “What does that mean…to be saved?”
“Too know if I died I would go to Heaven.” One young man replied. “To accept Jesus…Give my life to Christ…to live a Christian life…to turn from sin…” came the various responses.
“Yeah, I suppose,” I answered. “But the term is ‘saved’…saved from what?”
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“Saved from our sins,” answered Lucas.
“What does that mean…to be saved from your sins?” I prodded.
“To have our sins forgiven.” Sara volunteered. “Jesus forgives us of our sins.”
“So…why do you say you are ‘saved’? Shouldn’t we say we are ‘forgiven’?” I continued. “When you are sharing the Gospel do you ask people if there are ‘forgiven’, or ‘saved’?
“I don’t get what you are asking”, replied Rebekka. “Aren’t they the same…’saved’ and ‘forgiven’?
“Well, I guess you would think they were if you didn’t understand what you were ‘saved’ from.
That is why most people don’t take their faith very seriously.
They have never fully realized what they have been ‘saved’ FROM.”
“Look. Sin has consequences. It is one thing to be ‘forgiven’ for what you have done. It is something entirely different to be ‘saved’ from the consequence of the sin. If you were to kill someone in a car accident would being ‘forgiven’ for having caused the accident be the same as being ‘saved’ from the prison sentence that the violation of the law requires?”
I could sense the Spirit of Truth flooding their hearts.
“No, that would not be the same,” responded Caleb. “Being forgiven does not mean there isn’t a price to pay for what I have done. To be forgiven is a personal thing that only the offended person can offer. To be saved means I know longer have to face the punishment for what I have done. I get it, Coach. Jesus no only personally ‘forgave’ me for offending Him, but he ‘saved’ me from the punishment for the crime.”
“That’s right Caleb.” I said as my brown eyes burned into him. “Most churches don’t even talk about that anymore. That is why people take sinning so lightly. They don’t understand that sin is a personal offense against a Holy God and that it brings dire consequences. Jesus didn’t just forgive you of the sin; He ‘saved’ you from the eternal consequences of your actions.”
During our devotions this morning Michele and I were reading from the Book of Revelation when this verse pounced off of the pages at me.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? -Rev 6:15-17
I think when we actually see the Lord, we are all going to be “sore afraid.” I don’t think we are going to feel like climbing up on His lap and stroking His beard.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;”
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
"And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
Our God is not only a God of mercy; He is also a God of judgment and wrath.
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“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Is your name written in that Book? Have you been saved from the wrath to come?
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Saved from what?
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Do you think like a Christian or a humanist? Did the Founders really separate Church and State? Is Judicial tyranny ruining America? Check out these great teachings by the Coach
� 2010 Dave Daubenmire - All Rights Reserved
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