Afraid of God |
Ps. 49 - Fear, awe, reverence, giving honor, measure and respect, in the Presence of that Person or thing-the all-powerful God. Unhealthy fear is a fear creaated by a distorted image of God, and giving honor to this distortion.
For 'Thy Name sake" describes the inward character, who He really is His track-record. He knows everything, my very thoughts, all-wise. Some see God as the 'judge'ready to punish. 10 commandments never given as a means for us to be accepted by God. Law is a plumbline, as a guide to tell me what crooked is and what straight is. Law reveals who God is and how to love God.
Law tells us we are helpless and cannot keep it but to drive us to God and He gives us our salvation. Most of us still trying to please God, to do works to be accepted. To please others and be accepted by them. We keep trying until we give up in hopelessness.
Feelings we express when not accepted:'I am no good', I always feel guilty because I was compelled to be perfect', whatever I am doing I feel I should be doing something else, I hate this body because this body never does what it suppose to do, it is never perfect, , God can't put up with me, no one can, I must please someone, I have to be accepted by somebody, somewhere is our constant theme.
We cannot live up to the god we created in our minds a judgmental god who is never satisfied with my performance. Thus, we are appealing to our own name for our salvation-by making my behaviour perfect, I will make myself acceptable. This leads to despair because we are never satisfied in ourselves, it is never enough. It is the name of Jesus which saves me, not my name or my efforts. God accepts me by the name of Jesus Christ, not by name or efforts. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man Who lived a perfect life. First man Who overcame satan in the wilderness. He is my brother human, One who never sinned, the really genuine human.
Jesus stood in for everyone and took all human sins and paid the full penalty. When He was buried, I was buried with Him. When He arose I arose with Him.
We were completely useless, no hope whatsoever in ourselves. Our only hope is to die and start all over again. When He died, I died, when He was buried, I was buried with Him, when He arose, so did I. Now 'in Him', I respond biblically to life. Now I start new again, born-again to start a new life, a new creation without a past, a virgin set free from the world , the flesh and the devil.