In an article for World Net Daily on December 18, 2012, Pat Buchanan wrote, Not long ago, there existed in our hearts “a fear of God.  How, we would ask ourselves, if we commit an evil act like murder, will we answer at God’s judgment seat? For He will decide if we enter what the president called in Newtown, God’s “eternal house in heaven.” It is proffered that neither Mr. Buchanan nor the man who spoke knows much of the Bible. It is further suggested that average citizen doesn’t know the Bible much, if at all.

Mr. Buchanan makes two fundamental errors. One, God is love, not fear and two, judgment has already occurred. For years preachers and others have tried to make people obey God, because if you don’t, he is going to get you for that, whatever it is that was done. If God was going to get us for that he would not have sent Jesus to the cross to die a horrible death for our sins. The scriptures from the hand of Paul state in Romans 5:8-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Notice verse 8, it speaks of love, not fear. And verse 9 makes it plain that we will be saved through Christ who is also love.

John wrote in 1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19  We love him, because he first loved us. How many people have been scared into following God because they were told to be afraid of God? It is the love of God given to us in Jesus Christ that is the motivating force for obeying the gospel, not fear. What is there to be frightened by in God’s love? True, the Greek word fobos -- pronounced: fob'-os means fright afraid, terror, but John says there is none of those in love.

 Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The word fear in verse 12 is used in the sense of respect, reverence and awe. Verse 13 also must be considered in the context to properly understand verse 12. The word for, gar -- pronounced: gar gives the reason for verse 12. Paul said that God is working in lowly humans, who were once sinners, to do his work according to his will and good pleasure. If the fact that God is working in the believer for his purpose doesn’t bring awe, respect and admiration, nothing will. It is God’s love working in the believer, not fear.

The other error is the misuse of judgment. The idea that God will one day make us stand and be judged is patently false. Part of the misunderstanding is due to the inability of the English language to give the exact meaning of Greek words (there are 10 Greek words which are translated judge, judged and judgment and 14 more associated with judge, judged and judgment. English does not convey the various meanings very well, if at all. ) The other is not understanding fully what God has done in Christ. Jesus told the Jews in John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The verse is pulled from its context to teach what one must do to be saved, but those words were uttered before Pentecost to an unbelieving and unsaved people who were following the law. Then he uttered more truth in verses 17&18 that is seldom spoken by anyone. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The word for condemn(ed) is from the Greek word for judge krino -- pronounced: kree'-no. The fact that Jesus came into the world teaches that the people stood judged of sin. Jesus came to save and those who did not believe were judged already. That was true in that day and is true now for those who refuse to obey the gospel. People are judged as lost by being out of Christ.

Hebrews, 9:27 says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: The word for judgment in the verse is the Greek word krisis -- pronounced: kree'-sis which means the decision for or against (Strong’s #2920; the act or time of pronouncing sentence (Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament, Eleventh Addition, 1974). In other words, after one dies whatever condition one is in at death, whether saved in Christ or lost, that condition will be final. At this moment, everyone is able to know what it will be for them. In I John 2:12 John wrote I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. Those in Christ have their sins forgiven and as such are judged to be saved. That is by faith in Christ and on the day when Christ returns, faith will be rewarded with eternal life.

God is love and his love tells us that we can be saved. It tells us how to be saved and what the result of that decision will be when Jesus returns. It is up to each individual to choose their ultimate destination. Obey the gospel out of love for Jesus Christ and God or deny both of them and be eternally lost. It is your decision and God will honor whichever one you choose.

© 12-18-2012 DEC