John wrote: > Perfect love casts out fear. This is a true statement, John, but I'm not sure you understand it. I think we all have agreed previously that the one who is perfect in love does not sin. By your own admission, you sin. Therefore, you are not perfect in love and are disqualified from being able to speak about how perfect love casts out fear.
One thing this statement does not say is that perfect love would cause us to lose respect and reverence for God and his judgments. The disciple of Christ does not seek to rationalize away the judgments of God, but rather he declares, "true and righteous are your judgments." When the seven angels in Revelation 16 pour out their vials of the wrath of God upon the earth, what does another angel say? Revelation 16:7 (7) And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. When we speak of the doctrine of Christ concerning eternal judgment, his teaching of eternal damnation in a firery hell, we should not be describing that as "#($&%^ you guys (in good KJV biblical lingo)." There is no love expressed in this statement. This shows a gross disrespect toward the doctrine of Christ and an irreverence toward the doctrine of eternal judgment. When we hear of the wrath of God and eternal damnation in hell, we should be saying, "true and righteous are thy judgments, Lord." An appreciation for the judgments of God leads to a greater love and appreciation for the mercy and grace of God. God wants us to see the fullness of that from which we have been saved. By the way, the Scriptures teach us that the fear of the Lord is clean, ENDURING FOREVER. Try harder to hear what Judy is trying to say about your misunderstanding of 1 John 4:18. Psalms 19:8-9 (8) The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. (9) The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
