POWER WITHOUT LOVE CAN BE FEARFUL

When we know that the one God of ultimate power loves us, we are comforted with the assurance that the massive power will be used for us and not against us. In a mutual love relationship with Almighty God, we can draw near to Him and know that there is no greater power that can come against us.

However, if we come near someone or something of extremely great power and are not in a functional mutual love relationship, great fear may overcome us.

Allow me to illustrate this with a brief experience as a young teen way back there in the steam engine train days.

Trains were very interesting to me especially the huge freight hauling engines. There was an awesome roar with belching fire and smoke as they pulled massive trains at high speed through the country side. One day as I walked near the tracks, a roaring massive train was approaching. I decided that I wanted to stand near the track when it passed. I reasoned in my mind that the massive roaring smoking train could not get off the track. Therefore, it was impossible for it to hit or harm me.

I took a position maybe only twenty feet from the track and waited. The engineer was blowing the train whistle, but I stood fast even though my heart was racing. Still telling myself that that monster of power had to stay on that track. As the engine was passing me the engineer released a blast of steam that shot out toward me with a roar. I broke and bolted into a run faster that I had ever run in my life. I remember running and thinking that I was now many yards from the train and could stop running. But my legs did not agree. It was at least the distance of a large city block before I could stop running. I feel sure that the engineer laughed about that incident for years.

Nothing could be more fearful than being in the close presence of Almighty God and not being in a pure holy love relationship with Him. Though I liked trains, I had no assurance at all that the train or the engineer driving it loved me. We can only completely submit to God in an intimate relationship when we know that He loves us, that we are in love and abiding in Christ Jesus and He is abiding in us by the Holy Spirit. (John 15:5-10).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The love of the Lord is the maturing of wisdom.

The wisdom of the fear of God is found in experiencing the magnificent absolute holiness and power of Almighty God. Receiving awareness of the reality of the manifest presence of the omnipotent creator and sustainer of all that exists is more than awe inspiring. It is more than a natural human being can endure. Without the awareness of the purity of the work of the blood of Jesus evident in the heart of the person, they may not be able to survive the experience of the manifest presence of the holiness and power of Almighty God. (Psalm 111:10) (Proverbs 9:10) (1 John 4:18).

Even for believers, if there are any remaining impurities in the heart, they may experience dramatic reactions in their souls and bodies. They may respond by falling to the floor as dead, or they may shake or vibrate violently and uncontrollably. Contact with the power of God in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit in His manifest presence will drive out evil as light burns away darkness. (Matthew 17:5-7) (Ezekiel 44:4) (1 John 2:8-10).

Non-believers or carnal Christians may run as fast as they can to get away when the presence of God even begins to be manifest before them. (John 3:19-21).

PERFECT (mature) LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18).

Consider Adam and Eve before the fall. Adam walked with God in perfect peace and harmony as with a loving Father. There was love and respect between them as Adam received instruction on how to live and manage the Garden of Eden for God.

It was only after Adam and Eve listened to the serpent (the devil) and sin entered their hearts that they responded to the presence of God in fear by hiding themselves. (Genesis 2 and 3).

Man has developed many creative ways to attempt to hide from God and the awesome presence of all-powerful, all-knowing, completely Holy God. Religions are perhaps one of the most prevalent and subtle means of hiding ourselves from God.

Religion tends to build a form of godliness without intimate connection to the reality of the personal presence of Almighty God. Within the form of religion, many traditions of ceremonies, liturgies, rituals, feasts, or special holy days may be strictly adhered to or celebrated to satisfy the souls of the followers without the reality of personal intimate experience with the presence of God. (1 Timothy 3:5, 4:1)

Before the cross, resurrection, ascension, and return of Christ Jesus in the Holy Spirit, religious form was given from God as a form of connection with God. Priests and Prophets served as connection to God for the people.

After the redemptive works of Christ Jesus, the way is open for all mankind who abide in Christ and in whom Christ fully abides to have direct and personal access to Father God. God desire and has made the way for you and I to come boldly into His presence in an intimate personal relationship. (Hebrews 4:16).

The religious form that was used to connect to God before Christ Jesus is no longer necessary. Clinging to it can stand in the way of transitioning into the fullness of the “Christ in you” reality of the kingdom of God coming forth in God’s people on earth.

THE UNHOLY FEAR OF HOLY GOD

When religious form becomes a god to the people, an unholy fear of the real presence of Almighty God grows in their hearts.

There are formal and informal religions or belief systems or religious philosophies that rule in the hearts of mankind that can hinder the people from coming into the reality of the manifest presence of God.

Basically the formal religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and many others propagate belief of a supreme God or gods.

The informal religions or belief systems such as atheism, humanism, secularism, intellectualism, and many more generally deny that there is a God beyond natural existence.

Religion in a much generalized sense is the works and systems of man attempting to reach God or attain to a level of self-actualization and reason of existence spawned from an innate desire for something or someone greater than and beyond natural life.

IF AND WHEN THE REALITY OF THE MANIFEST PRESENCE OF HOLY ALMIGHTY GOD COMES AMONG, RELIGIOUS-MINDED PEOPLE FEAR DRAMATICALLY OVERCOMES THE PEOPLE.

Generally there are two possible first responses of religiously infested people encountering the manifest presence of God. One response is to run away at the first indication of even the hint of the presence of God.

The second is to submit to the presence of God and die to our past lives and erroneous beliefs. This is the fear of God that is the beginning of wisdom. In turning to God with the whole heart, there is an end of past life and a beginning of the life of the resurrected Christ filling our life by the Holy Spirit. God’s presence begins to cleanse us and fills our being with the life of God in Christ Jesus. We are consumed in the love of Almighty God. (Galatians 2:20) (Romans 6:11).

Perhaps the only other potential outcome could be to drop dead on the spot. (Acts 5:5-10).

THE HOLY FEAR OF HOLY GOD ALMIGHTY

The holy fear of God is an awesome respect and honor of Almighty Father God in pure holy love. Love transforms fear into the peace and joy of righteousness (right alignment with God).

The holy fear of God is the now emerging reality of the maturation of love in maturing Sons of God. This reality is one of the freshly restored Spirit revelations and impartations from heaven. It is a part of the hidden mystery of “Christ in you” coming to light in this transitional season of the emergence of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. (Colossians 1:26-27) (Matthew 6:10).

Many wonderful believers including some leaders of the past may not be given to receive the fullness of this major shift and transformation now coming forth in this world. Many religiously trained believers may have difficulty in receiving this marvelous transition. (Matthew 13:10-17).

However, many younger believers are emerging as leaders in the freshly restored reality of intimate love relationship with Almighty God. God in Christ by the Holy Spirit is a loving and very present Father to those who through brokenness have come to Him with their whole hearts. At this point this is NOT the general condition of the bulk of the church, but there is a growing remnant of love and power-filled men and women in love with God. They are moving into God’s glorious kingdom even in the midst of tribulation in the world and serious imperfections in the churches.

Perfect peace inhabits perfect love. God in Christ Jesus, Yeshua Messiah, by the Holy Spirit is the only source of true love on Planet Earth. Even in the midst of storms of this life, the perfect peace of God’s love goes beyond understanding guards our hearts and minds. (Philippians 4:7) (Psalm 23).

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27.

Love never fails,

Ron McGatlin
www.openheaven.com 
basileia@earthlink.net