Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Some Things I Don't Do Out of Fear - Apples of Gold - March 25, 2008 -vi-

Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for March 25, 2008

“Some Things I Don’t Do Out of Fear”


Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Let me just shoot straight with you.

There are some things I don’t do simply out of fear.  I fear the Lord and what might happen if I do them.

I don’t fear Him like a cruel task master.  He is just, and always does what is right, I know that. 

I picture it this way – God with two hands.  One hand is His hand of blessing and protection.  The other is His hand of discipline and rebuke.  If I choose to do wrong, to sin, then I am walking out from under His hand of blessing and toward His hand of rebuke.

But let me tell you, I really need His hand of blessing.  I need it so bad that I am afraid to walk away from it. 

Some people say we shouldn’t fear the Lord, and that when the Bible says “fear the Lord” it really just means to respect Him.  I appreciate that, but for me, there is a healthy dose of good old fashioned fear. 

It’s not that I fear Him like you fear a psycho killer.  I know God loves me and wants what is best for me.  I fear Him like I feared my dad as a child.  It’s the fear you have that, when you cross the line, you are going to get it!

Some people think that God is so gracious, He will let you cross the line and it will be okay.  After all, what about God’s grace?

Oh, are you talking about what Dietrich Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace?”

It reminds me of a song by Randy Stonehill, with these lines:*

“He understands the human heart, His mercy is complete.
But His grace was not intended as a place to wipe your feet.”

Jude 4 talks about people who “change the grace of our God into a license for immorality…”

Why would you do that?  Only if you lost your fear of God.

“Well, Doug, don’t you think God’s grace covers your sins?”

Yes, I do.  It’s grace that made me a child of God.  And when children step out of line, the Father makes a move.

Hebrews 12:6 says, “…the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.”

Some people say that God won’t punish us.  That’s crazy talk.  It says right there that He does.

Yes, I fear God’s punishment.  There I things I won’t do simply because I don’t want to be punished.

For some reason that conjures up images of a whipped dog, whimpering in the corner, afraid to look at his master. 

Not at all.  I love the Lord and want to serve Him with my whole being.  I run to Him.  I like the phrase, “the relentless pursuit of God.” 

But what happens when temptation knocks at the door.  And you know, temptation always looks good.  When that happens, I think about those two hands, the hand of blessing and the hand of rebuke.  I need that hand of blessing, and I fear that hand of rebuke. 

I know that if I step out from under God’s hand of blessing, no good can come from it.  And if I directly disobey the Lord and step out into sin, are you trying to tell me God won’t punish me?  Are you kidding?  Why would God not punish a direct act of disobedience?  We expect it from our parents, from our bosses, and from our government.  Why wouldn’t we expect it from God?

When we sin, bad things happen.  You can bank on it.

I love my children so much that when they sin, I must hold them accountable.  They will have to suffer in some form, whether it’s a grounding or losing their phone privileges or whatever.  Why?  So they will not do it again.  Why do I care whether they do it again?  Because it is harmful to them, and I don’t want harm to come to those I love.

God is the same way.  Sin is harmful.  God loves us and does not want us harmed.  So to prevent it, He will punish us when we sin.

When you say, “Don’t do that” there has to be an “or else.”  If there is no “or else,” then who cares about the “don’t do that”?

With God, there is an “or else.”  When we sin, there is punishment.  Yes, there is grace and mercy – and discipline and rebuke. 

I think some Christians jump right into sin because somewhere along the line they missed the fact that God punishes sin. 

Psalm 115:13 says, “…He will bless those who fear the Lord, small and great alike.”  That’s the crowd I want to be in.

Yes, there are some things I won’t do simply out of fear.  And, thank God, the fear of the Lord keeps me under His bountiful hand of blessing.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
 
Some might say, “Well, what about First John
4:18 which says, ‘There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment…”
Of course I believe that.  On the day that I finally have perfect love for the Lord and for people, then sin will no longer be an issue, which means no punishment and no fear.  Love is the trump card that knocks out fear.  If I have perfect love for the Lord, I will never, ever sin against Him.  There is no need for fear of the Lord if there is perfect love for the Lord.  But I know my love for the Lord is imperfect, so in my life there is a place for the fear of the Lord.  When love isn’t enough to keep me on the straight and narrow, fear steps in behind it.

*  From the song “Angry Young Men” by Randy Stonehill, from his album “Love Beyond Reason.”

In the book, “Who Moved My Cheese?” the author asks, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”  Don’t ask that question if what you are pondering is a sin.  Better to be afraid.

© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for
Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000

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