Easter

Well, here it is easter 2005. I've been thinking a lot about Jesus' attitude toward the cross. One of my favorite verses is Heb 12:2, talking about Jesus enduring the cross and despising the shame of it because of the joy set before him. What was the joy that he anticipated?

It had to be, in part, the glory that was ahead. Both the glory he would bring to the Father, and the glory restored to him, and surely amplified by his gift of death.

But he was also anticipating being one with his people. He would be one with us by sending his Spirit to live in us. Then he would be able to empower us, live in us, sanctify us, do miracles through us. Didn't he say that we would do greater works than he did because he was going to the Father? That only makes sense if we see that he will do the works through us. Well, I'm impressed that Jesus was willing to endure the shame of the cross so that he would be able to live in us and be in us. It's like it takes what he was able to do on the earth and muliply in multifold by living through us.

Wouldn't it make sense, then, that one of Satan's highest goals will be to keep us from abiding in the vine and being filled with the Spirit???

Fear of God

You know, I had a great dad. He died in 1996, and I still miss him so much. He was that kind of dad, the kind who ought never die.

He taught me to fear God. I don't mean that he used to give me talks about fearing God, but I think I know what fearing God means because of my dad. He was 6'4" and weighed as much as 250. Very athletic. Big hands. And kind. But he made sure we behaved properly.

So here's this big handsome guy who loved us a lot, was totally devoted to us, and made us respect the rules. I wasn't terrified of him. I always wanted to be with him. But I also feared him. What I mean by that is that I knew what would happen to me if I crossed the line. If he came home from work and I had refused to do the chores he left for me, or if I sassed my mother, or if I dared to steal from a store, or did violence to a girl, then I had better be ready.

I liked what got posted on the Vineyard message board http://www.athensvineyard.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?t=130
about fear of God being a lot like our attitude toward fire. Gotta love it in order to get warm, gotta respect it (read fear) to keep safe.

I've been reading Ephesians. Paul said to submit to one another in the fear of Christ. You never have to submit to someone with whom you always agree. So, for example, we're going to be tempted to stand up to our leaders instead of submitting to them. But instead, we submit OUT OF THE FEAR OF CHRIST. That means our motivation is to please Jesus, and out of love and respect for him, we practice submission to one another.

Besides, we don't want to get into trouble when Jesus gets back.