Terrified Of God...........

[Tim Myers]

I have met fellow believers and even read some posts on this site where people seem to be absolutely terrified out of their minds that they might inadvertently do something which might cause them to lose their salvation or make God so angry He disowns them or, at the very least, send them to hell.......

What causes some believers to become so incredibly petrified in fear over such a thing??

This perception of God just boggles my mind.......

Is it the story of Moses not being allowed into the Promised Land because of one slip up that gives birth to this kind of fear??

What kind of Heavenly Father do some people think they are serving??

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

 

[ranunculus]

I have a christian friend who has severe ocd and is constantly worried that she'll offend god and lose salvation if she doesn't store things properly after use. Or has thoughts she can't control because of the ocd. She'll constantly repeat actions to make sure god is pleased.
It's killing me to see her do this.

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

This isn't far-fetched. There's people who fear god. And, from the stories I've read, with reason.

 

[Armistead14]

When one looks at the role Christianity has played in past generations, one should understand why people fear God. Look at Dante's influence in creating hell, the torture, etc.

Why we don't have as many pastors today teaching fear, they existed in mass just up to 30 years ago. Our past culture pastor's taught that almost any act that gave pleasure was sin, didn't matter if you were a christian or not, God was ready with his hammer to bang you on the head.

I'm in my late 40's, but as a teen I got saved and became a member of a small country fundy ind. baptist church. I heard the message of torture and got my Jesus ticket. However, I was after finding God. Having walked into that church I was taught first not to question the bible, etc..so I believed what I was taught.

We were taught fear. The constant message was one of fear. Being a teen, I felt God was going to kill me for having sexual thoughts no matter how I fought them. Oh, to touch, I waited for the lightening. Everything normal teens do was terrible sin that God would punish. No dances at school, no other music, etc.

We heard many stories of people that God killed. The lady across the street often laid out in the sun when church got out on Sunday. You could barely see her. The pastor said he spoke with her about it, but she stated it was her only day off and her yard, plus she was so far away she looked like a blur. She died from a tick bite next summer...That was God taking care of her sunbathing our pastor boasted.

Many churches teach at this level to the point it becomes fear. I joined a more moderate ind. bap church later, but every youth revival it seemed every young person would go get saved again. They fought the many issues of youth. I even left the church later, one sincere, but confused teen male took his life because he couldn't totally defeat masturbation.
He tried to get help and understanding, but the usual it's adultery sinful,
just stop.

Fear has been a tool used by the church to control the masses for generations. Thankfully we've changed some, but the residue is still sticky.
One you're indoctrinated with it, it becomes difficult to ever get it out.

An interesting study, when Rome took control of christianity and embraced hell, the church used many secular philosophers in embracing a doctrine that only a few sects believed in. They needed tools to control the masses and fear was that tool. Sadly, once the church embraced hell, they started torturing their fellow man, after all if God doe's it, why not. The church became agents of torture until secular law stopped it. That's why we must question all doctrine, most was enacted during a time of political influence, greed and control of others through torture and death.

Our fear towards God should be that of a loving father son relationship.
My son has this healthy respect for me, but he knows in all I do I want
what's best for him and I would never hurt or torture him, even if he rejected me.

Fear controls people against their will, love sets them free.

 

[Jim2011]

I can understand your friends fear. I am also uncertain about how to visualize God. A loving father, "We have the power to say, Abba, Father" or my owner? "We must be slaves to Christ, not sin"
Is he angry with us. ok Me?
Are we dissappointing him?
Jesus said that if we love God and believe, we will be saved.
He also said that many will come on that day and say "Lord Lord," and he will say, Depart from me. I never knew you.
This confuses me.
Thank you,

 

[BrandonLParks]

I have met fellow believers and even read some posts on this site where people seem to be absolutely terrified out of their minds that they might inadvertently do something which might cause them to lose their salvation or make God so angry He disowns them or, at the very least, send them to hell.......

What causes some believers to become so incredibly petrified in fear over such a thing??

This perception of God just boggles my mind.......

Is it the story of Moses not being allowed into the Promised Land because of one slip up that gives birth to this kind of fear??

What kind of Heavenly Father do some people think they are serving??

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

Not to get all psychological, but this often comes from having an overly legalistic father at home that is unpredictable and allows for no grace whatsoever in the home. It can also come from some religious leader (a youth pastor for example) in the person's childhood who portrayed God as such. It is not an easy thing to get over. One of the best things a person can do is to find someone who truly exemplifies the unconditional love of God so they can experience it and know what it feels like.
Blessings,
-Brandon

 

[Zaac]

It's kinda sad that men get so worked up and worried thinking they can do something to take away what they could not give themselves.

How does such a person have joy? How could you fervently share the Gospel with such a belief?

 

[Tim Myers]

Well....somebody somewhere once said, "Perfect love casts out all fear"......

 

[Zaac]

Well....somebody somewhere once said, "Perfect love casts out all fear"......

Once He adopts you into the family, you can't do anything to get out.

That should fill people with an unworldly joy to know that as big a screwups as we are, God has settled the debt and we can't screw up enough to outreach what the blood of Christ covers.

THAT is GOOD NEWS.

 

[brightmorningstar]

Perfect love does cast out fear, but secular humanists could probably agree to that, yet perfect love is Jesus Christ.

That should fill people with an unworldly joy to know that as big a screwups as we are, God has settled the debt and we can't screw up enough to outreach what the blood of Christ covers.

THAT is GOOD NEWS.

Yes that is a core part of the gospel. Most discussions actually revolve around the screwing up or not as people see it.

 

[Lily_Among_Thorns]

I have met fellow believers and even read some posts on this site where people seem to be absolutely terrified out of their minds that they might inadvertently do something which might cause them to lose their salvation or make God so angry He disowns them or, at the very least, send them to hell.......

What causes some believers to become so incredibly petrified in fear over such a thing??

This perception of God just boggles my mind.......

Is it the story of Moses not being allowed into the Promised Land because of one slip up that gives birth to this kind of fear??

What kind of Heavenly Father do some people think they are serving??

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

God is a God of justice and that is the reason to be terrified in the fear of the Lord. We have all spoken and acted upon injustice and must be weary in the knowledge that God punishes sin and injustice. As long as we forgive the fear subsides; but as long as we sin the fear of the Lord takes hold.

Psalm 2:11 Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

 

[Lily_Among_Thorns]

Well....somebody somewhere once said, "Perfect love casts out all fear"......

You say this now but do you practise this, perfect love, all the time? One day you will stand before the Judgment seat having to explain yourself from beginning to end then you will fear, then you will tremble. Then you will know the fear of the Lord and that it is he you should fear.

God is a purger of sins. At that time then you will be terrified.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Tim Myers. It truly is sad to hear, how greatly some people fear God. We know that God is Love, and Jesus showed us our Heavenly Father as He really is. Perhaps it is because we read and translate some of Paul`s, or any other of the disciples`s words of correction wrongly. We do not know whom they are talking to, and perhaps it is the right way to make the listeners aware of their wrong attitudes. Jesus told the Lawyer in Matthew: " On the two Commandments of Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, And Love thy neighbour as thyself, hang all the Law and the Prophets." We are the only representatives which God has in this world, and we are told by Jesus: " Go and tell everybody." When next you meet some of those terrified people, tell them what Jesus says in Matthew, chapter22, verses 35-40. I mention this humbly and with love, Tim. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[chingchang]

I have met fellow believers and even read some posts on this site where people seem to be absolutely terrified out of their minds that they might inadvertently do something which might cause them to lose their salvation or make God so angry He disowns them or, at the very least, send them to hell.......

What causes some believers to become so incredibly petrified in fear over such a thing??

False teaching...or reading too much OT.

This perception of God just boggles my mind.......

It shouldn't...read the OT. God is portrayed as a blood-thirsty psychopath throughout much of the OT.

Is it the story of Moses not being allowed into the Promised Land because of one slip up that gives birth to this kind of fear??

Yes...that is part of it.

What kind of Heavenly Father do some people think they are serving??

Throughout much of the OT, Jehova was a jealous God of war.

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

You mean like Sodom and Gomorrah? They had it coming of course...

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

I agree with you...but Paul did say to work out your salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING...just sayin'...

CC

 

[Harry3142]

Tim-

What you described in your OP I call 'salvation on a stick'. I've seen this tactic used by church leaders in certain denominations in order to gain power and control over every aspect of their parishioners' lives. God is described as a vengeful being who must be appeased constantly.

They claim that any moment the people could lose their salvation by committing a sin. But instead of giving them a list of do's and don't's, which would be the logical thing to do, they preach that their members must obey them as God's representatives, and accept whatever agenda they put forward in order to avoid these 'pitfalls'. This puts the church heirarchy squarely between the people of that church and God, which is where they want to be in order to exert maximum power over those people.

 

[cranberries]

Once He adopts you into the family, you can't do anything to get out.

That should fill people with an unworldly joy to know that as big a screwups as we are, God has settled the debt and we can't screw up enough to outreach what the blood of Christ covers.

THAT is GOOD NEWS.

 

[Tim Myers]

"You say this now but do you practise this, perfect love, all the time? One day you will stand before the Judgment seat having to explain yourself from beginning to end then you will fear, then you will tremble. Then you will know the fear of the Lord and that it is he you should fear."

I'd say that, if your horrific perception of God is true, then it goes for everybody here in the room.....

 

[JCFantasy23]

I have met fellow believers and even read some posts on this site where people seem to be absolutely terrified out of their minds that they might inadvertently do something which might cause them to lose their salvation or make God so angry He disowns them or, at the very least, send them to hell.......

What causes some believers to become so incredibly petrified in fear over such a thing??

This perception of God just boggles my mind.......

Is it the story of Moses not being allowed into the Promised Land because of one slip up that gives birth to this kind of fear??

What kind of Heavenly Father do some people think they are serving??

A vindictive God who sits up in heaven with a lightning bolt in His hand just waiting for someone to screw up so He can blast them into a cinder???

I understand that everyone has doubts now and then, but to lie awake at night with your stomach tied in knots with terror and apprehension like this makes no sense to me at all.......

I'm not sure why some are so petrified with fear that they could accidentally slip up and must walk on eggshells. They seem to have a different perception of God than I do. I am not sure what to say to those who believe this, other than I hope that with time, study, and prayer, that they are able to grow into feeling safe with God rather than terrified of Him.

 

[cranberries]

I'm not sure why some are so petrified with fear that they could accidentally slip up and must walk on eggshells. They seem to have a different perception of God than I do. I am not sure what to say to those who believe this, other than I hope that with time, study, and prayer, that they are able to grow into feeling safe with God rather than terrified of Him.

I like this post.

 

[MrJim]

I would suggest that as long as fear is there they are ok~it won't be an "accidental" slipup but rather an intentional one that will separate a believer from God and shipwreck their salvation. God can work through that fear in building the relationship

Of course this thread will head down the worn OSAS path...

Col 1:21 –Col 1:23 NKJV
And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

A warning is a warning...and there are a few too many "if"s in the NT...

Jesus said: "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." (Jn 15:14 NKJV) Hardly an unconditional friendship, and why is that? Because HE is God and we are not.

 

[SullivanZ]

I like this quote. I think it explains these people's beliefs very acutely:

"God made man in His image, and man returned the favor."