Matthew 10:28 - fear of man vs. fear of God
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Here is John Calvin on this verse: (Not just the 'the dread of tyrants' but of man as well. The world. The opinion of the world. The daggers the world can send your way especially when you are in a state of innocence, of learning, of awakening. This is when they strike the deepest.)
28. And fear not those who kill the body... To excite his disciples to despise death, Christ employs the very powerful argument, that this frail and perishing life ought to be little regarded by men who have been created for a heavenly immortality. The statement amounts to this, that if believers will consider for what purpose they were born, and what is their condition, they will have no reason to be so earnest in desiring an earthly life. But the words have still a richer and fuller meaning: for we are here taught by Christ that the fear of God is dead in those men who, through dread of tyrants, fall from a confession of their faith, and that a brutish stupidity reigns in the hearts of those who, through dread of death, do not hesitate to abandon that confession.
We must attend to the distinction between the two opposite kinds of fear. If the fear of God is extinguished by the dread of men, is it not evident that we pay greater deference to them than to God himself? Hence it follows, that when we have abandoned the heavenly and eternal life, we reserve nothing more for ourselves than to be like the beasts that perish, (Psa_49:12.) God alone has the power of bestowing eternal life, or of inflicting eternal death. We forget God, because we are hurried away by the dread of men. Is it not very evident that we set a higher value on the shadowy life of the body than on the eternal condition of the soul; or rather, that the heavenly kingdom of God is of no estimation with us, in comparison of the fleeting and vanishing shadow of the present life?
These words of Christ ought therefore to be explained in this manner: “Acknowledge that you have received immortal souls, which are subject to the disposal of God alone, and do not come into the power of men. The consequence will be, that no terrors or alarms which men may employ will shake your faith. “For how comes it that the dread of men prevails in the struggle, but because the body is preferred to the soul, and immortality is less valued than a perishing life?”
10 Comments:
The reason you fear me is because of what I say, what I remind you of subconsciously. Obviously I'm not going to kill the body. You know that death is annihilation. It will be as if we never lived after we die.
According to the second law of thermodynamics, all consciousness will eventually be annihilated. You (and most professed atheists) cannot bear this, so you (and Calvin) take refuge in fairy tales. That is why you fear those who would awaken you from your slumber.
It will eventually be as if no one had ever lived. Humans are but a vapor, as James says. Get over it, get used to it. Snap out of it.
When you use yourself as an example it makes 'fear of man' sound rather inane. The devil and his followers are inane though. Until you get political power and begin your various genocidal programs. Then you go from inane to pathetic. Meanwhile you're a parasite on Christian culture and civilization, and on God's common grace overall.
In an unregenerate state, which you are in, thnuh, thnuh, you are both an agent of the devil's spirit and a victim of it. In a prison yard you are both in a gang and in conflict with gangs.
The fear of man that has to do with the collective force of the world, your surroundings, people, is more a constant pressure to conform, to be obsequious to collective opinion, to remain asleep, to remain in thrall to the illusions and delusions of the devil's kingdom, to be ashamed of God, to not go in directions of awakening and understanding, etc.
It's like being a rogue cell in a body. The body notices you and turns on you and tries to get you back into place. Then tries to destroy you if it fails to get you to go back into place.
In that collective force atheists represent really a small, cartoonish element. Actually very, very small, and their complaints are not even really even completely the same as the mass. Many self-identified atheists are in the midst of becoming believers.
thnuh, thnuh has stated that he follows the teaching of Buddhism, yet he doesn't realize that Jesus, the words of Jesus, stand with any teaching in the world. He refuses to see this because he knows that Jesus teaches one needs more than a teacher, but also a saviour. thnuh, thnuh can't get above his vanity, worldly pride, and self-will. He's probably, as are most all atheists, very shallow.
To any who are reading this: be grateful if God has given you ability to know the truth. It is rare. And of infinite value.
We're at a mexican standoff: you say I hold the truth in unrighteousness, and I say you hold the truth out of an attempt to overcome your fear of death. But there is nothing after existence just the void.
It makes sense to ignore the foolish opinions of the world, but when it comes to men who 'kill the body', you should always fear them more than a religion you cannot verify.
Peter, Paul, James, etc. will never come to you and verify they did the right thing in their martyrdom. There is nothing after death.
>But there is nothing after existence just the void.
What is 'the void.'
When atheists accuse Christians of 'fearing death' they are taking an angle for the defense of their rebellion against God that is somewhat new. And ineffectual. Why would Christians fear death any more than unbelievers? Death of the body is inevitable. Many pagan tribes have no fear of death. And atheists get no value in their atheistic beliefs and atheistic lives by quote 'not fearing death', if indeed they don't, which is questionable. Atheists certainly don't live as if they know they are going into annihilation at death (they don't like to use that word, annihilation, 'void' is so much more soft and easy on the sensibilities).
Atheists are dishonest. Usually, when I press them, they admit to belief in some form of reincarnation. This atheist here, thnuh thnuh himself follows the teaching of Buddhism which teaches reincarnation.
I watched my father die, very closely, over many months. I didn't get the sense he went into annihilation. I didn't get any sense he was alone either. Neither did he. In fact God gives us more evidence of the beyond that we tend to ever remember.
For a Christian we have the example of our Forerunner, Jesus, who was resurrected and seen by multiple witnesses in circumstances that can only be explained away by the most fearful of atheists.
Regeneration by the Word and the Spirit also gives us understanding and ability to know the truth. God's Word is the truth. Without regeneration you are lost in your own 'wisdom' and in the hall of mirrors that is the devil's kingdom.
It comes down to the Word of God and regeneration. Engage the Word of God, atheist. When you die your 'void' will be a conscious existence alienated from the goodness of God. Don't let common grace, which you enjoy now, fool you. You are hellbound until quickened by the Word and the Spirit. You can put yourself in the environment where regeneration potentially happens, the Word of God. Engage it humbly. It's living language.
I.e. in regards to the first paragraph of my comment directly above: Christians don't become Christians because they fear death, any more than pagan Germans that Caesar encountered adopted their beliefs because they *don't* fear death. It's an inane and juvenile accusation by an atheist to say a Christian becomes a believer because they fear death. Most people don't even think about their impending death, let alone spend time fearing it. Christians become believers by the call of the Word of God which in them becomes effectual. Regeneration. By the Word and the Spirit.
Thnuh Thnuh wrote:
>> Peter, Paul, James, etc.
>> will never come to you
>> and verify they did the
>> right thing in their
>> martyrdom.
No, neither Peter, nor Paul, nor James will come to me, however...
Jesus Christ HAS come to me, more really than any human interaction I've ever had (or ever will have), as he does with ALL who truly belong to him.
I know Jesus is risen because he has personally introduced himself to me, and indwelt me, and made me a new creature, and has therefore shown himself to be risen.
Again, this is what Jesus does with ALL who truly belong to him. There are NO exceptions.
Jesus HIMSELF stated that he WILL manifest himself to ALL who truly belong to him, and that's why I and many, many others can honestly and legitimately testify that Jesus Christ has PERSONALLY introduced HIMSELF to me.
That is not metaphor, or symbolism, ad nauseam.
You can read all about it at my website under "Personal Testimony"
http://www.lamblion.net
In closing, this is not a debatable issue. You either believe me or you don't.
The rest will take care of itself in the day that Jesus Christ reveals himself to the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords when he and I and the rest of the angels and saints appear with him in glory.
Ciao.
Yes, the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Christ.
Sometimes I think the only practical and useful thing one can do with an atheist is give them a verse from the Bible. They won't read a string of verses or a long passage, so only a verse will have to do. It's quickening, living language (quickening potentially), so only a verse can be a lot.
Isa 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Post a Comment
<< Home