Hello All

[Caffus]

God our Father sent Jesus to us to suffer and die to redeem us from sin and death.  Our Father sent Jesus to show us to the Father. To teach us about Him, to show us His heart and His character and Jesus told us God is Love.  Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but through me." Jesus is compassionate towards us, so is Our Father. If you know Jesus, you know the Father.  :HeartThrob: :dsunny:

[sdileo]

Hi Aerex,

Welcome to the forum.

You got me thinking about fear and how much it cripples people and holds them back from their true potential.

From the Bible we know that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge..." But that knowledge is Christ Himself. Fear of God brings us to the need for mercy and Jesus is that mercy that God provided.

So, with the knowledge of Christ there is no need to be "afraid" of God. You are FREE indeed! Everything is going to be okay no matter how bad things may seem. Do your best. Reach for the stars without fear of judgement. Fear not to follow your heart. I trust God will not lead you astray. It's okay to be happy! God is love! This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Great thoughts from everyone. Thank you all for sharing.

Steve

May God gather us all under his wing as a hen gathers her chicks.

Steve

[ed]

Hi Aerex,

Welcome to the forum.

You got me thinking about fear and how much it cripples people and holds them back from their true potential.


Steve

Me too Steve,

A couple more memory verses from when I was young.

1 John 4
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:

Fear is based in deep seated doctrine.  The more we meditate on love, the more we change the deep seated doctrines that we don't even know that we have.  Love unseats our wrong notions about God and everything.

God loves us.  The perfect example of God's love is in Jesus Christ.   Jesus Christ is the Archetype for us.

Another memory verse for me when I was young was:

1 Corinthians 13
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

The more we meditate on love, the more fear retreats, and we become like our archetype.

So how do we know that we are in him?  The love of God is shed abroad in our heart as we continue in love.

We learn to love God because we know that He first loved us.

You are a disciple of Christ because you continue in love.

The struggle that you are going through is part of growing up in Christ.  It is awesome that this life is working in you.  For me it is also very encouraging, and inspires me.  I remember it, the struggle of long ago.  You are not joining a religion, you are finding the pearl of great price, that is in you, allowing the Spirit to transform you.

Like I said, you are making me remember.  I'm not normally a big Bible verse poster, but these are the ones that had a great impact on me back in the 1980's.  They are still my base for "proving all things".

Romans 12
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Memorizing scripture that makes an impact on you, helps in the transformation process.  I mined them back then, all those years ago, when one spoke to my heart, I memorized it.  I had a memorization system that I did several times a day.  Fear started to dissipate, when I started to really believed that I was loved.

You don't have to follow anyone else's system, please don't, it will slow your progress.  Doctrine is not our lord.  That actual living Lord of heaven, that is in you, Jesus Christ, is our Lord, each one, individually.

Philippians 2
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

You are in a relationship with God through Christ Jesus.  It is a very exciting way to live.

[Kate]

Hi, Aerex, from one angst-ridden twenty-something to another. :)

I very much resonate with your feeling as if God has not 'chosen' you to receive understanding and even Love, because you still struggle with sin.  Keep in mind that a typical reaction to being part of a destructive religious belief (such as eternal conscious torment) is an overly condemning conscience. Even the most conservative of Christians would assure you that anyone with even the smallest inkling toward God--faith "the side of a mustard seed"--has been 'chosen' as His own.  And, of course, universalists go even farther and maintain that God has already successfully 'chosen' the whole world to receive His Love in Christ.:)

So keep in mind that you are dealing with years of religious hurt, and rest easy with your conscience.:)

I also very much understand fearing God and yet not Christ.  God as Father so often appears wrathful and judging, while God as Christ, for me, has always seemed so human and loving and approachable. I reckon this skewed view has a lot to do with the typical Christian view of penal substitionary atonement--that Christ died to save us from God's terrible anger. But most Universalists reject penal substitution, and on good grounds, I think you'd find after some reading.:)

I'm realty, Christ introduced Jerusalem's highly legalistic society to the notion of God as infinity loving Father, and whoever embraces Christ's love embraces the Father's love also.:)  But sometimes I still find it easier to picture Christ when I'm praying, because the Son is how I most clearly understand the Father's Love.:)

Anyway, welcome! (I actually just joined too!)
In the Light,

Kate 

[rosered]

Hi Kate ,

Just now saw your post


I really enjoyed it .  :HeartThrob:   God  bless  you  !    :thumbsup: