Monday, September 10, 2007

My Friends

Luke 12:4-5 KJV
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Even though there was a multitude present, verse 1 tells us that this whole sermon is spoken chiefly to His disciples, no doubt referring to the twelve.

First, I see that He calls them His friends.
What comfort and joy can be found in that term. That our Lord would call those who are His disciples, also His friends means the relationship is more than academic or institutional.
He loves us.
He is close to us.
His heart is for us.
He is not a God who is far off. His relationship with us is one of affection. Praise the Lord.

Secondly I see that His promises to us really have little to do with the protection of the physical body. He does tell us in this sermon not to toil for food raiment and stature. Those physical necessities will be provided by our Heavenly Father as we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. But the implication of these words is that those who can kill the body can kill even the bodies of the believers.

This is not saying that Christians have to fear being cast into hell. We are saved and we can't go to hell. But we still need to fear the One who does cast into hell and not the powers of this earth. Godly fear of the Lord is a distinctive of the believer, but it is a distinctive that is being lost and with it our ability to influence the world for Christ.

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