Love is a far higher motive than fear...

"The believer is not under law but under grace. This does not mean that he can go out and do as he pleases. Rather, it means that a true sense of the grace of God will prevent him from even wanting to do these things. Indwelt by the Spirit of God, the Christian is raised to a new level of behavior. He now desires to live a holy life, NOT out of fear of punishment for having broken the law, but out of love for Christ, who died for him and rose again. Under law the motive was fear, but under grace the motive is love. Love is a far higher motive than fear. Men will do out of love what they would never do from terror." -Believers Bible Commentary

What moves, drives, or motivates you as a Christian? What do you believe it takes for you to walk right with God? Does the doctrine that you have accepted as true instill fear or love in your obedience to Christ?

Remember, 1 John 4:18-19
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.."

Do you feel tormented by the doctrine that you have accepted? If so, you may question if God is in it at all. God is Perfect Love. If God dwells in you fear will flee. A very healthy fear of God as a Good Father Who chastens you is one thing. An unholy fear instilled by men of false doctrines using God's words and Name is another thing altogether. For the sake of the freedom of your soul do not hesitate to ask yourself the questions I offer here.

"God's method of binding souls to obedience is similar to His method of keeping the planets in their orbits; that is, by flinging them out free. You see no chain keeping back these shining worlds to prevent them from bursting away from their center. They are held in the grip of an invisible principle. ... And it is by the invisible bond of love; love to the Lord who bought them; that ransomed men are constrained to live soberly and righteously and godly." -William Arnot, The Church in the House

Do we walk by faith or do we walk by sight? If we walk by faith we believe in a God who has all in control. We do not need to fear what man could do to us. And if we truly have Christ's Spirit, fear of sinning will have converted to a holy conviction of Love for the Sovereign One Who has willingly died in your place for that ugly sin. His Love and Grace will fill your heart with the will and desire to avoid sin without some external force produced by men put upon you. This is the Power of Christ in you as a born again believer. This is THE ANCHOR of our soul.

As you think through this please consider these verses:
Ep 3:14-21
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man (each individual), that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." -emphasis added

Jude 24-25
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen."

1 John 5:1-5
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Why are His commandments not burdensome to true believers? Because they live by the Power of Christ's Spirit in them. This does not mean they are 100% perfected YET. Or that they NEVER sin. But if we yield to the Truth of the Gospel of Grace ONLY then the process of renewal will continue and we will find more and more victory in Christ until His return and then the work is done.

Christ is on the Throne of His Church and reveals Himself through His Church even when we don't see it with our natural eyes. He ALONE directs the affairs of His Church. Do we have enough faith to believe this or must we struggle to produce it ourselves in a fleshly mimicking substitute of the words we read regarding the NT church? This is lifeless and controlled by MERE MEN who push some legalistic NT doctrine on our behavior through MERE FEAR. To Hell with the fear where it belongs. Do not let Satan steal the Life Christ Jesus wants to live through you. Don't let men control you by their tactics of making you fear your sin through some twisted thinking they give you. To accept this type of doctrine is like being fooled by a salesman who offers an imitation of a very top quality product. They concentrate on the externals appearing good to men, telling you this is it and charging you a higher price than the genuine. You give your life to a pseudo doctrine and since you only have one life to offer, you keep it from the One Who has purchased you for Himself to BE FREED to serve Him through LOVE and by the POWER OF GRACE!

May God open our eyes to see the Strength of His Love that He has for us to live right and produce good fruit to His Glory in His Church.

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