From Fearing the Lord to Loving the Father
At Gamala during the evening talk, Philip said “Master, why is it that the scriptures instruct us to fear the Lord while you want us look to the Father in heaven without fear? How are we to harmonize these teachings?”
Jesus replied “My children I am not surprised that you ask these things. In the beginning it was only through fear that people could learn reverence. But I have come to reveal the Father’s love so that you will be drawn to worship the Eternal through my recognition of, and reciprocation of, the Father’s perfect love. I am delivering you from the bondage of forcing yourselves, because of your fear, to serve an angry and jealous God-Father.’
“The fear of the Lord has meant different things over the ages, beginning with fear, then moving through anguish and dread, and finally arriving at awe and reverence. Now from reverence I would lead you still higher through recognition, realization, and appreciation to love. When a person only sees the works of God they are led to fear the Supreme, but when people experience the personality of the living God they are increasingly led to love such a perfect, eternal, and universal Father. It is for this purpose, changing humanity’s relationship to God, that I have come to Earth.’
“Children do not fear their father to receive his gifts. Instead, since they have already received his love they in turn love him for his graciousness. The goodness of God leads to service and repentance; the mercy of God leads to salvation, and the love of God leads to intelligent freehearted worship.’
“Your ancestors feared God because he was mighty and mysterious. You will adore him because he is truthful, merciful, and magnificent. The power of God creates fear in the hearts of people, but his nobility and righteousness commands our love, worship, and reverence. A dutiful and loving son does not fear or dread even a mighty and noble father. I have come into the world to put love in the place of fear, joy in the place of sorrow, confidence in the place of dread, and loving service and sincere worship in the place of slavish bondage and meaningless ceremonies. While it is still true that for those who sit in darkness the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, when the light has more fully come the sons of God are led to praise the Infinite for what he is rather than to fear him for what he does.’
“When children are young and unthinking they must be taught to honor their parents, but when they grow older and are more appreciative of the benefits of their parents guidance, they are led up through respect and increasing affection to actually love their parents for what they are more than for what they have done. The father naturally loves his child, but the child must develop his love for the father from the fear of what the father can do, and then higher through awe, dread, dependence, and reverence to appreciation and love.’
“You have been taught to ‘fear God and keep his commandments for that is humanity’s whole duty.’ But I have come to give you a new and higher commandment: to ‘love God and learn to do his will for that is the highest privilege of the liberated sons of God.’ Your fathers were taught to ‘fear God: the Almighty King.’ I teach you, ‘Love God: the all-merciful Father.’
“In the kingdom of heaven that I have come to declare there is no high and mighty king: this kingdom is a divine family. The universally worshiped and recognized head of this far-flung brotherhood of intelligent beings is my Father and your Father.
Excerpt from Son of Man: Urantia, Chapter 28, The Second Preaching Tour
Son of Man: Urantia, is a restatement of the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the Urantia revelation and in accordance with its urging to do so for today’s generation.
Full episode here: The Second Preaching Tour
https://robertakezer.substack.com/p/chap-28-the-second-preaching-tour
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Son of Man: Urantia, PDF’s (English and Spanish)
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Godspeed, everyone.
Bob
Excerpt: From Fearing the Lord to Loving the Father