I'm probably not Anabaptist enough in some of my thinking to give a representative answer but...Sudsy wrote:I'm sorry I guess I answered your last question as if it referred to whether the church after this experience obtained the fear of the Lord and my guess is the great fear the church had was a fear of how the apostles might use their God given power.silentreader wrote:
I'm sorry, I guess I don't understand your reasoning.
Now regarding A&S lacking the fear of the Lord - They probably did have an immature fear of the Lord (being young converts) if this fear means a "filial fear," like a child's fear of offending his father. As we grow in our relationship with God we are more aware of what God views as sin.
Continuing on -
I think there is a side of the fear of the Lord that is about respect and awe of God being our Father and we don't want to offend such a loving Father by disobedience. Doing or thinking something that would be an offense to God. And there also seems to be a side of the fear of the Lord where we know God's love for us includes discipline and we are aware that we could be punished or allowed to suffer for our wrong doings to teach us obedience.
Do you and others agree or not with this statement above ?
I think there is a 'healthy' fear of the Lord, which I had alluded to when I expressed my personal application re the Philippians passage earlier in this thread. In my mind this involves being aware of who God is, what He is done for me, what He is doing for me, His supreme Holiness, and His desire to fashion me into a vessel fitted for His use. I don't feel that there is any negative aspect to this fear, except for one thing, I think part of this healthy fear is a fear for the fate of those who are lost. I do not consider fear of discipline to be a part of this healthy fear.
I believe God is merciful, loving, and just. If I need His discipline, He will deal with me in that way, and when I accept that discipline in a submissive way, I will grow spiritually, and be better off than before. And my experience will refine my healthy fear of the Lord.
If I would wilfully turn my back on Him, then I'd experience a different kind of fear, a 'fearful looking for of judgement'.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" though an OT expression, is, I believe a 'healthy' fear, leading to positive outcomes.
Healthy fear of the Lord strengthens us spiritually.
The other kind of fear, often about not being good enough, will grind us down.
I know I'm not good enough, but the Lord is refining me into something that is as yet unknown, and I do not need to have a negative fear of His hand on my life.