“These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” (Psalm 50:21)
Perhaps you believe that your Father in heaven is continuously loving towards those who are hid in Christ, occasionally chastising us for faults, for sins, but always in a manner that is never harsh, never in a way that might cause either physical pain or suffering of the heart.
Two of your favorite verses may be, “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8)
And
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:20)
But maybe you believe instead that if you do not toe the line, if you do not continually obey without question, if you do not keep every thought captive for Christ, if you sin in thought, action or deed you will either be punished or left in that dry and thirsty land, for the rest of your life unprofitable.
Maybe you consider 1st John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
Or
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.” (2nd Tim. 4:10)
Sliding through life, as it were, believing you are so loved that there is no way the Almighty would cause suffering and extreme trials to enter into your life, or a life that fears constantly that if you do not obey, and that in all things, you will not lose your salvation, but 1st Corinthians 9:27 may occur in your life.
“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Ask yourself this question, did Paul, Timothy, Apollos ever sin after the Almighty set them on the path to glorifying His name? Did Peter or John?
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1st John 1:8)
Two more verses for you then.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
Fitting towards, in the minds of those first mentioned here.
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Heb. 12:6)
Fearful to the point of obedience without love to the second group mentioned.
That first group of believers believe that because the Lord loves us so immensely that life will be easy, trouble fee, save for perhaps some minor inconveniences, and many in this group believe that the expression of that love they profess to have for Him is fulfilled in this verse.
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)
The second group of people also firmly believe in that verse, but will say that baptism is a requirement for salvation, that certain parts of the Law must be adhered to, even going as far as professing that the traditions of the assembly they are part of are necessary not only to prove their salvation to others, but to themselves as well.
I offer you truth here, both of these groups of people are works-based, and have little understanding of Ephesians 2:8.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
The first offering love solely because they believe if they do, no difficult days will be left on their doorstep. The second offering obedience without true love, for fear that if they do not, the same will occur to them, trials and tribulations.
Do you think that every time David mentioned in the Psalms that dry and thirsty land, when he said many times how long will you hide your face from me it was because he sinned?
“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” (Job 38:4)
And that man was called righteous by the Holy one Himself.
The Almighty does what He wants to do, to whomever He wants to do so, and it is always for His glory.
“What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10b)
We do not “toe the line,” we do not love out of fear, we do not fear because something may happen to us by His hand, we serve, no matter what, because He is God.
