Fear or Longing?
Text: Genesis 3:1-10 and Revelation 22:20
Theme: Almighty God invites us not to run from Him but to be with Him.
Someone has observed, “One dreads the return of the Holy Christ if there is not a certain knowledge of sins put away.”
The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I long for His presence and His return. When it comes to being with the Lord, are our hearts filled with fear or longing.
Here’s a thought: The Westminster Shorter Catechism declares, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
I grew up on a farm, and one of the privileges I enjoyed as a boy was getting to own a pellet gun. I had a cool, pump-action rifle that could shoot pellets and BBs. After one of my great hunting expeditions of shooting gophers and sparrows (two arch enemies of farmers), I decided to head into the house. I had one pellet left in my gun, so I got the brain wave to empty the gun by shooting at the big propane tank in our yard. What I did not count on, however, was the pellet ricocheting off the propane tank to the back window of our lovely green Ford station wagon. While the thick metal of the propane tank could easily endure the mighty pellet, the glass in the car window was no match! The window shattered into a thousand pieces while my heart leaped into my throat.
The minutes between my foolish choice and my parents’ discovery of the result seemed like an eternity. I did not want to face them or the consequences of my behaviour, so I hid in my room. It was some time before I saw my pellet gun again. This scenario is much like what happens when we sin and run from God.
When it comes to being with the Lord, are our hearts filled with:
Fear?
We talk about being afraid of the dark, but we can also be afraid of the light. We have the first words addressed to God in the Bible in Genesis 3:1-10:
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” NIV
The Lord created Adam and Eve in anticipation of enjoying them and giving them every opportunity to enjoy Him. The Westminster Shorter Catechism is as true today as in 1647: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” The first two human beings had no experience with sin, but they instinctively knew that sin and disobedience separated them from their Creator.
The new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners. Someone was home at one house, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. He took out a card, wrote “Revelation 3:20” on the back and stuck it in the door. The following Sunday, when the offering was received, he found that someone had returned his card. Added to it was the message, “Genesis 3:10.” Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he laughed.
Revelation 3:20 begins, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Genesis 3:10 reads, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
We might think, “How awesome it would have been to live in the Garden of Eden, enjoy a climate that was very comfortable for the human body, eat juicy tropical fruit and most of all, to walk with God through the garden!” A series of rebellious choices gave birth to fear and spoiled this paradise.
Likewise, we might think, “How awesome it would have been to live in Palestine 2,000 years ago, hear Jesus speak, and see Him do mighty miracles!” Instead, we read of people’s response to Christ in John 3:19-21:
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” NIV
The Bible talks about having a healthy fear, or reverence, for God, which motivates us to approach Him humbly with deep respect and worship. Such reverence keeps our eyes open to the horrible ugliness of sin and the absolute holiness of the King of kings.
A healthy fear of the Lord reminds us that He draws up the terms for a relationship, and we do not. Jesus uses the analogy of a royal wedding in Matthew 22:11-13:
11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 “Friend,” he asked, “how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” The man was speechless. 13 Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” NIV
Even commoners knew better than to attend a royal feast without appropriate (at least clean) attire; this would be a sign of rudeness and disrespect to the host. Thus, even some of those who will want to show up at His great feast will dishonour Him.
Scholars have suggested a parallel with a later Jewish story in which a king spontaneously invited people to a feast without much notice. In this story, only the diligent subjects were dressed and ready at the door when the date came; the others had to wait outside in shame.
The King does not want to expose us, so He offers us clean garments. Have you received them with gratitude? Have you kept them clean, or have you got them dirty through sin & disobedience? If your garments have spots and stains, will you choose to hide from Him in the darkness, or will you come into the light and ask Him to clean your garments?
When it comes to being with the Lord, are our hearts filled with:
Fear
or
Longing?
In Revelation 22:20, we have the last words addressed to God in the Bible:
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. NIV
In these two Scriptures – Genesis 3:9-10 and Revelation 22:20 - we have the first and last words in the Bible addressed to God. They are very different statements! In the first utterance, we have fallen man, naked before God because of his sin, seeking to hide in fear from the penetrating and judging eye of his Maker. In the last address, we have the prayer of a redeemed saint of God, John the beloved apostle, eagerly longing to see his Lord and ready by grace to meet Him. The individuals involved are no different except that the Cross has touched one while the other stands fearful in his original depravity. Grace is the only thing that can change our fear of God into love and give us confidence in His presence. Man cannot stand naked before the Lord; he needs to have the garments of Christ’s righteousness about him.
As one that had persecuted and killed followers of Jesus Christ, Paul went through a radical transformation. His affections shifted from religion to a relationship with the Messiah. As a result, toward the end of his life, Paul wrote these words in Philippians 1:21-24:
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. NIV
There is within us a God-shaped vacuum, a longing for our Creator. Ironically, the more our thirst for Him is satisfied, the more we recognize that nothing and no one else can genuinely quench this thirst. We are kind of like this thirsty little bird:
We live in a society so focused on the present that we neglect the past and the future. Sadly, the church is preoccupied with the present while we ignore the promises of God. Paul explained to one of his proteges, Titus, that we should keep one eye on the clouds in anticipation of Christ’s return.
Heed the words of Paul in Titus 2:11-14:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. NIV
I enjoyed some school exams and assignments while I saw others as tedious and burdensome. My anxiety depended on my preparation as the due date or exam time drew closer. If I had neglected my homework and procrastinated to the bitter end, I was a bundle of nerves. If I had managed my time well and worked hard to prepare, I felt ready and confident.
The aging Paul wants readiness for young Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5-8:
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. NIV
When Dr. H. A. Ironside was young, his children loved to have him play like a bear with them. He would set some chairs in a corner with an opening on one side. This arrangement would become his “den” as he got down on all fours, growled, and chased them about the room. The last time they played the game, his young son ran into a corner and covered his face. He was so excited he began to scream and cry in fear as he heard the “bear” approach and felt his hot breath on his neck. Then, suddenly, the youngster turned and ran into his father’s arms, claiming, “I ain’t afraid, not a bit afraid. You are not a bear at all. You are my own papa.” Dr. Ironside said he thought to himself, “Oh, God, that is just how I was once. I was running away from you. I was treating you as if you were my enemy, as though the worst thing in the world is to be brought into communion with you. I thank You for running me down.”
Are we afraid of God, or do we long for Christ’s return?
An unknown poet has written:
Oh, Saviour Lord, do quickly come,
Our hearts are aching to be home;
We long to see Thee as Thou art,
And love Thee with unsinning heart.
Someone has observed, “One dreads the return of the Holy Christ if there is not a certain knowledge of sins put away.”
Some people have fallen into adulterous relationships, which causes them to avoid, withdraw from or even loathe the presence of their spouse. Thankfully, such sin has not separated my wife, Brenda, and me. When I have been away on trips, I have missed my family. I looked forward to our reunion. I longed to see them again.
The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I long for His presence and His return. When it comes to being with the Lord, are our hearts filled with:
Fear
or
Longing?
Almighty God invites us not to run from Him but to be with Him.