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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

We don’t teach our children to fear a kind grandfather or Santa Claus, do we? Why then would we teach them to fear God? First of all, the comparison of God with grandfathers or Santa Claus is degrading nearly to the point of slander. As [D.A. Carson] notes, “The sentimental view generates a deity with all the awesome holiness of a cuddly toy.” Second, fearing God is not the same as being afraid of God. The person who fears God in the biblical sense is maintaining a humble reverence for His glory, majesty, dominion, and authority. The person who fears God recognizes that He is not only the Giver of all good things, but also the Lord of the universe and the Judge of sinners. He is the One who creates, and He is the One who has the power to destroy. He is the One who rewards, and He is the One who disciplines. Fearing God, in other words, is the sobering recognition that He is not to be trifled with.
Daryl Wingerd

Jacob is about to enter the Promised Land. He will be one of the venerated Patriarchs of the faith. But before Jacob can become Israel, the man must be broken. Jacob needs to learn that his life is to be one of continual striving with God, but doing it with full dependence on God. He will learn that with God there is a continual heat from the refiner’s fire, but through the adversity there is an unspeakable joy in the journey. And though God probably won’t be wrestling with any of us physically like He did with Jacob, there is a continual tension of finding our greatest peace when we are most intimate in close communion with God. At times we struggle, but in the pain we learn to submit to His will, allow Him to expose our defects, yield to the wounds He creates and then trust Him that the pain is for our greatest good as the “old man” is further put to death. If we act in the flesh and run away or defend ourselves or blame others or whine and complain, we’ll never experience this. As creatures so prone to follow our selfish instincts, there is a serenity that comes when God wrestles us to the ground, breaks us further of our pride and reminds us that our sufficiency is only in Him.
Randy Smith

    • OBERLIN EVANGELIST 1846 SERMON INDEX

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    This entry is part 15 of 15 in the series Charles Finney OBERLIN EVANGELIST 1846 Sermons

    Charles Finney OBERLIN EVANGELIST 1846 Sermons

    OBERLIN EVANGELIST 1846 SERMON INDEX This file is CERTIFIED BY GOSPEL TRUTH MINISTRIES TO BE CONFORMED TO THE ORIGINAL TEXT. For authenticity verification, its contents can be compared to the original file at www.GospelTruth.net or by contacting Gospel Truth P.O. Box 6322, Orange, CA 92863. (C)2000. This file is not to be changed in any way, nor to be sold, nor this seal to be removed. Wish to Copy a File? READ THIS

    Sermons by the

    Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY

    Published in

    the

    OBERLIN EVANGELIST

    1846

    The Nature of Impenitence and the Measure of Its Guilt The Rule by Which the Guilt of Sin is Estimated On Divine Manifestations On the Lord’s Supper Forfeiting Birth-right Blessings Afflictions of the Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted On Becoming Acquainted With God God Manifesting Himself to Moses Coming to The Waters of Life The Blessedness of Enduring Temptation Quenching the Spirit Responsibility of Hearing the Gospel Return to Oberlin Evangelist Index Page HOME | FINNEY LIFE | FINNEY WORKS | TEXT INDEX | SUBJECT INDEX | GLOSSARY | BOOK STORE | E-MAIL Copyright (c)1999, 2000. Gospel Truth Ministries

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