Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Wednesday October 14, 2009

Fear can be a terrible thing. It is known to act as a paralyzing agent, or the total opposite and cause people to flee from mere shadows. Christians are exhorted over and again to overcome fear, one of the first statements from God to men, angels to men when an appearance was made were the words, "Fear not."

When the concept of fear is searched it is amazing to find the God uses fear to communicate truth.

The most famous instance is a scene in which true fear is hardly mentioned by any who comment on it. John 3:1-21. This passage contains the clearest and most powerful statement on God's sacrificial love toward us in history. John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

If a writer had ten thousand hands and each hand could use ten thousand pens and each pen contained ten thousand languages the writer could not exhaust the meaning and implications of the above verse.

The man who learned eternal truth from Jesus visited him by night for as most teach and the scriptures imply by John 7:50, and 19:38-39 Nicodemus was as the grand theologian Mark Twain states, "afeared." The area of the conversation is set in the nighttime hours and a "Ruler of Jews" enters the space of the apparent peasant from Galilee. And in this event shrouded in darkness, the light of truth breaks through the fog of mere religion, eternity's bright day breaks upon the mind and heart of the humble leader of the religious. A miracle of miracles.

While Nicodemus was at least concerned about being seen with Jesus, he was put enough at ease by Jesus to ask tough questions. And Jesus not fearing contradiction gave him straight answers, answers that to this day stand the test of time and attack.

When you approach the Lord wishing to gain affirmation of erroneous ideas or lifestyle, you will meet with stern reproof. When asking for the truth you will meet with strong but tender answers that cause thought, but bring enlightenment.

Remember George Whitefield's theme: "Ye must be born again." John 3:7.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2009 Use with credit

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