Are there really two different types of fear? If so, how do they differ from each other? And if they are different, which fear is Paul referring to in such verses as: “Bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” and that we are to, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
Second Corinthians 7:1, this is part 5 of an on going series dealing with, “The Christian’s Self Cleansing.” That concept comes from this verse. Which reads this way, “Since we have these promises,” promises that were articulated back in Chapter 6, that we looked at in the first message in the series. But “Since we have these promises, Beloved, let us…” he is speaking to the Corinthians, he is not speaking to the whole world in general. “Let us,” this is the Christian’s cleansing, “let us cleanse ourselves.” That’s where I get the “Christian’s Self Cleansing”, directly from Paul’s words. “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
Now brethren, this is a series, I cannot say everything that needs to be said in one message. I’m going to emphasis something to you today, which obviously if you’ve been paying attention and have participated in the series thus far, you know that other things have been said. Other things have been brought out of Scripture that are necessary as we consider cleansing ourselves, and pursuing holiness, and the completion of holiness. I’m going to tell you something today that some of you may not like. But the thing you always need to ask yourselves is this: Have I dreamed this up on my own or do I actually have a Biblical basis for what I’m going to say?
I recognize that I want to emphasis something today about the, “Christian’s Self Cleansing”, about bringing holiness to completion, that needs to be said, but it’s not all that needs to be said. We already have four messages behind us already that had other things that needed to be said. But I told you already, that I really believe that we need to look at the fear of God. You see that at the end of the verse, we are to “bring holiness to completion in the fear of God” and so I want to deal with that today.
Now turn in your Bible’s to Philippians, Chapter 2…
(The rest of the transcript may come at a later date.)
