The Courage of Faith (Central Things, Part 2)

"...neither fear their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself, and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread." Is. 8:12-13

There are many people who do not like the "fear of the Lord." Either their cream puff marshmallow version of God cannot allow anyone to fear Him, or the idea of "fearing" God conjures up images of frightfully bowing down before a great and furious despot. Either God is cruel and we are weak or vice versa, neither or which is an attractive option. Many often wonder what is this cowardice that God demands from us, but I have had a different thought: what is this impossible bravery that He has called us to?

Think about it: all of His commands to fear Him are qualified to say that we should only fear Him and nothing else. Others may be offended that God would call us to be weak cowards before His face; I marvel that He would call us to such insane courage in the face of everything else. Fear only God; everything else is not worth your terror. It seems that implicit in our humbling ourselves before God is also a call to reckless confidence (one could almost say braggadocio) before this world with devil's filled. And the grounds of this confidence is not in ourselves but in the knowledge that God is not only greater than us but also greater than all other terrors.

Of course, the "fear" of the Lord has nothing to do with cowardice. Rather, it is about reverence. As I suggested early, it is a matter of humility, of seeing God as actually greater than all (including and especially yourself). In other words, the "fear of the Lord" is about God being the highest thing in your world, the central fact and assumption that informs every other facet of your life. Simply put, it is about being Christ-like, for God was the highest of all to Christ as well (Matt. 26:39; John 5:30, 6:38). Such a life will not only produce holiness but also courage, courage as a product of holiness.

To "sanctify" God in our hearts, to set Him apart as the highest thing that we will ever know, is a fountainhead of not only sanctification but also bravery. If you believe that the great God of all is for you, then truly who or what can be against you? Fear is swallowed up in victory. Oh fear, where is thy sting? Oh dread, where is your victory? You who are faint of heart: lift your anxious hands and strengthen your feeble knees and fear the Lord who loves you, and let the boldness of your belief drown out every lesser terror in the light of His glory and grace.

-Jon Vowell (c) 2012

Homily 17: Faith, Fear, and Following (as preached by an orthodox rebel)

"Jesus said unto them, 'Follow me, and I will...." Matthew 4:19

Faith is a trial because everything in life seems geared against it. From society and civilization to our own eyes and mind, there is always a penumbra of voices doubting and decrying our step into the dark. Even good and noble things like common-sense can rise up against you, with words sweet like honey and deep like thunder. The persuasion is almost unbearable, but despair, not peace, can only follow such concession; the vision was too sweet and the calling too heart-rending, and parting with it is bitter sorrow. Anything resembling peace in that exchange is merely apathetic surrender to your doubts. It is a difficult and perilous thing to follow by faith.

"Jesus said..., 'I will....'" This is all that we will receive: a promise. A promise from God that this thing, this crazy, hair-brained thing will be accomplished. He does not say how, nor does He explain all that it will entail. He simply says, "The thing will be done, and I will do it." Faith is trusting the promise and nothing else: not plans, people, interpretations, or experiences, but the promises of God in Christ.

Faith is (at the very least) an openness to being credulous about the incredible. God's promises are incredible mainly because they are simple. "You see that ridiculously impossible thing?" He says, "All of the hopes and dreams and burdens that I have laid on your heart? Follow me, and I will accomplish them." There is only one possibility for happiness, only one hope to have the glory and adventure that the human heart thirsts for: follow God--into the wilderness, into the dark, and believe that He will.

-Jon Vowell (c) 2010

Homily 16: "...we all go into the dark..." (as preached by an orthodox rebel)

"...I fear my lord the king...." Daniel 1:10

We must not abide the doctrines of any false and foolish religion that tries to claim the unreality of either fear or its object. There are many frightful and beastly barricades set across the whole of life, and the fear they inspire is usually well deserved. The difference is in this: it is not about believing that your fears (or fearful things) don't exist; it is about believing that God does exist. The instant that we focus (for whatever reason) on the fears and/or their objects rather than on God, we have gone awry. Even if we are attempting to comfort our fellow man, simply denying the reality of their terrors within or the terrors without is a silly solution. It is the equivalent of telling them that the dark will go away if they simply close their eyes.

We do mankind a great disservice if we deny their fears and/or fearful things for the simple reason that denying the dark does nothing to get rid of it. Only light does that, and the good news of the Christian religion is that the light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness is powerless before it (John 1:5). Obviously, the only proper thing to do for those who are afraid of the very real dark is to point them to the very real light.

The servant of Nebuchadnezzar was genuinely afraid of a very real danger, and what did Daniel say to assuage him? Not, "Doubt your fears," but rather, "Prove thy servants," i.e., test the matter. Come and see the faithfulness of the almighty God (Num. 11:23, 23:19, & Mal. 3:10). This is not, nor is it ever, about blind faith. It is about seeing with your own eyes God work in the real world, about realizing the reality of God in the practical minutia of life. It does us no good to anyone (including ourselves) to deny the reality of fear and fearful things. The only good lies in claiming the reality of God and being strong in the real power of His real might.

-Jon Vowell (c) 2010