Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Three

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Three

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

The context of this verse is significant. It lies between verses that illuminate the power of faith in God and two verses that connect faith and its blessings with forgiveness and honest relationships. This contextual view exposes the fallacy in the “Gospel of Wealth and Health” abuse of this verse. The objective of a right relationship with Almighty God is not a reductionistic, narcissistic and individualistic quest for financial gain that permits conspicuous consumption and unbridled material acquisition. Instead, faith in God unleashes His miraculous power that accomplishes His will and purpose. In addition, disciples pray, in accordance with “the Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13) and Jesus’ petition in the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42), for revelation of the will of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to seek and fulfill it. In response to His disciples’ plea for instruction in prayer, the Lord teaches them to seek the will of God on Earth as it is in heaven. On the night of His betrayal and eve of His crucifixion, the Lord follows His very human plea that the cup of death passes Him by with a confession of faith. “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.” (KJV) The evangelist reminds disciples of the importance of prioritizing God’s will in all personal matters.

 

Jesus’ directive, “Have faith in God,” empowers disciples to speak to any mountain and tell it to cast itself into a sea of oblivion never to rise again. However, a disciple cannot harbor doubt in his heart. Storing suspicions resembles dust that forms in the crevices of a windowsill or corners of a room. Some doubts parallel large pieces of broken furniture in the garage or clothing that no longer fit in the closet. To doubt means to have a divided mind. One moment everything seems clear and straightforward. The next, questions begin to sow seeds of uncertainty. Weeds of disbelief begin to grow thereby forcing disciples to sift through their thoughts to glean faith. The process of growing in faith is one of settling any doubt. Recollections of God’s unwavering faithfulness and consistent practice of other spiritual disciplines are practical means of removing doubt. Like weekly house cleaning that removes dirt, dust, cobwebs, stains, odors and overlooked messes, disciples embrace recitation of scriptures, prayer, fasting, worship, fellowship, Bible study, reading, journaling and meditation as pragmatic means of eliminating doubt. Nonetheless, it is important to specify that the disciple needs to mature in faith to remove any doubt that Almighty God can favorably impart His grace and power to remove the mountains in the disciple’s life. With an unwavering faith in God’s ability to act miraculously in accordance with His will, any disciple can experience divine favor.

 

To doubt means to have a divided mind. It is hard to have faith when a disciple’s mind and heart oppose each other. Mental assent to the idea that God can perform miracles or supernaturally impart grace to accomplish His purposes is not sufficient. Faith is more than strong and fierce emotions. Prayer requires more than loud, vociferous and sincere verbal petitions. These spiritual superstitions do not equate with faith. Belief in God requires reason and faith. Disciples consider their intellect by scanning a protocol of logical, scientific and practical factors for reasonableness. Satisfying these rational tests, disciples appropriately turn to their faith. Realizing that the facts of any situation may not yield a favorable outcome, disciples employ their faith and ask God for His favorable intervention. Their prayer petition may include a direct request that Almighty God suspend natural law and perform a miracle. However, disciples should clarify their motives and objectives when making such a request. Does the disciple ask because he think it is a good idea that God fulfill a personal preference. Does the disciple ask for the miracle to honor and glorify God? Does the disciple ask for the miracle to accomplish God’s will? Does the plea for a miracle further the Gospel or expand Christ’s kingdom?  Yet, if disciples retain uncertainty in their minds and hearts, then they corrode any faith they allege.

 

Uncertainty indicts God’s ability, promises and Word. It means harboring mental and experiential reservations. Doubt is a very human and understandable emotion and stance. The Bible records myriad instances of doubt. Several of the people who are in the “Hall of Fame and Faith” (Hebrews 11) harbored legitimate doubts as they sought divine and miraculous intervention. Sarah laughs when the angel informs Abraham and her that she will bear a child in her old age. Gideon rebuffs an angelic proclamation of God’s presence, consideration and care. Thomas initially refuses to believe the resurrection occurred when his fellow disciples told him that the Risen Lord Jesus Christ had appeared to them. You recall Thomas’ immortal words. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) After Thomas encounters the Risen Lord, Thomas ceases doubting and believes wholeheartedly. Faith surmounts doubt when disciples rely unwaveringly upon God’s faithfulness, unfailing love and grace. Disciples believe in God and His sovereign and gracious will to intervene favorably on a believing disciple’s behalf.

 

Faith empowers disciples to speak to the mountains in their lives. They can order the mountains to cast themselves into the sea. If they do not doubt in their hearts, disciples can trust that God will consider their prayers and answer in accordance with His prerogatives and will. Interestingly, the evangelist adds a requirement. The disciple must believe what he says! If the disciple does not really believe what he says, why would he expect God to respond favorably? Unconditional belief is a nonnegotiable prerequisite for miraculous action. This verse, Mark 11:23, reads as if it were an “If-Then” algebra equation. The prerequisites must be solved to complete the equation. Necessitating that disciples believe what they say in turn requires them to clarify their desires and intentions. A person of a divided mind and heart cannot legitimately ask anything of God. (James 1:6-8) Faith includes an unequivocal belief in Almighty God respecting His sovereign prerogatives and unerring will. It also demands clarity of desire and intention. Accordingly, disciples must believe what they say. As disciples combine these two dimensions, they will witness the removal of mountains in their lives.

 

The evangelist links prayer, faith and forgiveness in Mark 11:25-26. It appears the failure to forgive someone against whom you hold resentment and other negativity cancels the possibility of miracles. The evangelist instructs disciples to pause when praying for a miracle and consider whether they harbor anything against anyone. The Psalter encourages believers to have “clean hands and a pure heart.” (Psalm 24:4) It stands to reason that holding toxic emotions in your heart interferes and undermines any desire for God’s grace. The evangelist insists that God demands forgiveness as disciples state personal petitions, intercede for other people, offer confessions, express adoration and enumerate their thanksgiving in prayer and other spiritual disciplines. Further, God demands that disciples forgive others as a condition to receive unconditional divine forgiveness. The degree to which a disciple desires God’s forgiveness is the exact same degree to which he must extend forgiveness to other people who have harmed him. In the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Mathhew 6:12 KJV) Two verses later, He adds, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Prayer with a clean heart and conscious, genuine faith in God and unreserved forgiveness of other people are necessary to honor God’s holy character. It is irrational to ask for divine grace, mercy and assistance while simultaneously harboring bitterness, resentment, vexation and other toxic emotions against other people. A disciple with such a burdened and soiled heart is not a vessel through whom God’s will can occur. Anyone retaining doubt in the crevices of his mind and closets of his heart is also an ineligible instrument through whom God can accomplish His will. As “God is love” and love is the basis of forgiveness, it is unreasonable to assume that a disciple can taint divine love and forgiveness with a refusal to share Christ’s love and forgiveness. Disciples demonstrate their gratitude as recipients of love, grace and mercy by freely and liberally sharing these divine gifts with others.

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Four

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Four

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

These final two verses of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Mark address a few important components of Christian discipleship: prayer, forgiveness and reciprocity in forgiveness. First, what is prayer and why is it important for discipleship development? In the Roman Empire, which is the context in which this book is written, pagans prayed to the courts and powerful authorities to grant their wishes and thereby strengthen their lives. Weak people articulate their heartfelt desires to powerful people. Vulnerable and marginalized people hoped that the judicial and political lords would be gracious in hearing their pleas and granting their wishes. In contrast, rebuffing emperor worship and unbridled allegiance to the Roman government, Christians believe that all power lies in the hands of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Primarily, they appealed to Him to hasten the emergence of His kingdom on Earth. They posited that the reign of Christ would result in a fundamentally just and equitable society. A certain level of human dignity would provide for all people, extend legal rights, and offer freedom to them to actualize their abilities in accordance with the Lord’s will. Christian disciples prayed to Christ for revelation and manifestation of His law, the Word of God. The Christian idea of power, law and authority transcended the fierce power of Rome. Disciples shunned emperor worship in exchange for appealing to Christ to utilize His divine power to accomplish His will. Contemporarily, disciples appeal to the Lord of the universe to glorify Himself through their daily mysteries, experiences, challenges and joys.

 

Please note the implication that prayer transforms disciples’ desires, wishes and petitions into means and mechanisms of honoring and glorifying God and seeking His will. “The Lord’s Prayer” centers upon this spiritual objective. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus offers a very human and understandable request that the Heavenly Father spare Jesus the bitter, agonizing and reprehensible cup of crucifixion. Yet, Jesus accepts that the Father’s will is best. “Nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done.” Prayer is a transformative process in which disciples receive discernment, revelation and empowerment from the Holy Spirit to mature to the point of saying “Nevertheless” and seeking only to fulfill God’s will.

 

Before formally defining forgiveness in biblical terms, I would like to cite three incredible examples of forgiveness. Twenty years ago in October 2006, a mentally deranged man entered an Amish one-room school in Lancaster Pennsylvania and killed ten girls. The international press corps descended like vultures upon this community to observe the breadth and depth of this immeasurable tragedy. People of faith internationally recoiled in shock and disgust. To their chagrin, the Amish community did not react with anger, disgust, bitterness and blood lust. Through the power of their faith, they communally forgave the man who inexplicably slaughtered their daughters. Incredulously, they visited the family of the murderer who committed suicide following his dastardly deed. They prayed with his family and shared condolences. One of the victims’ family invited the man’s family to her funeral. Most incredibly, the Amish community attended his funeral and grieved with his family. Modeling the Lord’s teachings on forgiveness, the Amish community extended an unconditional pardon to the perpetrator whose mental illness and unresolve intrapsychic challenges possibly explain his actions on that fateful fall day two decades ago. Truly, they believed and demonstrated to the global village that vengeance belongs to the Lord. (Amish Grace and Forgiveness - LancasterPA.com – link active as of 23 September 2026)

 

Second, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving Day in 2004, four teenagers utilizing a stolen credit card bought several items among them being a twenty-pound stolen turkey. Carousing in a car afterwards, their collective adolescent mentality agreed to take the frozen turkey and hurl it out of one of the backdoors. The object struck and shattered a woman’s windshield. It demolished the steering wheel causing her to lose control of the vehicle. Surprisingly, she survived this horrific incident which would necessitate multiple surgeries, some facial reconstruction and extensive rehabilitation. The major effects were brain damage and paralysis. Within miles of her home, this woman was returning from attending a concert. The unbridled immaturity and unconscionable indifference of four teenagers radically and suddenly changed her life. Their criminal behavior and incivility were obvious causes for righteous indignation and thirst for legal retribution which the local district attorney originally sought. Astoundingly, the victim asked for leniency for the perpetrators who faced potentially lengthy prison sentences. She attended the court proceedings and publicly forgave the oldest culprit for whom a twenty-five-year sentence lurked. Various news outlets reported this act of pardon, redemption and possible transformation. The victim told the young man that she hoped he would take advantage of the judicial mercy that he would receive and “make something of his life.” She did not wish to discard him to the human rock quarry of incarceration. Instead, she hopes that he would demonstrate his gratitude through his lifestyle choices. Some news reports detailed a very emotional moment of embrace between the two of them as he apologized through loud and penetrating sobs and she tearfully reiterated her genuine forgiveness. One account said that there was not a dry eye in the courtroom. Regrettably, the victim of that accident died fifteen years later. Notwithstanding her neurological and physical limitations, she became a motivational speaker who addressed prison, religious and general audiences about the necessity and transformative power of forgiveness. In death as in life, she leaves an immeasurable legacy and lesson about compassion and pardon. (A Woman Who Famously Forgave A Teen For A Violent Frozen Turkey Prank Has Died – link active as of 23 September 2026)

 

Esau’s forgiveness of Jacob is the third example. (Genesis 32 and 33) Recall Jacob twice deceives his brother. He cheats him  out of his birthright for the cost of a bowl of lentil soup and then Jacob tricks their father, Isaac, and steals Esau’s blessing. When the latter appears before the father, only verbal crumbs are left to impart to him. The riches of the land and the Lord’s blessings have been bequeathed to the younger son. Rebekah assists Jacob in executing his deception of Isaac and duplicity toward Esau. Taken for a fool a second time, Esau becomes murderously angry. He would have committed fratricide had not his parents intervened to save Jacob’s life by instructing a servant to send him away to their relatives. Twenty years  later, a confluence of circumstances causes a reunion between these brothers.

 

Jacob, frightened of Esau’ volcanic anger which he assumes is as potent as it was two decades ago, plans a strategic approach to this unavoidable reunion. Jacob fears his  brother’s wholesale retaliation. More specifically, Jacob fears that Esau will annihilate Jacob and his entire household. He remains alert and anxious throughout their meeting. As deceit lies intrinsically in Jacob’s character, he is unable to fully trust Esau’s genuine forgiveness of Jacob. Still, in Genesis 33:10, utterly moved by his brother’s compassion, consideration and graciousness, Jacob describes the reunion with his brother as equating with seeing the face of God given Esau’s genuine kindness and favor. Jacob’s humility reflects the power of genuine forgiveness. As its recipient, he marvels that God could transform his brother’s heart. In  two decades, Esau’s murderous rage dissipates. Upon  seeing his brother, Esau dramatically and exuberantly embraces Jacob and weeps joyously. For Jacob, their reunion was probably a surreal experience as he could not imagine its converse. I suspect that Esau during the interim period of two decades reflected extensively about his brother’s transgressions. Chances are he considered his immaturity, aimlessness and divided mind which prevented him from fulfilling his rightful place as the elder brother and primary heir. How could he have willingly consented to exchanging his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup? If not Jacob, then someone else would have exploited Esau’s incapacity to appreciate God’s gifts more so than his family’s culture and traditions. Nonetheless, having established his own meaningful relationship with Almighty God, Esau experiences an incredible transformation of mind, heart and character. That internal change enables Esau to forgive his brother.

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 - Part Five

 

Meditations Upon Mark 11:24 – Part Five

Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

The three preceding examples define forgiveness. In legal terms, society forgives any criminal when he receives pardon, which is a binding and irreversible act whereby the legal system relinquishes its right to retribution. It is as if the offense never occurred. Biblically, forgiveness releases offenders from the debt of sinful and hurtful actions. Forgiveness follows the Heavenly Father’s example in extending pardon and mercy to humankind through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. God’s covenantal love for us is the basis of His forgiveness. Accordingly, the Lord requires disciples to extend forgiveness to receive it. This nonnegotiable command is poignantly evident in “The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant.” (Matthew 18:21-35) This man mercifully evades a considerable debt of ten thousand talents; currently equating with thousands, tens or hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of dollars depending upon calculation for inflation and exchange rates. Incredulously, this same servant refuses to forgive a miniscule debt of hundreds of dollars owed to him from another servant who faced hardships. Furious at this act of ingratitude, the master of  the unforgiving servant reestablishes the debt and orders the imprisonment of this ungrateful man until he can remit the debt. This story teaches the divine imperative of reciprocity in giving and receiving forgiveness. Summarily, to forgive means to renounce righteous indignation, surrender rights to punishment and retribution and release of revenge and similar ideas and emotions to God for His perfect judgment and adjudication. More significantly, forgiveness requires disciples to permanently and irrevocably forgive anyone who harms them.

 

A few pragmatic matters relating to forgiveness are noticeable. First, it may take a long time to fully forgive someone. Jesus tells Peter that he is to forgive someone as many times as necessary to complete the process of grace, mercy, resolution and possibly reconciliation. A process of twenty years unfolds within Esau’s mind and heart to yield his forgiveness to Jacob. In that time, Esau obtained discernment, grace, wisdom and renewal of love through a vibrant relationship with Almighty God. His immeasurable wealth and blessings indicate that he processed his anger and resentment. Eventually Esau acknowledges his role in Jacob’s deceitful schemes, and he realizes that his is not lacking anything given God’s bountiful blessings and provision. Even without the birthright and Isaac’s blessings, Esau enjoys an abundance of riches and quality of life. God mysteriously and majestically redeems Esau’s loss.

 

Second, disciples forgive people for their incapacities of character inclusive of lacking morals, ethics and ability to make just choices. “Bad” and dysfunctional parents probably were incapable of being “good” and responsible parents. An infinite amount of pain and injury lingers in the hearts and minds of countless people who live with unresolved childhood trauma and unhealed disappointments. Hurtful words said by busy, indifferent and misguided parents were determinative as some people believed them and allowed those words to impede their progress in life. Irresponsible and immature parents failed to provide adequately, tolerated poverty and allowed hunger, cold, extreme need and public humiliation. They did not exemplify the love, faithfulness and provision that we expect of loving and dutiful parents. Incapacities of character derail ambitions to attend college, disrupt entrepreneurial plans or otherwise negatively affect a person’s quest to seek a higher quality of life. To liberate themselves from the just and understandable anger and bitterness that a person would feel, disciples genuinely rely upon God’s presence and empowerment to learn how to forgive their parents and their parents’ incapacities.

 

Forgiveness may or may not achieve reconciliation. Your forgiveness of a perpetrator does not necessitate that you maintain a relationship with that person. Practically, you do not have to adhere to religious traditions and superstitions that suggest resolving painful relational experiences always end with each side saying “Sorry” as if they were children on a grade school playground. We live in an adult world. There are experiences that are so hurtful, disillusioning, disappointing and disrespectful that victims always fear that they will suffer repeated injuries and abuse if they maintain communication. I am aware of a woman who divorced her husband whom she deeply and unquestionably loved. She did so after years of contending with domestic violence inclusive of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. She ceased to count and recall the myriad hurtful, insulting and damaging words he said. In time, he matured having healed from his childhood pain and trauma that fueled his internal volcanic anger that spewed lava all over their relationship. He admirably and humbly asked for her forgiveness. She graciously and sincerely forgave him. However, she was unable to accede to his deeply emotional and solicitous requests for reconciliation and remarriage. He had simply hurt her heart so thoroughly that she could not entrust her heart to him again. She feared, notwithstanding his claims to the contrary, that he would hurt again. She would not enjoy any peace or security in their relationship. Silently and assuredly, she would wait for the inevitable next barrage of hurtful words.

 

In the twenty-sixth verse, the evangelist emphasizes the conjunction, neither. He reiterates God’s firm demand that disciples give forgiveness if they wish to receive it from Him. The conjunction negates what precedes and succeeds it. Interestingly, it facilitates both sides of the sentence. It reveals the larger requirements of “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) Love of God in turn necessitates love of others. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Applying the principles of this two-fold commandment practically means forgiving in others the shortcomings that a disciple can so easily forgive within himself. God’s love demands that disciples share with each other the compassion that they harbor for themselves. Growing understanding of God’s love for each disciple equips them to forgive each other.

 

This often-quoted passage teaches us that faith in God encompasses more than a sincere request for God’s favor to increase financial gain, acquire material possession or receive miraculous healing.  Having faith in God entails removing doubt, believing wholeheartedly in whatever you ask of Him, willingness to speak your desires aloud and unconditional belief in God’s ability to do whatever you ask in accordance with His sovereign will. It is important to remember that you offer your requests to a holy God who is the perfect manifestation of love. As He loves humankind and gave His “One and Only Begotten Son” as a sacrifice to demonstrate His covenantal, faithful and unfailing love, He requires anyone who knows His love to share it with everyone else. Practically, disciples as recipients of God’s loving forgiveness in turn logically and liberally extend the same compassion and consideration to all members of the human family. This verse and its context instructs us about the comprehensive nature of faith in God which includes relational dimensions of a disciple’s fellowship with God and connection with his brothers and sisters in the global village.

 

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part Three

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 – Part Three

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

“But perfect love drives out fear.” The use of the English word, perfect, connotes a love that is errorless, exactingly correct and without a scintilla of deficiency. Intriguingly, John’s community understood “perfect love” as a love that is “fully complete” and thus trustworthy, reliable and faithful in all seasons and situations. An agricultural people who lived fiercely dependent upon the land, they thought in terms of word pictures. They equate John’s teachings with their perennial and life-sustaining process of tilling and fertilizing land, planting, nurturing crops, weeding and irrigating, praying for rain if necessary, dealing with a drought, protecting the crop from wildlife, harvesting, reaping a crop and turning a profit. The value of any harvest exceeded its monetary yield. Investment of time, labor, energy, discipline and commitment could not be adequately factored into market negotiations and price determination. A realistic price would consider all seasons not just harvest. The evangelist speaks of love in this holistic and cyclic nature. A “fully complete” love turns with each annual cycle of life. It is a life-giving and life-sustaining force in each season. This type of love, intrinsically formidable and inherently faithful like the Heavenly Father, does not shift like sand or shadows. It does not equivocate, compromise, faint or yield to challenge or adversity. Please note that a “fully complete” love grows stronger and more formidable with each complete turn of the seasons. The intertwining roots of sequoia trees offer a splendid contemporary natural example. Running possibly twelve feet deep, these roots extend two to three hundred feet wide. Their interlocking nature allows each tree stability and access to shared resources. Moreover, they support each other when confronted by any natural threat. Year after year, these roots strengthen each other. A “fully complete” love serves a similar purpose as it eliminates fear.

 

Love parallels a bouncer in a night club. He throws out anyone who is unruly, disruptive or a potential threat to the safety and tranquility of other people. To drive out fear is to cast it out into utter oblivion and darkness where it will not be seen again. Perfect love also diffuses, deters and dissolves fear. It possesses a farmer’s versatility to prevent any seasonal crisis from threatening or diminishing crops and the harvest that they will produce. Love throws out fear in whatever form it emerges. The evangelist accordingly reassures disciples in the beloved community that the Lord’s perfect love eradicates fear of eternal damnation or any earthly punishment.

 

“Because fear has to do with punishment.” It is impossible to enjoy God’s loving ad comforting presence if disciples constantly fear His wrath and judgment. The risk of spending eternity in “the lake of fire” impedes any enjoyment of grace, peace and joy. Corporal punishment was a primary means of discipline during my childhood. The risk of “getting a beating” was a permanent fixture in daily life. An internal compass directed personal behavior to avoid any discipline or punishment. This looming threat made it difficult to enjoy family times inclusive of movies, games, cards or outdoor activities. Unquestionably, this dilemma limited relationships. It is not easy to transcend this lingering fear. I suspect there are disciples who recoil in response to “hellfire and brimstone” sermons. They further pharisaical attitudes toward God and religion. Well-intentioned but misguided disciples engage religion to avoid God’s wrath and punishment. Their adherence to religious ordinances and congregational dictates is an effort to quantifiably earn entry to heaven. This distorted outlook upon Christianity robs them of “unspeakable joy” and “glorious riches” of personally knowing the Lord’s unfailing love for them.

 

Many disciples fail to forgive themselves for sins of omission and commission because fear imprisons them with a lifelong guilt complex. They believe that they should suffer. They punish themselves with harsh words and perpetual condemnation. They deprive themselves of seeing beauty in the daily miracle of life. Their foreboding outlook deprives them of knowing Christ’s unquestioned and immediate forgiveness.  Recall the Lord’s graciousness, mercy and forgiveness toward the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). Jesus repels her accusers who stand holding stones. Moreover, they held unconfessed sins in their minds and hearts. As no one is left to condemn her, the Lord refuses to do so. Equally, Christ extends a pardon to disciples for their sins to enable transformation of their character. His redemptive love motivates His forgiveness. Additionally, in a seminal verse, Romans 8:1, Paul encourages the church that Christ’s unfailing love annihilates any condemnation that they may feel or anyone seeks to levy. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Most regrettably, countless disciples are unable to receive and live within that covenantal promise because they fear punishment.

 

Imagine being in the presence of unconditional love. Would you be able to trust it? I have a sneaky suspicion and a very funny feeling that many relationships suffer because one of the partners fails to trust the love and consideration of his or her significant other. Fear creates this inability to rely upon daily declarations and actions of love, grace and consideration. Some people retain a constant comparison chart to measure the extent of each other’s love. Presumably, your mate will prove his or her love with enough mathematically verifiable deeds of love. The need to quantify love naturally emerges from a pervasive fear that a relational disaster (financial struggles, conflicts in parenting, sexual incompatibility and challenges or infidelity) will unfold and irreparably damage or sever the relationship. As long as that palatable fear persists, it remains impossible to dwell peacefully and steadfastly in love with another person. Lingering fear corrodes words and deeds of love. In contrast, the evangelist hopes members of his community grow in their understanding and experience of Christ’s unfailing love for them.

 

He primarily writes this letter to share with them his enduring recollection of his experience of divine love as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) The beloved disciple directly experienced the Heavenly Father’s unfailing, loyal and covenantal love as embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ. He testifies to what he heard, saw, touched and witnessed. He posits that anyone who encounters the Risen Lord can have a similar experience. An encounter with the Lord exceeds the traditionally religious, obligatory and dramatic conversion experience that defies natural law. Recall Moses’ discovery of a burning bush whose flames does not consume it. Encountering Christ is the beginning of an earthly and eternal pilgrimage that culminates in the New Jerusalem. Discipleship is a daily and lifetime commitment to learning the Lord’s teachings; and internalizing and practicing these principles in all personal and professional affairs. Disciples emulate the Lord’s love for humankind in marriage, family, community and society. Living in an interdependent relationship with the Lord and being a recipient of His love compels disciples to share His love.

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part Four

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 – Part Four

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

However, “the one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Fugitives live in constant and formidable fear. They strive diligently to mesh with their surroundings and live proverbially below the radar. Still, the persistent threat of arrest, arraignment, extradition, indictment, trial, conviction and sentencing prevent them from experiencing any peace. The dawn of each day brings freshly grown fears that developed overnight. Any encounter with law enforcement reignites those fears. Fugitives must avoid government buildings or any places that require identification. The presence of a police patrol vehicle at a stop light could potentially cause a full-blown panic attack. Retrieval of postal mail and voicemail messages inevitably include some fear and trepidation. They use the internet sparingly and guardedly. Any flashing or bright lights during nighttime immediately disrupts sleep. Chances are every creak, sound or bit of noise exacerbates a fugitive’s uneasiness. In an episode of the crime reality show, “ I Almost Got Away with It, a former fugitive and newly incarcerated inmate shares his story of being on the lam for eighteen years. Fearing the possible prison sentence he would receive at a hearing, this man skipped a court appearance. For nearly two decades, the US Marshals hunted this man. After fleeing the jurisdiction, the fugitive settled into a normal life in Southern Florida. He faithfully went to work, paid his taxes and silently and anonymously contributed to his local community. However, he did not enjoy a moment’s peace as he feared every minute that the marshals would discover and arrest him. Each night, sleep and peaceful rest eluded him.

 

On an average Friday morning, he arrived at work and opened the office to enable the public to enter at 9:00AM. Within fifteen minutes of the workday, he sat at his desk to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bagel. The door opened and a marshal approached and addressed the man by his full legal name. Absolutely exhausted after nearly two decades of fearing arrest and punishment, the fugitive did not possess any further ability to resist or run. He responded to the marshal’s question in the affirmative. Further, he said to him, “I have been waiting for this day for eighteen years. In that time, I have not had one good night’s rest. Actually, I am relieved to have this nightmare end.” That night in the county jail where he stayed awaiting extradition, he slept like a baby. He recalled that it was the first night of sleep he had enjoyed since his decision to flee. Just  as this fugitive did not have one moment of peace and calm for eighteen years, disciples who fear God’s wrath and punishment, instead of maturing in their understanding and experience of the Lord’s love, cannot be made perfect in it.

 

Any disciples who live perpetually in fear of eternal punishment cannot be made perfect in the Lord’s love. Like the foregoing fugitive who did not enjoy a scintilla of peace, rest, relaxation, or joy in eighteen years, disciples who fear God’s wrath are not able to embrace His unconditional and unfailing love for them. It is sad to think that people spend a lifetime in church but never embrace a loving relationship with the Lord. Decades of attending Sunday School and weekly worship services did not yield any greater revelation of the Lord’s teachings and kingdom. Possibly, these limited disciples settled for a minimalist theology and experience of the Gospel’s potential to transform lives. Rote adherence robs them of greater comprehension and experience of Christ. As they read Christian education materials, listen to music and sermons over the years, the silent fears that flood their minds and hearts corrode the wealth of this knowledge. As they sit in pews week after week, they dwell in an existential fog that obscures the brilliance of Christ’s love for His disciples.

 

The evangelist whom biblical scholars refer to as “the beloved disciple” writes to share love is the essence of the Gospel. He hopes disciples will forsake formal, institutional, traditional, corporate and socially respectable religion and religiosity as a substitute for embracing a vibrant and loving relationship with the Lord. Simply stated, Christianity furthers a relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ rather than rugged adherence to religious rites and regulations. Flowing organically and dynamically from an intimate fellowship with Christ is an internal compulsion of gratitude, to share the Lord’s love with fellow disciples and humankind. Having experienced divine love in its purest form as embodied in the Risen Lord Christ, disciples deeply desire to share this love with everyone else. However, fulfilling the Great Commandment and the Great Commission become virtually impossible if disciples remain imprisoned to fear and dread. The desire and willingness to freely share the Lord’s love is the clearest indication that a disciple is being perfected by His love. This lifelong mission includes sharing the Gospel and supporting fellow believers and congregants in discipleship development. It also involves social justice advocacy on behalf of marginalized and vulnerable people as well as delivering direct services to people in need as Matthew 25 details. Humankind suffers tremendously when disciples are incapable of being ambassadors for Christ because fear impedes them.

 

The evangelist appeals to all disciples with a fervent hope that they relinquish their fears and liberate themselves to internalize the Lord’s superabundant and perfect love. He regrets that they possibly confuse religion and a quest for self-righteousness with being in relationship with Christ. He reiterates the inverse relationship between fear and faith. Any disciples who surrender to fears the Lord’s condemnation will inevitably engage in lifelong  “works righteousness.” They hope to prove themselves worthy of admission to eternal bliss in the presence of perfect, infinite and timeless love. Their fears incarcerate them to persistent evaluation of whether they have done enough to surmount those trepidations. In a twisted manner of thinking, they genuinely hope an angel meticulously records every favorable thought and deed. Ultimately, a celestial printout will prove their worthiness. This lifetime of terror robs them of knowing, understanding and experiencing Christ’s love in this life and the one to come. Any disciples who languish in fear cannot be made “fully complete” in divine love. Regrettably, fear and religiosity override God’s appeal in Christ.

 

More specifically, the evangelist utilizes the Greek word, agape, to define and clarify his understanding of Christ’s affection for His disciples; past, present and future. The highest form of love in the universe, agape is selfless, sacrificial, redemptive and transformative. The components of the Lord’s love equate with His divine attributes. These characteristics become dimensions of a disciple’s life. Emulating the Lord’s selflessness, a disciple devotes himself to the Lord’s service thereby honoring Christ in ministry to other people. Giving is sacrificial. Disciples dedicate the use talent, treasure, time and temperament to expanding the Gospel and building Christ’s kingdom on Earth. Regardless of a disciple’s most painful, difficult and challenging experiences, the Lord can redeem those circumstances to empower a disciple to endure suffering, cultivate perseverance, strengthen character and acquire hope. Moreover, the Lord’s unfailing and loyal love transforms disciples from self-seeking choices and self-aggrandizing motives to a daily desire to acquire and emulate His heart, mind and character. As disciples incorporate the Lord’s love and attributes into their lives, they can experience a holistically fulfilling pilgrimage toward self-realization and personal destiny in accordance with the Lord’s will. Nevertheless, any disciples who live in fear cannot be made fully complete in His love.

 

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part One

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18- Part One

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

This seminal verse reminds disciples that God’s unfailing love in Christ is the foundation of the Gospel. In the fourth Gospel, the evangelist makes the often-quoted declaration, “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The first half of this verse alludes to God’s irreversible and irrevocable covenant with humankind that He makes with Abraham in Genesis. In Christ, God’s establishes a new covenant through the gift of the Lord’s sacrificial life. At the Last Supper, Jesus foreshadows His betrayal, crucifixion, death and resurrection as He institutes this ordinance of remembrance. Christ’s broken body and shed blood are supernatural gifts that establish the new covenant. Through faith in Christ, anyone graciously receives admission to the “New Israel,” the church or beloved community of the eternally redeemed through Christ. They are heirs of all promises that God makes through Christ. The ultimate promise is the gift of eternal life to anyone who believes in Christ and His atoning and salvific work. Implied in this promise is exoneration from perishing in eternity. Because of the Father’s covenant pledge premised upon His unfailing love for humankind through the gift of Christ, anyone who believes need not fear “going to hell” and being timelessly separated from God.

 

In the seventeenth verse of the third chapter of the Gospel, John further explains God’s purposes in the gift of Christ. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through Him.” The objective of the Gospel is sharing God’s unfailing, redemptive, gracious and transformative love with humankind. Condemning people to hell is not its cardinal purpose. Commenting to the beloved community, conceivably filled with second and third generation disciples, with wisdom borne of his old age and longevity, the beloved apostle reaffirms love as God’s character and essence. Simply stated, “God is love.” God demonstrates the pricelessness of His love in Christ. Accordingly, the enduring and eternal gift of Christ’s atoning sacrifice and propitiation satisfies the collectivity of human sin, offense and transgression against God’s holy character. Implementing a new covenant that appeases Himself, the Holy and Heavenly Father through love liberates all disciples from the eternal threat of hell and daily fear of punishment.

 

I grew up in the African American Southern Christian context and community. I attended New Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church located in Wisacky, South Carolina. The church was nestled between soybean, corn and cotton fields. This rural hamlet was a microcosm of the pervasive conservative, evangelical, regional and cultural expression of American Christianity that acquiesces biblical inerrancy and literalism and conservative sociopolitical and economic ideology. My childhood years witnessed the ascendancy of the “Gospel of Wealth and Health.” Still, a fundamentalist canopy hovered above regional religion, social interactions and relationships and public policy decision making. Removal of prayers in the public schools was met with utter disdain. Allusions to the Bible permeated public discourse. Political speeches faithfully invoked the name and will of God. Interestingly, a former Governor, Richard W. Riley, during an unrelenting drought punctuated with no rain and a daily heat index exceeding one hundred and five degrees Fahrenheit in the first two weeks of July 1986, asked the clergy of South Carolina to pray for rain. The citizens of the state favorably received that overtly religious appeal from their chief executive. Some of them, when interviewed, pledged to incorporate a petition for rain into their own prayers. Religion infused all dimensions of daily living whether socially or personally.

 

I recall reading numerous articles in The Sumter Daily Item about law enforcement seizures, arrests and prosecutions of makers of moonshine. This underground and alternative market liquor was also known as “Joy Juice,” “White Lightning,” “Corn Liquor” and “White Whiskey.” Made in the moonlight to avoid law enforcement raids, this type of alcohol competed significantly with “legal” and taxed alcoholic beverages sold in grocery, ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) and liquor stores. Retrospectively, I realize that the State of South Carolina prosecuted moonshine makers because their underground market yielded a considerable loss of tax revenue. One of her main tactics was to condemn moonshine makers for corroding the moral social fabric. Preachers and elected officials were vociferous in their contempt about the moral dangers of allowing moonshine to remain unchecked. Newspaper articles cited myriad potential dangers to people’s health and quality of life. Sermons characterized moonshine as “the devil’s brew.” Without question, distilling, packaging, selling, distributing, sharing, buying and consuming moonshine was sinful beyond being illegal. On a morally reductionistic level, some preachers opined, “You can’t get to heaven by drinking moonshine. People who do so will go to the other place.”  Leaders of state government, law enforcement officials, journalists and clergy cohered in their moral condemnation of consuming moonshine. Conveniently, they ignored obvious contradictions about tax collections and “blue laws” prohibiting the sale of alcohol from midnight on Saturdays until six o’clock in the morning on Mondays in all venues except ABC stores. Parenthetically, it would be interesting to see if the state collected data on traffic fatalities and accidents during that thirty-hour period over the weekend to ascertain whether the “blue laws” reduced those unfortunate events. Chances were people simply stocked up on Saturdays in anticipation of Sundays prohibitions. Nonetheless, religion and moralizing heavily influenced the denunciation of the underground sale and use of moonshine.

 

On an individual level, the threat of hell was used widely as a discipline strategy. Children who engaged in common, unruly and disruptive behavior, relative to their developmental stage, were told sternly and humorously, “Boy, you keep acting like that and you’re going to burn in that fire. People who act the way that you do end up in that fire. Do you want to be in that fire?” I vividly recall hearing those questions on multiple occasions during my childhood. They conditioned me and other children and youth to uncritically accept “hellfire and brimstone” sermons. That motif flowed through Southern preaching like the Amazon, Nile, Mississippi or Yukon rivers run through their terrain as a life-giving force. Probably, countless conversions to Christianity occurred pejoratively as “eternal life insurance.” Instead of coming to the Lord in response to His incredible love, grace, mercy and redemption, church goers and adherents to Christianity sought to avoid eternal damnation and punishment. In church services, annual revival meetings and radio, television and multimedia preaching, clergy emphasized the need “to get right with God,” renounce a sinful life and pledge to live a righteous life worthy of admission to heaven upon physical expiration.

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 - Part Two

 

Meditations Upon 1 John 4:18 – Part Two

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

 

As I reflect upon these childhood and formative experiences, I regret that I heard so little about the love of God in Christ Jesus.  I cannot recall hearing any preaching or teaching on this verse. How marvelous it is to know the Lord’s perfect love annihilates fear. “There is no fear in  love.” I suspect fears borne of myopic, misguided and distorted views of the Christian religion compounded longstanding unconscious fears. Insecurity and instability emerge within tenuous relationships and conditional circumstances. Primary relationships with parents, siblings, extended family and others within a person’s formative community are often catalysts for internal and lifelong fears. An existential cauldron of fear, pain, trauma and pervasive threat of eternal punishment erodes faith, hope and peace. That predicament creates a lifelong foreboding that erodes dreams, paralyzes ambitions, undermines progress, disintegrates relationships and restricts a person’s ability to enjoy daily life. Instead of embracing the miracle of each day, a disciple can experience life as a prison sentence to be endured with a minimal and fleeting hope that a heavenly reward lay just beyond the threshold of death. However, the evangelist reminds his audience that Christ’s love triumphs over fear.

 

The Old Testament contains numerous usages of fear relating to respecting God’s holy character and sovereign will. Proverbs 9:10 exhorts, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  Israel was taught to live in the fear and admonition of Almighty God. Fear, in this sense, equates with reverence, obedience and admiration. The Law and Prophets admonished the people to follow God’s holy commands. The threat of punishment looms large in their wilderness wandering years and those of settling into the Promised Land. Disciples recall stories like Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12) who experiences God’s wrath and judgment with immediate death. Chances are many people struggled with contrasting claims of God’s unfailing love and unquestioned provision with His anger and inclination to punish anyone who transgresses His holy nature. Understandably, it would be difficult for them to think of reciprocating God’s love. They probably would concentrate upon ensuring their strict adherence to the Law. Fear of a fate like Uzzah’s impedes reliance upon love and grace. A wholehearted desire for mercy predominates.

 

Contemporary Christians in South Carolina and elsewhere in the global village suffer a similar fate. Manipulated as a means of sociopolitical and economic control, corporate, institutional and orthodox religion emphasizes compliance to the Law, biblical and secular, as the surest means of demonstrating righteousness. Some disciples mistakenly pursue observance of rituals, loyalty to regulations in books of church discipline and order, celebration of rites and conformity with traditions and rules to quantify and prove their righteousness. Incredulously, some of them may silently hope that an angelic registrar is recording their church attendance, giving history, direct service to marginalized people, social justice activism and efforts to demonstrate that they are indeed Christian disciples. Theologians refer to this approach to discipleship as “works righteousness” wherein disciples mathematically prove that they deserve to enter the pearly gates in heaven. The elder brother in the “Parable of the Prodigal Son” is the ideal prototype of a disciple who believes he deserves to spend eternity in heaven. You will recall his words of righteous indignation when discovering his father’s celebration of his sinful brother’s return to their home. Moreover, Paul’s letter to Galatian disciples opposes the Judaizers and others who demand adherence to the Law and Jewish ordinances and customs as a prerequisite to Christian discipleship. The apostle condemns this alternative gospel message. Conversely, confession of faith in Christ, believer’s baptism and dedication to lifelong study and practice of the Lord’s teachings comprise the start of a new life in Christ.

 

The fourth evangelist in this verse offers an enduring solution to this theological and spiritual problem for the Christian community. He proclaims love as the essence of the Gospel and the new covenant that God makes with humankind through the gift of Christ. That love removes any fear of God and in living in a right relationship with Him. Rather than obeying His holy requitements to avoid His wrath and punishment, disciples keep God’s commands as an act of love and gratitude. The Lord tells His disciples to demonstrate their love for Him by obeying His commands. (John 14:15) He proposes a relationship based upon sacrificial, redemptive and transformative love that compels obedience, reciprocity, fidelity and dedication. The Law cannot coerce disciples to cultivate these attributes. The Law lends itself to self-aggrandizement and self-justification as disciples misguidedly manipulate the Law to achieve self-congratulatory ends. The evangelist depicts the Last Supper as an inauguration of a new covenant which establishes a “new Law of  Love.” The Gospel through grace converts the human heart; thereby enabling disciples to relate rightly to a  holy and immutable deity. Despite numbering more than six thousand verses, the Law could not accomplish a similar feat. Beyond gleaning obedience from disciples, Christ’s love liberates disciples to progress toward self-determination, self-realization and fulfillment of personal destiny as they accord with God’s will.

 

Simply stated, “there is no fear in love.” Consider being in a supposed love relationship with someone whom you fear is unreliable and untrustworthy. Your fears turn you into a detective. You check your significant other’s devices for errant email messages, unacceptable phone calls, injudicious text messages and inappropriate photos among other trespasses upon the boundaries of your relationship. Imagine being in a relationship that does not allow you any confidence regarding reciprocity, accountability and fidelity. You simply do not enjoy any peace of mind. In a marriage, a legally binding agreement presumably prevents violations of the contract that couples make with each other. Many couples prefer a religious ceremony rather than a civil one primarily sanctioned by local and state governments. The former ceremony mirrors God’s covenant with Abraham wherein husband and wife proactively bind themselves in a holy and divinely authorized covenant. They restrict themselves to each other in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better, for worse, to love, to cherish, etc. More significant than the demands of black letter law, a developing understanding of Christ’s selfless, sacrificial, redemptive and transformative love compels fidelity within Christian marriage. Love yields loyalty, affirmation, support and commitment. Additionally, love increasingly eradicates fear of infidelity or other transgressions. The evangelist encourages his audience to cultivate Christ’s love as the surest antidote to fear.

 

To be continued