Revelation 3:3
Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
I found this passage, more or less, rather harsh. Maybe I believe so because I have not read the entire book of Revelation, so I do not completely understand the reasoning behind the fear that the author is trying to inflict in this passage. So, to the best of my abilities, I will tell you what I got
out of this passage of the Bible.
This type of fear reminded me of the old belief the Puritans had back when the United States was first being settled. The way the Puritans ruled their lives was by fear. This fear came from the belief that if they ever did anything that was considered a sin, they would be sent to Hell. In fact, part of
their belief was that at birth only very few people were chosen to go to Heaven, but their only chance of making it there was by living a "pure" life. I have always disagreed with this idea and still do.
This passage is not one of my favorites. I personally believe that God does not need to use fear to make people repent, and if they repent out of fear, are they truly repenting? Being fearful of God is not a true form of worship. And by true, I mean right. If God must force you to believe in Him, then I
do not believe that you truly believe in Him and love Him.
Alexander Spriggs
For more information on all of our ministries, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org. Remember to join us this Sunday morning for worship at 8:30 and 11. Education Hour for all ages at 9:45.
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