We should never be ashamed of having a healthy fear of God.
In these closing hours of this age God will gain a corporate people united in their fear of the Lord. They will be in one accord and harmony as Christ's return is approaching.
"And I will give them one heart and one way, to FEAR Me all the days, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. And I will make an eternal covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put My FEAR into their hearts, so that they will not turn away from Me." (Jeremiah 32:39-40)
We should never let the enemy of God stir up our pride to refuse to fear offending God or fear missing the blessing of God - God Himself.
Those who have a healthy fear the Lord are in a position to understand intimately the counsel of God.
Psalm 25:14 says God will make known His covenant to those who have a reverential fear of the Lord.
" The intimate counsel of Jehovah is to those who fear Him, And His covenant will He make known the them."
Jesus Christ Who has the topmost fear of God had the deepest understanding into the covenant and will of God. We see then Jesus sought God's will with 100,000% of His heart. He completely submitted to His Father's way.
So for this regard and fear for His Father's will He could accomplish things no other mortal human being ever could.
"And He who sent Me us with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)
And the Father heard Him when He cried to be saved out of death.
That is not saved FROM death, but saved OUT OF DEATH. In other words to be resurrected in total vindication.
"This One, in the days of His flesh, having offered up both petitions and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him out of death and having been heard because of His piety . . . " (Heb. 5:7 RcV)
Should atheists be "ashamed" of not sharing your religious beliefs?
I think the atheist or agnostic/atheist who says that he admires the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus (Matt. 5 - 7) might consider this:
In that "admired" speech Jesus included words that -
1.) Showed God's examination is on the innermost motive of the heart far beyond simply the action. He teaches that His Father seeks a purity of intention far beyond what any religion of any kind could demand.
" For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens." (5:20)
2.) Since on a "molecular" level, a quantum level, God examines the minutest motive of the heart He created in man, we should know what is before our fellow men and what is manifest to God are not always the same.
Ie. "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, You shall not murder, and whoever murders shall be liable to judgment. But I [Jesus] say to you . . . whoever says, . . . Moreh, shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire."
The admired Sermon of Jesus is warning God's view of sin is so serious that His examination in judgment is far too penetrating for any of us to be nonchalant about.
3.) The admired Sermon includes warnings showing God's demand for righteous perfection indicates we are all in trouble with His standard of righteousness.
"You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I [Jesus] say to you that everyone who looks at a woman in order to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (v.28)
Nothing escapes God's record down on the "atomic" level of the inner motive of the heart. And the consequences are so serious that none of us can make it.
"So if your right eye stumbles you, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is profitable for you that one of your members perish than for you whole body to be cast into Gehenna.
And if your right hand stumbles you, cut it off and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to pass away into Gehenna." (v.30)
The agnostic / atheist might consider how impossible it is to live up to this teaching which he admires. And he should go on to consider God knows this and has furnished redemption, forgiveness, substitution, pardon, atonement, reconciliation from this terrible danger of offending God.
This salvation is indicated in the Speaker's death FOR the offender that he be totally forgiven of his inevitable sins and transgressions.
" . . . Jesus took bread and blessed it, and He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And He tool a cup and gave thangs, and He gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you, For this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for man for forgiveness of sins." (Matt. 26:26-28)
Same amazing Speaker.
Same amazing and uncompromising Teacher.
Same Sermon Giver - a perfect man and divinely sent Redeemer.
He knew the danger we all are in.
He came to live perfect and to die a perfect offering that God could "PASSOVER" our guilt and judge His Son in our place that we could be saved and indwelt with by this One.
Do you still admire the Sermon on the Mount?
@sonship saidHere is my favourite part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Do you still admire the Sermon on the Mount?
Here in one short paragraph Jesus condemns people like you,
calls you a foolish man and states categorically
that you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:21-27 KJV)
@sonship saidGosh. Talk about evasive spam! Once again:
@FMFShould atheists be "ashamed" of not sharing your religious beliefs?
I think the atheist or agnostic/atheist who says that he admires the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus (Matt. 5 - 7) might consider this:
In that "admired" speech Jesus included words that -
1.) Showed God's examination is on the innermost motive of the heart f ...[text shortened]... erious that His examination in judgment is far too penetrating for any of us to be nonchalant about.
Should atheists be "ashamed" of not sharing your religious beliefs?
@sonship saidIt doesn't matter to me if the Jesus personality cult was built around one particular man or whether "Jesus" is a composite figure. It doesn't matter to me how many people the Golden Rule-type philosophy - that forms part of the Sermon on the Mount - contributed to it or refined it or whether it is an amalgam from more than one source. So your effusions about an "amazing speaker" and a "perfect man" leave me nonplussed.
Same amazing Speaker.
Same amazing and uncompromising Teacher.
Same Sermon Giver - a perfect man and divinely sent Redeemer.
@fmf saidAnd the parts of Matthew 5- 7 that you DON'T admire is for what reason?
Parts of it, for sure.
Have you taken a belief that those un-admired parts were not spoken by the speaker? Ie. They were artificially added on afterwards by evil people out to get you?
@sonship saidI am interested in what "Jesus", whoever he was, has bequeathed to us - so to speak - in terms of a code for living and inputs to the contemplations our moral compasses carry out. As you well know, the supernatural stuff - to me - is neither here nor there.
And the parts of Matthew 5- 7 that you DON'T admire is for what reason?