TheUNION

Get Ready to Meet the King!

God Calls His Church to
Truth, Faith and Holiness

Joan H. Richardson
 The UNION

The UNION
Get Ready to Meet the King!
God Calls His Church to Truth, Faith and Holiness
by Joan H. Richardson
Copyright © 2010, 2016
by Joan H. Richardson
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 9781612153698

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible: King James
Version, Public domain.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version ® (NIV)
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reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible New King James Version (NKJV)
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Scripture quotations taken from Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible
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®.
Scripture quotations taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Copyright © 2011, 2012, 2013, by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ii
 CHAPTER 14

Replacement Theology 43

11 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God

forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of
Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. …
25
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of
this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own
conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel,
until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
26
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There
shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away
ungodliness from Jacob:
27
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take
away their sins.
28
As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your
sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for
the fathers' sakes.
29
For the gifts and calling of God are without repent-
ance. (Romans 11:1, 25-29) [Paul refers to the physical seed of
Abraham.]
The Comfort Zone

Contrary to “replacement theology,” in Romans 11, Israel is

not a gentile nation. Paul disproves the false notion, aka “super-
sessionism,” in which the church allegedly replaces Israel. Anti-
Zionism began to seep into the church during its first century,
leading to Paul’s strong argument against it.
Gentiles hadn't searched for God, nor did we discover Him
apart from His sovereign grace. He chose each of us; we didn’t
first seek Him. Despite our willful nature, He chose us so that
He is justified in re-electing the descendants of Israel who have
rejected Him in unbelief as we had. By saving us, God is righ-
teous and just to save them. It’s obvious that we had all sinned
and had been slaves to pride, self-will, and lust.
We shouldn’t forget the promises God made to Israel, among
which was a blessing to the nations through Abraham’s seed,
Messiah. With the objective of provoking Jews to jealousy, God
would pour out His Spirit on the nations, by His own words:
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they
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 Protestant Teachings

have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move

them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will pro-
voke them to anger with a foolish nation. (Deut. 32:21)
The Scriptures repeatedly support the faithfulness of God for
the sons of Israel. It would be unsuitable to His nature to cast
away the ones He chose to love; He is not capricious, but He will
draw them to salvation at last, revealing their Messiah to them.
While we confess we were sinners saved by grace through
faith in a merciful, loving Savior, are we offended because the
Jews are sinners, and God loves them too? In fact, let’s not be
foolish: He revealed His love for Jews before He showed His
love to gentiles. Knowing this and seeing that He draws them by
saving us, we should reconsider His kindness and His severity:
16
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if
the root is holy, so are the branches.17 And if some of
the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild
olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them
became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive
tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do
boast, remember that you do not support the root, but
the root supports you.
19
You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I
might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief
they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be
haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural
branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore
consider the goodness and severity of God: on those
who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut
off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief,
will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
(Romans 11:16-23 NKJV)

“The lump” is the seed in the first fruit as the seed in an

avocado or in a fig is a lump. Spiritually, the seed in Yeshua is
the Word; physically, He was the seed of Abraham. The root was
the Word as the promise to Abraham that gave his faith its life,
fattening the tree to nourish its branches. Paul points to the dual-
ity of disobedience and unbelief, warning us to pursue righteous-
ness, and he flatly opposes the arrogance of gentiles who believe

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 Replacement Theology

they are the superior Israel. He clearly said we who have come
to faith in the Savior were grafted into the olive tree that God
cultivates and prunes. Its natural branches more easily adapt to
its roots than the branches of an uncultivated tree—the nations,
or gentiles. He warned us to fear God and shun pride, or in our
unbelief, we also will be cut off: God will save a remnant, show-
ing kindness to us who are kind to them. Otherwise we too will
judged as those who profess faith but oppose His chosen race.
47
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the
council and said, “What are we to do? For this man per-
forms many signs.48 If we let him go on like this, every-
one will believe in him: and the Romans will come and
take away both our place and our nation. 49 But one of
them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to
them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand
that it is better for you that one man should die for the
people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 H
edid not say thisof his own accord, but being high priest
that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the
nation;52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather
into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53
So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
(John 11:47-53 ESV) [“The whole nation” includes the ten lost
tribes that scattered when the Israel split after Solomon died.
The Assyrians captured and scattered Israel, north of Judah.]

If their leaders had believed Yeshua was their Messiah, the

Jews would not have urged His crucifixion. They thought their
salvation came by keeping the laws and offering sacrifices—only
by outward obedience. They tripped over the stumbling stone
God had sent: the ultimate Sacrifice, His only Son, would die on
a tree, the cross, the judgment of the cursed.
Though Yeshua had fulfilled the prophecies, scholars were
in disbelief that their Bible was more than a religion—it was
actually true! The Savior carried a cross, but they couldn't
believe God would sacrifice His Son for their eternal atonement
and redemption. Nevertheless, God doesn’t bless the reputations
of liars, thieves, or destroyers. Yeshua was none of those but
was soon internationally credited as the most righteous man who
ever lived. The promise was fulfilled in Him: all nations have
been blessed by Abraham’s seed, Christ [Messiah]. Millennia
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 Protestant Teachings

later, transformed lives continue to prove His resurrection’s life-

giving benefit to believers.
9
What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise:
for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that
they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understand-
eth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all
gone out of the way, they are together become unpro-
fitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
(Romans 3:9-12; also Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3)

What is the appropriate Christian response to the unbelief of

the Jews? Perhaps we can understand the vantage point of the
Jew who adamantly opposes the idea that Yeshua is Messiah.
Consider what it implies: nearly all Jews for the past twenty
centuries have rejected their own Messiah, even cursed His name
and ostracized their brothers who believed in Him.
Would faith in Yeshua the Jew turn a Jew into a gentile? Is
Christianity actually the Jewish faith or a gentile myth? Had
Yeshua fulfilled the prophets’ words about Him as a suffering
Savior? Did Jews fulfill Isaiah’s words when they turned their
faces from Him? Will God unveil the eyes of their souls?
The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical
descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised
forever. Amen. (Romans 9:5 HCSB) [Paul, supporting Israel]

Those who believe the promised seed of Abraham was in

Jesus Christ are considered his spiritual descendants since just as
the forefather of our faith, Abraham, begat Isaac by faith in the
promise; we are his children by faith in his promised seed. Even
so, God hasn't rejected the descendants of Jacob through whom
Christ came in the flesh. He remains faithful to His covenant
with Abraham concerning his natural sons. Historically, Israel
had often turned from the LORD, and they who rebelled were cut
off because they did not believe in Him.
The nations are focused on Israel, not wanting her to have
the grace we presume is ours, but Paul warned us not to boast
against the natural branches, because God will graft them in
again. Not just that, but He will cut us off unless we repent. If
what was true for Israel is true for us, our sin will find us out too.
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 Replacement Theology

A lot of churches refuse to accept the rightful inheritance of

the Jews, saying their genetic heritage is the spiritual inheritance
of the church. Assuming that’s true, they misinterpret as spiritual
God’s promise that they would overcome the Canaanites and
own their land. They spiritualize all that God said were property
rights for Jacob’s descendants. Is that true of the promise to for a
King on David’s throne forever? But they don’t know the Bible.
While Israel prefigures our experience in Jesus, revealing the
ways of God to us, most of us reject the idea that our sins can
disqualify us. Even though Israel’s sins cut many off from God
forever, replacement theologians deny being so close to Israel as
that! Still, Jesus reminds us by His words to the churches in
Asia: He knows our works and judges us accordingly.
Despite being warned, the church eats up grace like a child
eats candy; however, misinterpretations do not protect us from
the truth by denying it. Anti-Semitic persuasions have turned
many away from the writings of the apostles and prophets, and
they are unafraid by consuming another lie: that they need not
fear God.
The Fear of God
We can be sure our interpretation is incorrect when it creates
complicated problems that require distorted definitions. For an
instance, a common alteration to the definition of fear circum-
vents its true meaning. As a rule, teachers have avoided research-
ing the word reverence,44 which is their choice in preference to
“fear.” It comes from the seventeenth century French reverer, or
the Latin, revereri, with re-, expressing, “intensive force,” and
vereri, meaning, “to fear.” The original definition of reverence
was, “intense fear,” but over time, people dilute and change the
accurate meanings of words. Of course we should be in awe of
God, and in most of the time, it means to fear Him. The Hebrew,
yare or yirah,45 means “fear,” which is its translation in most
versions of the Scriptures: By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:
and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. (Prov. 16:6)
Fear turns people toward God, not away from Him.
During the time of Jesus, Greek was the second language of
the Hebrews. Over 70% of the funerary stones in Israel, which
are dated 300 BC through AD 500, have Greek inscriptions.46 In
a graveyard just outside the walls of Jerusalem, archeologists
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 Protestant Teachings

uncovered 40% of the gravestones from the same era, which

were inscribed in Greek, even though the graves include remains
of Jewish priests and their families.
Since He came from Galilee, the province where Greek was
most commonly spoken in Israel, Yeshua and his disciples surely
spoke Greek, as well as Aramaic and probably Hebrew. It's
reasonable to believe that after His ascension, the apostles spread
the good news to the entire world by writing the gospels and
letters to the churches in Greek, the second language47 of the
Roman Empire and how the name “Jesus Christ” came to be.
When translating the Greek New Testament, scholars have
had to deal with the word phobos.48 From its root, the word
means “extreme fear, reverence, respect, or honor,” depending
on its context and usage. It is often translated, “fear.” It could
not be otherwise, since even Moses was terrified and didn't dare
look at God. (See Acts 7:32) The terror of God was known to
Abraham, Job, Jonah, David, and the apostles, who understood
the importance for the great fear of God in the church. They had
learned from our Lord’s example and words, from the Tenakh,
and from experience. Their warnings are sure.
When Jesus’ sweat poured down like blood at Gethsemane,
was that merely reverence, or His fear of God? It is written, who
in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and
supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was
able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
(Heb. 5:7) Was Jesus was afraid of His imminent physical death,
or, refusing presumption, did He fear His spiritual death? God
heard and answered Him, saving Him by His perfect fear.
Despite these facts, for years many teachers have agreed that
fear actually means, “reverence,” and they say reverence means,
“respect.” As a result, we have accepted a god, perhaps softened
with age, one more pleasing to us; however, the Father we call
Abba is Maker of heaven and earth. He commands us to fear
Him and shun evil. We can’t be holy if we continue in sin unless
we change the definition of holiness, but His words are forever
true: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Pet. 1:16)
The abiding fear of God redirects our course, or He chastens
or scourges us to correct us. God is merciful, and loving, but He
is also severe, so He warns us to avoid sin. (See Rom. 11)

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 Replacement Theology

God-fearing scholars translated the word correctly as “fear.”

Notwithstanding that, your instructors have almost certainly said,
“‘Fear’ doesn’t mean ‘fear.’” That is simply untrue. There’s no
mistake in its frequent translation: the fear that shuns sin draws
us into holiness; then, to godliness. When we fear the Lord, we
remind ourselves of our weaknesses; if we tremble, we turn to
Him to deliver us from temptation or from sin.
The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it
shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
(Proverbs 19:23)

One of the great wonders of our Father is His longsuffering

toward us when we falter. His keeping power is great in all our
trials and shortcomings. His love is unquestionable and undying
for every believer. Even when we were sinners, Messiah died for
us to free us from sin, but we must not presume upon His grace,
or we will abuse it. God is not mocked.
35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy
sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as
sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us.
(Romans 8:35-37)
20
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him
Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21 Now he which
stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is
God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest
of the Spirit in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22)

We have all heard the rationale of the teacher who quotes,

“the goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4b), then
explains that because He is the God of love, His goodness makes
us want to turn from sin. The idea is that we shouldn't fear His
goodness, but that has never been the problem. We might sup-
pose the fear of the Lord is not to shun evil; or that naturally, we
should shun evil because we love Him. But perhaps we are not
as affectionate as we think we are. If we have such love for God,
and if our love keeps us from sinning, then why do we sin? The
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 Protestant Teachings

Word and its solemn warnings are clear. The context is a letter
to the church in Rome, warning us who judge others:
3
And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which
do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt
escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuf-
fering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth
thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impeni-
tent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the
day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of
God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his
deeds: (Romans 2:3-6)

What is the goodness of God? His righteousness, holiness,

and love: His perfect nature, which is always good. In patience
He is good; in wrath He is good; in judgment He is good; in
grace He is good; in hatred He is good; in love He is good. God
is always good; no one compares to Him. His goodness should
draw all men to Him who saves the penitent; otherwise, we are
without excuse if we continue in sin.
We have been persuaded to be fearless of God; thus many of
us have been just as casual about our sins as before we accepted
His gift of life. We believe all things are possible with God
except our holiness—that He can only perfect us in theory. If we
are willing to love Him, then we are willing to honor Him with
fear; but our love of Him does not keep us from sin.
The hypocrisy of teaching theories supports faith without
works, leading to death, but we must recall His words to the
churches that judge them for their deeds in Revelation, chapters
2-3 with which Paul agrees: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall
die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body,
ye shall live. (Rom. 8:13)
Give no respect to distorted definitions of words. Fear49
means nothing less than “dread, terror, alarm, awe, or a deep
reverential sense of accountability.” The few who have met His
holiness fear God and know the terror of the Lord. Others
substitute their experience for faith, but we are wise who heed
His warnings, fear His anger, and obey His Word:

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 Replacement Theology
7
A messenger of Jehovah is encamping, round about
those who fear Him, and He armeth them. 8 Taste ye
and see that Jehovah is good, O the happiness of the
man who trusteth in Him. 9 Fear Jehovah, ye His holy
ones, for there is no lack to those fearing Him. 10 Young
lions have lacked and been hungry, and those seeking
Jehovah lack not any good. 11 Come ye, children,
hearken to me, The fear of Jehovah I do teach you.
12
Who is the man that is desiring life? Loving days to
see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from
speaking deceit. 14 Turn aside from evil and do good,
seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of Jehovah are
unto the righteous, and His ears unto their cry. 16 (The
face of Jehovah is on doers of evil, to cut off from earth
their memorial.) (Psalm 34:7-16 YLT)
Here is another error: that we should not fear the loss of our
salvation even if we deliberately turn from God or continue to
sin without repentance. But His Word calls us to holiness:
25
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they
escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much
more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that
speaketh from heaven:26 Whose voice then shook the
earth, but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more
I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.27 And this
word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those
things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that
those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28
Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God
acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God
is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29)
The world is full of fear, but most people don’t fear God or
keep His commandments. Those who do not trust in God fear
other people, darkness, cramped places, Covid-19; they fear
failure, success, death, germs, crowds, heights, elevators and
escalators, airplanes and even motorcycles! People are afraid of
relationships, commitments, and responsibilities. The world is
terrorized by things that God commands us not to fear. We fear
what could happen, we fear the unknown, and it causes torment.
People have committed suicide because they feared things that

229
 Protestant Teachings

never happened. Imaginations multiply our worries and enlarge

our trials, which never come to pass.
These fears have torment, but the fear of the Lord purifies
us. The only one we should fear is God. He disperses all other
fears by making us more than conquerors because we fear Him,
shunning sin. (See Rom. 8:37) Otherwise sin would destroy us.
3
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble
knees! Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong,
fear not: 4 Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
even God with a recompense; he will come and save
you. (Isaiah 35:3-4)
God loves us, and our faith in Him sets us free from the fears
of this world. We overcome our trials without fear or cowardice
but with power and boldness by faith. If we fail in our weakness,
He is within us to lift us up again. God is with us and not against
us, but we must not be foolish. We who fear Him honor Him.
The fear of God leads to life, to love, and to humility. It pleases
Him—and oh, yes, we should please our Father! (See Gal. 1:10; 1
Thess. 2:4; 1 Jn. 3:22; Php. 4:18; Col. 3:20; Heb. 13:21)
Queen Esther approached the throne to intervene for the
Jews, fearing her king, her husband, Xerxes. Though she had
intimately embraced him, when she approached the throne in
Persia, she faced her possible execution. But she understood her
calling to protect the Jewish people and obeyed because she
feared God more than the king. [Read the OT book of Esther.]
15
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:16 “Go,
gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast
for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day.
My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the
king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
(Esther 4:15-16 NKJV)

The underlying fear of God always keeps us; it keeps our

hearts true to Him. Churches may neglect the gift of life because
they have no fear of God, but instead, they fear the opinions of
their peers. That is why they believe the lie that we should not
fear God though He is on the throne. By resisting His warnings,
they refuse to fear God, but the fear of God would keep them
close to Him.

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 Replacement Theology
17
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we
may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as
He is, so are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves
torment.19 But he who fears has not been made perfect
in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
(1 John 4:17-19 NKJV)

The journey to perfect love is a trek, leading us to wisdom

that comes from the fear of the Lord. His fear sensitizes us to
the Holy Spirit, but torment fills the soul of a man who practices
sin, because the law continually affirms its righteous judgments
against his unrighteous deeds. It doesn’t let up until he repents.
Clearly, he isn’t made perfect in love, or he would not be in sin.
The apostle John was taken up to heaven to write Revelation,
when he saw Christ in His glory and wrote, And when I saw him,
I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: (Rev. 1:17)
Does John condemn himself for fearing the Lord Jesus who was
standing before him? The lethargic church is presumptuous, but
the fear of God purifies hearts.
39
And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they
may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their
children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting
covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them,
to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts,
that they shall not depart from me. (Jeremiah 32:39-40)

Walking in the Spirit, torment has no place in us. As we

abide in Him, He abides in us, and we walk in His Word that
cleanses us. Progressing in the faith, we gain victories. With
fear as a friend, we walk securely. Knowing our boundaries, by
our faith, we don’t trespass them.
3
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does
not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is
not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love
of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are
in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself
also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:3-6 NKJV)

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 Protestant Teachings

If we presume familiarity with Him, perhaps we haven’t

begun to walk with Messiah. As we continue with Jesus, we
realize how poorly we've represented the Lord in the past. Jesus
never approached the Father like a pal or raised His voice at
Him. But we laugh about our sins as though we’re drunkards
who enjoy behaving like fools.
21
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without under-
standing; which have eyes, and see not; which have
ears, and hear not: 22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD:
Will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed
the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree,
that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss
themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar,
yet can they not pass over it? 23 But this people hath a
revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and
gone. (Jeremiah 5:21-23)
By His virtue, God judges the nation that turns away from
His fear:
27
“‘Like a cage full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit;
Therefore they have become great and rich.
28
‘They are fat, they are sleek,
They also exceed in deeds of wickedness;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the orphan, that they may prosper;
And they do not defend the rights of the poor.
29
‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the
LORD,
‘On a nation such as this
Shall I not avenge Myself?’
30
“An appalling and horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
31
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?”
(Jeremiah 5:27-31 NASB)

How terrible it is when righteousness leaves the house of

God, and the saltiness is gone! We have believed our nation can
continue in sin, and God will not judge us. As a result, there is
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 Replacement Theology

little fear of God in the land. Ignorant of His judgments, we

suffer their effects because not even the church fears God!
13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil.
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14
I possess good advice and competence;
I have understanding and strength.
(Proverbs 8:13-14 HCSB)

Without the fear of God, we have wandered from holiness,

believing sin is permitted while it continues to bring forth death
without respect of persons. That’s not to say we never fall or we
live perfect lives; but we would spare our souls by taking up the
cross and surrendering our hearts to follow the Lord.
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:
but the wicked shall fall into mischief. (Proverbs 24:16)
17
And if you address as Father the One who judges
impartially based on each one’s work, you are to conduct
yourselves in fear during the time of your temporary
residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from
your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with
perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the pre-
cious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or
blemish. …
22
By obedience to the truth, having purified yourselves
for sincere love of the brothers, love one another
earnestly from a pure heart,23 since you have been born
again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—
through the living and enduring word of God.
(1 Peter 1:17-19, 22-23 HCSB)
7
So honor will come to you who believe, but for the
unbelieving,
The stone that the builders rejected—
this One has become the cornerstone,
8
and
A stone to stumble over,
And a rock to trip over.
They stumble because they disobey the message; they
were destined for this.

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9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for His possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:7-9 HCSB)

Our Holy Sanctuary

God calls us saints, set apart, or holy ones, expecting us to
act like we believe it. If the deceiver convinces us that if we fear
God we don't have faith, when God warns us to turn from evil or
die, we won’t be afraid, because we won’t believe His words.
After all, if we don't believe Him when He warns us, we won't
fear or obey Him.
The fear of the Lord is an agent of purification, drawing us
into His likeness to find our refuge in Him. Disobedience is the
fruit of unbelief just as righteousness is the fruit of believing.
Many imagine He hides His eyes when we practice sin. If God
were to do that, He wouldn’t love us: He scourges every son
whom He receives. (See Heb. 12:6)
12
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my
absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to
will and to do of his good pleasure.14 Do all things
without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be
blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,
among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Phil. 2:12-15)
13
“It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as
holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.
14
“Then He shall become a sanctuary;
But to both houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a
rock to stumble over,
And a snare and a trap to the inhabitants of Jerusa-
lem. (Isaiah 8:13-14a NASB)
2
By this we know that we love the children of God, when
we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this

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is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not burdensome.4 For what-
ever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the
victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
(1 John 5:2-4 NASB)

Shortly after Jesus said, But I will forewarn you whom ye

shall fear: Fear him which after he hath killed hath power to
cast into hell. Yea, I say unto you, Fear him (Lk. 12:5), He
consoled His disciples, saying, Fear not, little flock, for it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Lk. 12:32) The
first command is the warning; the second, the reassurance.
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with
me: I kill and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is
there any that can deliver out of my hand. (Deut. 32:39)
18
For you have not come to a mountain that can be
touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom
and whirlwind,19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the
sound of words which sound was such that those who
heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.
20
For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST
21
TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so
terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR
and trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and
to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and
to myriads of angels,23 to the general assembly and
church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and
to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the
righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of
a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which
speaks better than the blood of Abel.
25
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.
For if those did not escape when they refused him who
warned them on earth, much less will we escape who
turn away from Him who warns from heaven.
(Hebrews 12:18-25 NASB)
30
For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge
His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God.

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32
But recall the former days in which, after you were
illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:
33
partly while you were made a spectacle both by
reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you be-
came companions of those who were so treated; 34 for
you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully
accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you
have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves
in heaven.35 Therefore do not cast away your confid-
ence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of
endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:
37
“For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not
tarry.
38
Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him.”
39
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition,
but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
(Hebrews 10:30-39 NKJV)

By faith, Abraham received the covenants and promises for

his descendants and for the nations. Isaac inherited them, and
Jacob took them from God, becoming Israel. He gave Judah the
promised scepter and gave the Law to Moses. The precedents of
worship came by Israel, prefiguring heavenly things. He gave
their prophets His words to bless the world.
God made His Word the preeminent Son of God and the
Anointed One, the Messiah, our Savior, who came into the world
by the seed of Israel as the Son of man and by the Seed of the
Word as the Son of God. (Read Is 7:14.) Long before the Word
was made flesh to live among us, God promised David a Son on
his everlasting throne.

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