With Fear and Trembling

Meditations for Ragamuffins

August 18, 2023

With Fear and Trembling 

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”

Philippians 2:12b (NRSV)

Often in the social media, people will post stunning pictures of the beauty of nature as evidence of the Creator God. There is, however, another view. Thomas Long begins his excellent book on the nature of evil by remembering a great turning point, perhaps the tipping point, in the development of Enlightenment philosophy. It was the earthquake of 1775 that destroyed Lisbon on All Saints Day. Thousands of worshippers were killed when their churches crumbled down on top of them and then they were swept out to sea by the ensuing tsunami. (What Shall We Say?: Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith, Thomas G. Long, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2011) In the aftermath of this terrible disaster, people openly questioned the nature and existence of a god who could allow his followers to die while they were worshipping him.

Life is full of contradictions. So also, is the journey of faith. Our attempts to fully integrate our beliefs about Jesus into our daily lives are wrought with one step forward quickly followed by two steps backwards. As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, our experience certainly does not resemble a straight, wide open interstate highway. The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, North Carolina, with three hundred eighteen curves in eleven miles, is probably a better roadway analogy.

One of the most important social developments of the twentieth century was the establishment of self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Al Anon. Two aspects of these groups are essential in our faith journey. First, we are not alone, others struggle along with us. (When you get to your small group in heaven, ask Peter to tell you how it felt to pledge his love to Jesus on the beach and get filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, only to struggle with jealousy with Paul’s missionary success.) Secondly, we get to be in accountability groups where our fellow travelers can ask us, “So, how’s it going with your issue of jealousy” Or lust, or anger, or whatever . . .  you get the point!

My Takeaway: Life is full of contradictions, as is the journey of faith. What keeps me doing my best to move forward is my passionate belief, my trust in the truth of the Apostle Paul’s affirmation: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.