Just so we are all on the ‘same page’ here today when it comes to understanding who Jesus actually was...and still is - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God...and the Word was...God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...and we beheld His glory...” (John 1:1,14)

Jesus told His disciples: “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also...he who has seen Me has seen the Father...I and My Father are one.” (John 14:7,9; 10:30)

Jesus...the Christ, has definitely been around for some time, long before His earthly birth to Mary as the Savior, actually... whom we love to celebrate every Christmas. When some Pharisees questioned Him on how He could have ever seen Abraham (which He alluded to), Jesus assured them by stating plainly: “Before Abraham was, I AM”. (John 8:58)

Paul enlightens us as to who that ‘Rock’ was that followed the Israelites around in the wilderness providing water...saying: “and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4)

We read in Hebrews 1:1-3 that in these ‘last days...God has spoken to us by His Son...who is the express image of His person”. And Colossians 1:15 makes it known that Jesus “is...the image of the invisible God...”.

So why review the undeniable deity of Jesus here and now? Simple- we as NT believers, as much as we attempt and want to do so...cannot separate the ‘God of the OT’ from “Jesus, and the God of the NT”. And ‘News Flash’ here: God never changes! (Mal. 3:6) “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever...so do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines”. (Heb. 13:8-9).

But let’s be honest here...much of what we read in the OT can be a hard pill to swallow when we see the manner in which God was often dealing with His people back then, not to mention that time He flooded out the whole earth, sparing only Noah and his family of eight.

I have a hunch that our lack of understanding the nature of God, both His ‘goodness and His severity’, (as Paul writes in Rom. 11:22)...has hindered countless numbers of sincere ‘believers’ who’ve been presented with a distorted view of the gospel ... from truly knowing Him. That would also explain why there is an ‘absence of the fear of God’ as Paul pointed out in Romans 3:18. And since the ‘fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge’ (Prov. 1:7) then maybe that would explain why so many of ‘His people’...even today...are being ‘destroyed’ for a lack of it. (Hosea 4:6)

Whenever the topic of the ‘fear of God’ is brought up, folks are quick to go to their default setting and quickly remind us that this ‘fear’ equates to ‘reverential awe’, almost on a similar level you might experience if your most favorite and beloved movie star or sports hero walked in to the room you were in, and your jaw hit the floor as you found yourself at a loss for words. Friends, that might be one small component of the word’s meaning, but it is not the fullness of it. And let me also point out that one who ‘fears God’ is not ‘afraid of' or 'terrorized’ by Him either.

You don’t have to read very far in to the Book of Acts which describes the early days of the church’s inception, and read how ‘great fear’ fell upon all the people. Which then leads me in closing here today with a review of 1 Cor. 10. You might want to just open up your Bible (if it isn’t already) and read through those first 11 verses and ask yourself - why would Paul feel compelled to spell out this display of God’s judgments on His people...to us ‘believers’ today...’upon whom the end of the ages has come.”? (11) He actually tells us twice, why he brings this part of history back up (6,11)

Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will look back and examine what God has a pattern of doing when His people don’t stand up and overcome their enemies by the power of His grace. You don’t want to miss this.