Thoughts on Fear and Trembling
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
I was at a recent men’s meeting at a new church we started attending early this year. I wanted to get a feel for the church’s culture. At one point, we had the chance to speak one-on-one with each other, but this was after the leaders of the group had taken the opportunity to promote a larger, church-wide men’s event with a “sensational guest speaker.”
I had the chance to chat with Shane, who said he had been attending the church for the past couple of years. He was born again during the 70’s hippie culture andstill looks the part—beard, long hair, and earrings. Yet he is a Bible school graduate. During our short conversation he bemoaned the fact that Christianity has turned into an events culture studded with celebrity speakers (not “preachers”), most of whom aren’t well-schooled in the Word. I understood what he was saying.
In Philippians, Paul writes to Christians living in the Roman colony of Philipi and tells them they “shine as lights in the world,” but also admonishes them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers. ”
When we turn to Acts, we see a picture of what Paul meant by “fear and trembling,” and it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with over-the-top promotions and Ticketmaster-like events. It is a quieter walk. We see the disciples devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, that is, how all the good promises of God have been summed up in the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:2). And, instead of auditorium- seating, they faced each other, getting to know each other intimately in the name of the Lord. This included the breaking of bread—communion—where they came together to share one loaf and one cup, pledging their loyalty to the Lord and to each other. Then there were the prayers. Not the kind that we hear in the big meetings where the Lord is there to “meet our needs,” but Pauline prayers asking God to work out his plan of redemption through the church, confronting the principalities and powers arrayed against her (Ephesians 3:10).
