"The Terror Of The Lord" - Revealed

I so want to have Paul's passion for the lost! This 'terror of the Lord' that Paul is speaking about is not just the fear that we will be found naked; actually, being found naked is not the real fear, but the real fear is to have not lived out Jesus Christ. In other words, there is a responsibility that we have been given to share what we know! This word 'terror' comes from the Greek word 'phobos' which means fear, terror, reverence, respect, honor. In the context of Paul's meaning, it would mean to have a deep and reverential sense of accountability to God or Christ. The very next part of the verse explains what that accountability is: "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (2 Corinthians 5:11a); which means that we are to try to convince others that what we know is real. Now, how do we really convince others that God loves them, yet we show not love? This is the state of so much of our church in the modern, 'it's mine', everyone for themselves world that we are living in. Okay, I guess I am judging again; but I am also judging myself; for the umpteenth time, I will say it again, anything I write here in this blog, counts for me also! As I started today, I said that I wanted to have Paul's passion for the lost, and that is what I meant. In other words, I can see that there is a lack in my life which should be there; not just the desire to share about Jesus with someone else, that is only part of the responsibility we have been given; but the absolutely most important thing for us to do, is to show God's love. If we have not love, then we can not really convince others that God loves them; which is not that easy to explain in words; but it is kind of a generational effect, not generation as in sons and grandsons, but generation as in one believer to the next. If you are making disciples, that will also be making disciples of their own, and so on, and on; there needs to be a focus on the Love of God; it must be lived out in order to be received. I don't want to sound as if there is no love in our churches, that is not what I am saying. But, what we have in our churches today, is a whole lot of 'me, myself, and I'; which is not Him! As Paul continues his thought on the 'terror of the Lord', he goes into the point of accountability; where he makes a simple statement about being accountable to God, but also to the conscience of others: "but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." (2 Corinthians 5:11b) In other words, he is making the point that others will read our lives and make a reckoning based upon what they see; which then will cause them to make judgement, or give answer to those who are not living what they preach; or more specific, are not reverencing the Lord... "For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart." (2 Corinthians 5:12)