Holy Boldness

limits. The person judging others often is severely compromised in other areas of his life and completely blind to the discrepancy. This is a charac teristic of legalism- narrow-minded and defensive but turning a blind eye to the most basic moral violations. This is the meaning of Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees when He said, “…blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.” (Matthew 23:24) No one can fake holiness for long. People who speak the truth transparently know a fake pretty quickly. Judgmental people cannot be transparent and are terrified of real confrontation. This was a funda mental characteristic of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. Their growing frustration with Jesus resulted from repeated embarrassing conversations in which He called them out as He exposed their contradictions. Conservative values are important helping to maintain standards of righteousness and preserve civilization. Jesus stated that His people are meant to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world . However, Jesus’ greatest challenge of His ministry was the toxic, critical, judgmental culture of the scribes and Pharisees. Christian communities which develop a critical atmosphere stifle the growth of people struggling with old sinful lifestyles and addictions and often destroy lives rather than help them. The reverential fear of the Lord is not toxic or critical but creates a culture of true humility, transparency, and honest conversations. Where the fear of the Lord is humbly taught and demonstrated, love for God and people takes dominion. The true fear of the Lord does not lead to judgmentalism but to humility and meekness. Confrontation is a healthy and natural way of life but not in hostility but in peace. When a person walks in the fear of the Lord, he or she becomes more approachable, not less. This is why the fear of the Lord is so essential. When someone relates to God personally through the Holy Spirit, that one is subject to a deeper more holistic evaluative process. We are not talking about self-evaluation. We are talking about the convicting work of the Spirit in the fear of the Lord. Furthermore, it discerns where others are coming from. The presence of the Lord brings true discernment. Are Conservative Church Cultures Safe? Life-Giving Confrontation

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