So, you fear being ridiculed/accused by your fellow slippery sidestepping OSAS/OJAJ friends, as a cultist, rather than to stand up BOLDLY for Christ and His NEW COVENANT? Hiding in fear, over a doctrine this important? You would rather continue in Lawlessness? (just asking, not accusing)
You know the verse in Revelation 21 that covers this?
I think this describes the situation well:
δειλοῖς does not exist independently in the verse, but is clearly tied to ἀπίστοις, or unbelieving, as the grammatical cases of each word indicate. Being fearful or cowardly and being unbelieving here, are a package deal. They go together. They are in this context synonyms of each other connected by the copulative καὶ to show the union between, and the relationship of, fear and unbelief.
As such, there is of necessity a judgment that must be rendered against anyone who can be so categorized. Such a person’s fear or cowardliness has generated within him or her a degree of unbelief sufficient to damn him or her as being unworthy to enter the Holy City through the first resurrection and so, suffer the second death.
Unbelief is not mere mental dissent to elements of Christian doctrine or practice, but also contains the germ of all that goes with unbelief, such as disobedience and the unrighteousness disobedience causes. And the main germ of unbelief is cowardice, that is, not having the moral fortitude to make a covenant with God through Christ and stay with it faithfully until the end.
That is why cowards and unbelievers are lumped in with the remaining crowds of sinners enumerated in Revelation 21:8. Their cowardice and unbelief leave them open to engaging in other sin acts against the Lord.
Just wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this:
“Unbelief is not mere mental dissent to elements of Christian doctrine or practice, but also contains the germ of all that goes with unbelief, such as disobedience and the unrighteousness disobedience causes. And the main germ of unbelief is cowardice, that is, not having the moral fortitude to make a covenant with God through Christ and stay with it faithfully until the end.”
I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Thanks; I was worried.