Author, D. Denise Dianaty
2 min readJun 8, 2023

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The oft repeated admonishment to "fear" God is a mistranslation. We run from or fight what we fear. The original language texts meant more like, "be in awe" of God. You cannot both welcome God into your heart and life AND fear God. We can be in awe of God and ecstatically welcome God into our hearts, into our very beings.

There is only one declarative statement in all of scripture that clearly states what God is – love. Love is free of fear. God is love. Love doesn't need violence or torment. Those things are the antithesis of love. But, we humans crave retributive punishment both for those we think have wronged us and for ourselves when we think we've been wrong. So our triune God became flesh in Jesus and gave us what we craved to be able to accept that we could receive the agape love that is God.

God's agape love is in us, God is with us, and God is all around us. God's will can be anything and God engages with us in the ways we need. As you said, "no limits." Sadly, it is we who impose limits. It is we who try to contain God and try to control who is allowed access to God's love – that is organized religion.

Jesus never told anyone to go out organize a religion in His name. He demonstrated and taught us how to live and how to be with one another. He told us to be known as His by our love for one another.

Jesus is the Word, as scripture tells us. In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God. Jesus is the Word made flesh.

In that, I am sure.

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Author, D. Denise Dianaty
Author, D. Denise Dianaty

Written by Author, D. Denise Dianaty

Artist, Poet, author, wife & mom May my epitaph be "She reflected love into the world."

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