ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TOKONAKI ‘EPELELI 18, 2026

1 TU’I 18-20; LOMA 5:6-11 

The difference between true and false religion is clear. In false religion people fearfully reach up to somehow gain acceptance with their god. In true religion God reaches down and by grace grants his acceptance to those who do not deserve it.

Ko e faikehekehe ‘o e kautaha lotu mo’oni mo e kautaha lotu loi ‘oku mahino ngofua. ‘I he kautaha lotu loi, ‘oku feinga mate ‘a e kau lotuu ke nau kakapa hake ke ma’u ha fakahoifua mei honau ‘otua. Ko e kautaha lotu mo’oni, ‘oku tukuhifo ‘e he ‘Otua hono to’ukupuu ki mamani, pea ‘i he’ene kelesi, ‘oku ne tali ‘a e kau ta’e taau. 

There are more than three hundred and fifty "fear nots" (or similar expressions of that encouragement) in your Bible. There is a gloriously beautiful and comforting message in this central theme in Scripture. It splashes across the pages of your Bible to remind you that the faith you have given your heart to is a system not of fear but of grace upon grace. We do not wake up in the morning fearing our deity's wrath or wondering what we could do that day to ward it off. Our religious lives are not relegated to "do more and try harder." The story of the Bible is not an extended call for us to get our act together-or else. The primary theme of the biblical narrative is not divine condemnation but divine grace. Our consistent unworthiness doesn't make us hide in guilt and shame, but rather stands as a reminder of how much we need the grace that is our only hope. Acceptance by human effort vs. acceptance by a sacrifice of grace is the fault line between true and false religion.

We see this great spiritual fault line in the contest between the priests of Baal and the prophet Elijah to prove who the true God really is. It is clear that there is no restfulness of heart in the religion of these priests of Baal. They work as hard as they can, even to the point of self-injury, to try to get their god's attention and to make him willing to answer their prayers and consume their sacrifice. It's a sad display of fear mixed with delusion. After all their dancing, raving, and cutting themselves, they receive no answer. They are greeted with complete and utter silence, and their sacrifice sours in the sun.

Elijah has his sacrifice doused with water three times to prevent any charges of monkey business, and then he bows and prays a humble prayer for help: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back" (1 Kings 18:36-37). 

This is not a prayer of appeasement; Elijah does not say, "Haven't I done enough to get you to respond?" This is a prayer of glory and grace. He prays for God to answer, so that people would know that he is the one true God. His prayer is a request for grace. Elijah doesn't rave, parade, or cut himself. He simply bows his head and rests in God's gracious reply. God has called us not to a life of fear but to the rest of faith, made possible only because he is a God of amazing grace.