“The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:14 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me, since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.” Proverbs 1:28-29 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 It is very difficult to fear the Lord. Especially since we are a sinful generation who has been forgiven much and therefore loves much (Luke 7:47), it is difficult to think of God as Someone to be feared. One of the main issues why this is the case is because the word “fear” has been watered down. When we hear the word “fear,” there is a negative connotation. The things we tend to fear (at least in America) are other people’s opinions, demons, financial instability, and death (when we get close to it). We do not see the fear of these things as something we should apply to God. I would argue the opposite. We should not apply the fear of God to these things, but that is what we do. What hold do the opinions of other people have over us? Or demons? Or financial stability, or death? This life is a mist—a vapor. We are only here for a short time. Though these things may affect us now, what can they do to us for eternity? If you knew that in 3 years you would receive the entire inheritance of your grandparents (let’s say they were quite wealthy) so long as you followed the rules they set out for you, would you fear financial stability now? How much greater of an inheritance is heaven, and how much more loving of a Father is the Lord Almighty—that He would provide what you need even if you experience financial stability in this short time before you receive His inheritance? When I was young, I was taught that we are not to “be afraid” of the Lord. I was told “fear” is really just an exaggerated word for “respect” or “revere”. That’s much easier to do. Surely God is deserving of all our respect and reverence, especially because of the severe price He paid for us in the sacrifice of His Son. But here’s a crazy thought: what if fear actually means fear? We are ruled by what we fear. When we are afraid of what other people will think of us, we are ruled by other people—we act in order to receive positive opinions, saying only what we believe others want to hear rather than the truth. When we are afraid of financial instability, we are ruled by money—we will hoard it, save it, hold onto as much as we can, becoming greedy and stingy. But what happens when you fear God and what God thinks about you? Does it really matter then if all people hate you for speaking the truth (John 15:18-19)? Or if you don’t have enough money to provide food or clothing for yourself (Matthew 6:31-34)? Imagine what your life would look like if you lived in order to please and bring glory to God out of fear for His judgment. You wouldn’t care what other people thought about you, you’d spend a lot more time with Him, you’d rely on Him to provide for you so you can be generous to others, you’d care deeply for the poor, the widows, the fatherless. To me, this is what the performance of someone with healthy fear looks like. A professor once explained the performance of students who fear like a bell curve. Too much fear and performance will plummet because the student is overwhelmed. Too little fear and performance will also plummet because the student has no motivation to perform well. But get it ride in the middle, and performance peaks. If my word description doesn’t make sense, here is a simplified graph: In the same way, if we are crippled with our fear for God, there’s no way we’d be able to act out all His commands. These are the people who cannot have an intimate relationship with God like He desires out of fear that He is only a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29) and not also a loving Father (Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 3:1) (for He is both). If we don’t fear God at all, we’re also not going to act out His commands. These are the people who stay in sin because they believe God loves them without punishing them, convinced that God’s grace covers their sins no matter if they repent or not (Romans 6:1-7). Neither of these lifestyles are God’s intention for us. And then those right there in the middle, who fear God because they are aware of the punishment they deserve, but also love God because of His grace, forgiveness, patience, kindness, forbearance, etc. These are the people like Paul, who realize they are the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15-16) and were once “God’s enemies” (Romans 5:10), demonstrating their fear of God and His punishment for those who disobey unto death, but are equally in awe of His patient kindness that brings us to repentance (Romans 2:4) and understand that God’s great love for us was proven in the sacrifice of His Son, that we may all be justified freely by faith and live new lives in Christ (Romans 5:1,8; 6:4), demonstrating their love for God and thankfulness for His saving grace. "'When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Come now, let us settle the matter,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." No one says it better than the Lord Himself. He will surely listen to us and forgive us, blessing our willingness and obedience. But there is punishment for those who resist and rebel, and God’s wrath is saved for those who do not wash the blood off their hands. It is important not to stifle the wrath of God that instills fear in us with His loving kindness. It is equally important not to stifle God’s loving kindness with a fear of His wrath. Our God is both. Therefore, fear God, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Who else is deserving of all praise? “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem?” Isaiah 2:22
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AuthorFighting complacency and advocating change in myself for the world around me. Posts by Date
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