Fear the LORD

A few days (okay, maybe a week or two) ago, there was a discussion on Facebook that basically boiled down to whether or not unregenerate sinners SHOULD fear the Lord. At least, that was my side of the argument, and people were arguing with me, so I think that's what it was about. I suppose there could have been misunderstandings, but I'm not sure where they would have come from.

I honestly don't think that you can make any kind of logical argument against the idea that unregenerate sinners shouldn't fear the holy Creator of everything. So, for the most part, this is going to be about Christians.

First, I want to ask: Why are Christians against the idea that God should be feared? Because God is loving? The argument that God shouldn't be feared because He is love, is self-defeating. If God is only love, then His love is not powerful. The "power of love" is seen (Disney even understands this) when it OVERCOMES something. What is God's love overcoming if God is only love?

If you reduce (or remove) God's wrath, you destroy the wondrous depths of God's love.

So let's go to Scripture to see what the Holy Spirit says about the fear of the LORD.

A quick word search (Bible Gateway is my friend) told me that the phrase "fear the LORD" is used 32 times in the Bible, and "fear of the LORD" is used 30. Sixty-two word for word references about a thing (and, by the way, it is NEVER used negatively) is kind of prevalent.

When the "fear of the Lord falls" on people (I Sam.11:7, Acts 9:31), it means they're about to respond properly in light of Who God is. When people act "in the fear of the Lord," they are doing what is morally right. Why? What is the fear of the Lord? Here are a few.

It's wisdom (Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10).
It's clean (Ps. 19:9).
It's worth teaching (Ps. 34:11).
It's the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7, 29).

How does it affect us? What does it change in us?

When we fear the Lord we: hate evil (Prov. 8:13), have long life (Prov. 10:27, 14:27), enjoy confidence (Prov. 14:26), repent of sin (Prov. 16:6), are blessed (Ps. 115:13) and honored by God (Ps. 15:4). etc. etc. etc. Even when speaking about evil nations (II Chr. 17:10), when people fear the LORD, they act properly toward Him and His people.

What's more? This is a command. This is not a question. This is not debatable. Here are seven references that command it, and there are more. Deut. 6:13,24; 10:12, 20; I Sam. 12:24; Ps. 33:8; Prov. 23:17 ".... be thou in the fear of the LORD ALL THE DAY LONG." (Emphasis added.) Fear God. When? ALL THE TIME! Why? Because God is God, and we are not.

This is not something that is going to go away either. Hosea 3:5 says, "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days." This hasn't happened yet. David was dead when Hosea was writing and he's not coming back yet. The fear of the LORD started with Adam and Eve and it's going all the way through until time ends.

Now, when talking about the fear of God, I think you have to reference I John 4 - because if you don't, people are going to feel that the supposed question isn't properly answered. Specifically verse 18 which says perfect love casts out fear, but you have to read a bit to get the context. I think the whole thing hinges on verse 17, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world."

The argument that John is making is that the fear of God's WRATH does not belong in a Christian. Christians do not need to fear God's judgment. We who have been "made perfect in love" (made as He is) do not need to fear punishment from God. Perfect love, that is, love which has been perfected in us, casts out fear of punishment. There is therefore now no condemnation....

Fearing punishment (wrath, judgment, etc.) and fearing God are two very different things. Sinners - John makes this argument perfectly right here - have EVERY reason to fear judgment and God's wrath. It is common sense for them to fear the wrath of God, for them to be very terrified sinners in the hands of a very angry God. However, we know from many other Scriptures that Christians fear the LORD. (In fact, they are the ones who are usually fearing the Lord, so this is not fear of judgment on our part.)

Fearing God is not fearing consequences. It's fearing GOD. For as long as my parents were in authority over me, I feared them. Why? Not because of the consequences. If it were only consequences that I feared, I would have only feared when I'd done wrong. I feared them because I loved them, because I didn't want to disappoint them, because they were my authority, and I understood that I am flawed and cannot perfectly please them. I feared what my lack of perfection would do to our relationship.

That doesn't mean I walked around cowering. It does mean that, for instance, when I considered what to spend my allowance on, I seriously considered whether or not they would approve, whether or not it would make them happy if I spent the money that they gave me on something like that. Why? Because I feared them. This kind of fear is inseparable from love. They are joined ankle, hip, and shoulder, so that it can be very difficult to even attempt to see them separately.

Do you fear disappointing your spouse, your kids, your family, your in-laws? Why? Because you love them and you want a solid, good, open relationship; but knowing fallen humanity, you know that you will fail them.

Fearing God is about walking with Him, making every decision with the understanding that He is living in your heart. He knows what you're doing and why you're doing it, and you are grossly underestimating the depths of God's emotions if you think that He doesn't feel when we turn from Him, when we insist we know better, when we brazenly - or apathetically - worship something else (usually ourselves).

It makes everything about my relationship with Him. It takes the nebulous feeling out of it, and that makes it potent. And, now that I think about it, that's probably why Christians don't like it either - it removes the ability to coast. And many Christians these days LOVE to coast.