Fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord is not the sort of fear that caused Adam to hide from God (see Rom. 8:15). Paul is talking about being in holy awe of God’s goodness (Hos. 3:5). Adam’s fear caused him to run from God, but a holy fear of the Lord causes you to draw near in awestruck reverence. The early church lived in the fear of the Lord and as a result they were strengthened and enjoyed peace (Acts 9:31).
To fear God is to worship him. It’s giving him the reverence and honor due his name. This sort of fear has nothing to do with pain and punishment but is a proper response to a God who is holy, righteous, awesome, and good. This interpretation comes from Jesus himself. When challenged by the devil in the wilderness, he quoted an old scripture:
What Jesus said: “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” (Matt 4:10)
The original text: “Fear the Lord your God and serve him only.” (Deu 6:13)
Whenever you read an exhortation to “fear the Lord” in the Bible, you can correctly interpret it as “worship the Lord.”
Fear and love don’t mix
Fear has no place in a healthy, loving relationship. You cannot have a part of your heart shouting, “I love you Lord” while another part whispers, “but I’m afraid of you.” If you ever hear a sermon or a message that leaves you fearful and uncertain of the Father’s love, reject it. The words may be from the Bible, but the spirit behind it is not from the Lord.
God has not given us a spirit of fear and intimidation (2 Tim 1:7). Rather, he has poured his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). The Holy Spirit will always seek to remind you that you are God’s dearly loved child.
As the love of God roots and buds in your heart, it will drive out fear. The oft-repeated phrase “Fear not” will become real to you. You won’t fear failure, you won’t fear men, you won’t fear death, and you certainly won’t fear your loving Father.
But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him. (Psalm 103:17)
Only those who are secure in the everlasting love of the Lord know what it is to truly fear the Lord. To fear him in a biblical sense, is to see him as he truly is and respond with awe-struck adoration. It is trembling in his presence knowing he is surely good, he is surely supreme, and he surely loves you.
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