The fear of the Lord is a very important ingredient in
biblical Christianity. There is no hope of being a Christian without it.
Nevertheless, the fear of the Lord is one of the most commonly neglected or
minimized concepts in contemporary Christianity. The main reason for this is
because it is severely misunderstood. What does it mean to fear God? How is
this important in your walk with the Lord?
I borrowed my dad’s ten speed bike to go visit a friend. I
remember coming home that summer afternoon flying down the hill in my
neighborhood. There was a house at an intersection less than a quarter of a
mile from home which had a driveway that sloped off the far end. My friends and
I often tried to see how far we could make it down the hill in the air after
jumping off this driveway. I was about to set a record! I remember the rush of
excitement that erupted when I saw how high and how far I was flying through
the air on my dad’s ten-speed bike. The
joy turned to serious concern when I landed on the ground. Having my seat
higher than my shoulders didn’t make sense but I couldn’t really worry about
that because I was fighting to keep the handlebars straight. I lost that fight
when they jerked to a sudden and complete 90 degree position which sent me
flipping end over end. I was so tense I couldn’t let go of the handle bars
until they were ripped out of my hands by the sudden impact on the ground. My
dad’s bike and I went tumbling down the hill. I stopped first flat on my face.
The ten-speed stopped second with a vindictively driven pedal on my lower back. I
remember not feeling pain. I did feel a sudden sense of fear. I jumped up,
stood the bike up and noticed that I had bent the front fork! I frantically
began trying to fix it. I pushed on it, pulled on it, I even kicked it to no
avail. I ran home to get a mallet the whole time thinking “My dad is going to
kill me!!!” My brother followed me up the hill to where the bike was laying
crooked with its tires in the air laughing the entire way. The mallet was
equally ineffective. I had no resources or ability to correct the consequences
of my actions. So I did what came natural. I took the bike to the garage, hung
it up in its place, and kept silent about the incident. I was going to get it from my dad so I put off talking about it as long as
possible.
I share this story to illustrate the fear of the Lord. The
fear of the Lord is a relational term that describes the human perspective of
what it means to be rightly related to God. It describes the nature of the
governing influence of love toward God. If I had maintained a conscious respect
and love for my father, I would have chosen not to careen off the edge of a
driveway with his ten-speed fearing the effect the consequences would have on my
relationship with my dad. This type of loving reverence and respect is
complemented by the fear of his ability to express his anger however he chose
to. I imagined the worst!
The Bible teaches that the fear of the Lord is a moral response
to the gospel (Proverbs 1:29). It is the necessary moral position a person must
be committed to before they begin to understand anything about God and his ways
(Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10). The fear of the Lord informs a Christian’s
values (Psalm 19:9; Proverbs 8:13, 15:16).
It also informs the Christian when life decisions need to be made (2Chronicles
19:9; Proverbs 14:27, 16:6, 23:17). Most importantly, we are commanded to fear
the Lord (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 10:28; 1Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7). Failing to have this type of relationship with
God is fatal. Failing to nurture this kind of relationship with God is foolish.
God is the ultimate authority in the entire universe. None can stand against
him nor frustrate his will. He has chosen to love us and to make us aware of
his love through the Holy Scriptures. Rejecting the message of the gospel is to
willfully reject God’s love. It is the way to escape the judgment to come
through a restored relationship with him.
As an adult, reflecting on the previously mentioned incident,
the fear that my dad was going to kill me seems irrational. Realistically, my
dad never gave me any reason to believe he would commit murder. However, my
immature perspective gave me every reason to believe that he could and would
come close to it! I see that in my children sometimes. It grieves me that they
do not understand my love for them. Their conscience augments a sense of fear
when the reality of the consequence of disobedience, disrespect, or
deceitfulness comes home to roost. The fear of the Lord is unique in that it
describes a relationship with God. He alone has the right and the power to
judge all men. His judgment has eternal consequences. Denying God his rightful
rule over your life is to reject the benefits of communion with him. The result
of a broken relationship with God is eternal suffering due to the separation of
your soul from the source of life itself. People who disregard the concept of
eternal judgment do not understand the love of God. His wrath is real. He is all
powerful and irresistible. The offer of salvation through Jesus Christ is a demonstration
of God’s love for you. If you recognize that your sins have offended a holy and
powerful God be assured that Jesus Christ is the answer. Fear the Lord! Trust
Christ and his sacrifice alone for salvation. Restore your relationship with
God by humbling yourself before him and letting his word be the authority in
your life.
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