FEAR

FEAR

A broad range of emotions that embrace both the secular and the religious worlds. Secular fear is the natural feeling of alarm caused by the expectation of imminent danger, pain, or disaster. Religious fear appears as the result of awe and reverence toward a supreme power.

PROPER FEAR OF GOD

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”  Prov. 9:10

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind…..On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”  Matt. 22:37, 40

The whole Mosaic economy according to Matt. 22:37, 40 is fulfilled by the man who loves God, the prophets, their denunciation of sin, their call to right character, and all obeyed in answer to the impulse of the love of God. The new fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, is love of God. The old fear of God, which was the beginning of unutterable foolishness, was slavish fear, fear born of ignorance of Him, fear that made men hurry away, banish His Name, and refuse to meet Him. The new fear is not fear that He will hurt me, it is fear lest I should hurt Him, fear lest I cause sorrow to His heart, fear lest my sin would wound Him again. That is the fear that is the beginning of wisdom, and that is the fear of love.

As I have said in previous articles both Jude and Peter call Him the Despot, the only Master. What a serious thing to be under the authority of Someone Who can upset everything in our lives without consulting us, and by a word can mark for us the moment of our departure! That is the government of God. We are wise when we finally realize this truth concerning our Creator and Sustainer. God is absolute monarch wherever He is King at all. His government is autocratic. He does not consult with us as to what He shall do with us, where He shall send us, what He would have us to do. Moreover, His government is an imperative government. He never permits us to make compromises with Him for a single moment. He speaks the word of authority and has every right to. He marks the path without ever consulting us, and having done so, our only relationship to that government is that of implicit, unquestioning, immediate obedience. That takes communion with Him and His desire for that with us. When we finally realize His utter control over our life and purpose here on earth our slavish fear turns to that of fear that I might hurt Him and His cause for my being here on earth.

As Master He teaches us the pathway of true living life and corrects those paths that need correction. The truly saved love the Lord with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind. That is the proper fear of the Lord.