The Fear and the Love of God
Fear is the beginning of wisdom we know. Love God with all of your Heart, Soul and Mind, we know! How do these two things relate to each other?
The definition of fear in the normal English language definition is: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. The word fear in the scriptures can have that definition if a person doesn’t know the person of Christ and doesn’t have a relationship with Him, or sin in the believer that continually provokes His anger, yes fear the pain He will cause us! For us believers, that repent continually after the Spirit telling us of our sin, fear means a totally pleasant and enjoyable emotion that of adoration, seeing the One that has eyes of fire, feet like burnished brass, has a voice as many waters. John bowed down to the earth with great fear. (How I love what Jesus said: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.....) I would fall down too, because I want to worship Him as well! We get a glimpse of how infinite and inscrutable God is: He is a Lamb, Lion, and the most pure and powerful God (plus infinitely more). The transfiguration is also a wonderful picture of His beauty: His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light
How is it that we believers can even relate to Jesus? It is because He lays aside His crown in great humility. That by itself is an adorable aspect of God! But wait! There is infinitely more: The way He loves us is with open hands, he lets us go (of course to our detriment) if we wish. To me, the freedom we have is another reason to worship Him, He does not confine us and make us miserable (we do that to ourself). So whatever aspect we look at the Father, the Son and the Spirit there is an infinite depth of goodness to adore and worship, His mercy, humility, power, kindness, provider of everything........... Sometimes I just sit there thinking, He is just too good to me, He has given me too much, with much gratitude. Totally overwhelming is His love to me and to all of his children.
Summary: The fear of God and the love of God are very compatible and need each other!
The fear of the Lord, due to the nature of the person that loves us is natural. That fear. is the fear that turns our hearts toward worship, amazement at everything that He is. The love that we have of Him is because He loves us, and only because of His Spirit we can love Him in return. The more we love Him, the more we know who He is and worship and adore Him, fall before Him (fear Him).
We can love Him on the earth and heaven (where he is in resplendent glory, the image of the saints reflecting His glory). The temple veil between us and God has been shorn, the Lord has risen indeed!
Fear is the beginning of wisdom we know. Love God with all of your Heart, Soul and Mind, we know! How do these two things relate to each other?
The definition of fear in the normal English language definition is: an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. The word fear in the scriptures can have that definition if a person doesn’t know the person of Christ and doesn’t have a relationship with Him, or sin in the believer that continually provokes His anger, yes fear the pain He will cause us! For us believers, that repent continually after the Spirit telling us of our sin, fear means a totally pleasant and enjoyable emotion that of adoration, seeing the One that has eyes of fire, feet like burnished brass, has a voice as many waters. John bowed down to the earth with great fear. (How I love what Jesus said: When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.....) I would fall down too, because I want to worship Him as well! We get a glimpse of how infinite and inscrutable God is: He is a Lamb, Lion, and the most pure and powerful God (plus infinitely more). The transfiguration is also a wonderful picture of His beauty: His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light
How is it that we believers can even relate to Jesus? It is because He lays aside His crown in great humility. That by itself is an adorable aspect of God! But wait! There is infinitely more: The way He loves us is with open hands, he lets us go (of course to our detriment) if we wish. To me, the freedom we have is another reason to worship Him, He does not confine us and make us miserable (we do that to ourself). So whatever aspect we look at the Father, the Son and the Spirit there is an infinite depth of goodness to adore and worship, His mercy, humility, power, kindness, provider of everything........... Sometimes I just sit there thinking, He is just too good to me, He has given me too much, with much gratitude. Totally overwhelming is His love to me and to all of his children.
Summary: The fear of God and the love of God are very compatible and need each other!
The fear of the Lord, due to the nature of the person that loves us is natural. That fear. is the fear that turns our hearts toward worship, amazement at everything that He is. The love that we have of Him is because He loves us, and only because of His Spirit we can love Him in return. The more we love Him, the more we know who He is and worship and adore Him, fall before Him (fear Him).
We can love Him on the earth and heaven (where he is in resplendent glory, the image of the saints reflecting His glory). The temple veil between us and God has been shorn, the Lord has risen indeed!
