We've been told that fear is something that Christians should not give way for.
But there is one instance when the Bible talks about a good kind of fear. Yes, you know it—the fear of God.
There are over 300 references in God's Word about having the fear of God. What is the fear of God and how is it any different from any other fear?
Proverbs 1:7 tells us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
The fear of God is not just beneficial, but it is considered fundamental and necessary in following Christ.
It's Not Begrudging His Wrath
One of the biggest misconceptions about the call to fear God is that it has to do with being afraid of what God will do to us if we don't follow Him. How many times I've heard a "Christian" try to scare people out of hell and into heaven.
Don't get me wrong: Sin and hell are scary things and people should be scared of them and their consequences. But that's not the primary dimension of the fear of God.
Being afraid of punishment can work for a while. But over and over again, the Old Testament shows us that outward changes in behavior never last. The Israelites in the Old Testament changed their behavior many times but still ended up going back to sin.
The Fear of the Lord Brings Internal Change
The fear of the Lord brings wisdom and instruction. Mainly that means that the work of the fear of God is first internal change before it is external change.
Hatefully threatening people is not God's way. The way of God has always been in the context of love. Just like 1 John 4:18 says, "Perfect love expels all fear."
The fear of the Lord is not the kind that is expelled by love, but one that exists in love.
The Fear of the Lord Is Moved by Love
I love my wife more than anything in this world. My biggest fear is losing her and making the big mistake of driving her away.
That same fear that motivates me to honour and love my wife is the same fear that drives me to be afraid of losing my relationship with God. Not because it disqualifies me of His blessings (although it does), but because it simply takes me out of God's presence.
The fear of God means being afraid of the idea of breaking His heart and grieving Him simply because it hurts someone we love, not because of what it does to us.
It's the same fear that Jesus felt at the thought of losing us for all eternity to hell. It's the same fear that drew Him to the cross so that we would be saved from eternal damnation.
Jesus' fear of losing us was motivated by love. Are you motivated by the same fear to love and trust God?
