The fear of the Lord is a topic that is given very little credence. There are even some in the church who believe that they need not fear the Lord if they have trusted in Christ for salvation. This would be a gross misunderstanding of what it means to fear the Lord as a believer.
The fear that is to grip the believer and the unbeliever is not the same. This is due to the fact that those who are Christians are in a different relationship with God than those who are not. It may be said that the unbeliever is not in a relationship with God, but it must be recognized that there is still a way in which the unbeliever relates with God and God relates with the unbeliever.
The unbeliever is still under God’s wrath, which is a good reason to fear the Lord. However, the believer is not under God’s wrath. Rather, he has been declared not guilty through the imputed righteousness of Christ. God’s wrath has been totally satisfied (propitiated) through the wrath-bearing death of the Savior. Sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west (expiated). Since the believer has been declared “not guilty” from a judicial standpoint (justification), reconciliation has also occurred. As this act of reconciliation occurs, God draws us near in His warm embrace. He bestows on those that were once far off the position of sonship.
Being forgiven of our sin is wonderful, being spared from God’s wrath is amazing, but being a son brings immense blessing. It is in this relationship as a child of God that intimacy with the Lord is found and the inheritance is gained. God brings the new believer into the family, and he is now an adopted child of God. “What is there to fear?”, some may say.
In one sense, there is nothing to fear. But it depends on how the person would define the word fear and what the person is directing his fear toward.
God’s judgment and wrath seem to be what are typically on the minds of those who think they need not fear the Lord any longer. Biblically, that would be true: the believer need not fear God’s wrath and divine judgment.
(A word of caution at this point is that the Bible makes it very clear that many will stand before the Lord after they perish and say, “Lord, Lord” as though they knew Jesus. But Jesus will reply that He never knew them. This is a scary reality that must be in the forefront of every Christians mind no matter how far along he is in the faith. The price is too high not to talk about it, and it should not be glazed over with contemporary easy-believism language. Those who are truly in Christ need not fear God’s wrath, but even those who are truly in Christ must examine themselves throughout their walk.)
So what does the believer fear if not God’s wrath? Simply put, God. One of the major problems in the contemporary church is casualness with the things of God. God is no longer God in the minds of many; rather, He is viewed as a buddy and pal. There is no fearing a buddy and a pal – he is one’s equal.
When angels appeared to man in the Scriptures, it caused people to fall on their faces in fear and worship. This is because the greatness of the angels was seen with the eyes of man. How much more would a real glimpse of God arouse a healthy fear in the hearts of believers? Like Isaiah in Isaiah 6, when he caught a glimpse of the Lord and cried out, “Woe is me,” so must the believer see the Lord as high and lifted up, exalted above the heavens, with the earth as His footstool, and the train of His robe filling the temple.
To see God in all His majesty would create fear, to witness God’s power would surely frighten, and to recognize His authority would most certainly bring about submission. The problem is not that Christians do not know these things; the problem is that they do not actually believe them to be true or that their faith is small. The Spirit of God is progressively at work in the hearts of believers, and as a result, many do not yet see as they ought to see.
Think of the massive volcanoes of the earth. With a powerful explosion, destruction, fire, ash and more is literally unstoppable. Think of the mighty elephant or the roaring lion whom no man would dare to fight without a weapon. Think of the burning sun, which will not allow a man to step foot in its presence without being scorched. All of this and more are merely small parts of God’s creation. God is more unstoppable than the exploding volcano, He is mightier than the elephant or the roaring lion, and He burns hotter than that flaming ball that we call the sun.
Malachi, in Malachi 3:16-18, gives us four points to ponder on the important topic of fearing the Lord.
The Lord hears those who fear Him
Scripture says, “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it…” (Mal. 3:16). The first point is that those who fear the Lord can know that the Lord will hear their voice.
The Lord speaks to those who fear Him
Malachi tells us, “…and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (3:16). Since God speaks through His Word, and this portion of Scripture says that a book of remembrance was written for the people who feared the Lord, it could also be said that God speaks to those who fear His name.
If you are going through a season of not hearing the Lord’s voice, it is possible that the fear of the Lord may not be present in your life, as well. In Malachi 3:16, it is clear that God both hears and speaks to those who fear His name.
Another way of saying this is to say that God communicates with those who fear Him.
The fear of a son
Scripture says, “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not” (Mal. 3:17-18). In this portion of Scripture, there is a key that is to be found in what the fear of the Lord is to look like. One of the major problems that a Christian may have in not understanding the fear of the Lord is that he may not have something to equate it to. Malachi tells us that God will spare those who fear Him as a man spares the son who serves him.
When a child relates to his father, there will generally be a fear that is present. Sure, there may be a fear of punishment that is present, but it is more than that. There is a reverential fear. A respect for the position of father that is rather natural in a child’s heart. This respect, or fear, or reverence is to be had with God and purified by the Spirit. The fear of God is more than simply fearing God like a child fears his father. Nevertheless, it is one facet of this much needed characteristic that is meant to embraced by every believer.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You that You truly are a Father to me. Give me a fresh vision of You. Open my spiritual eyes that I might see You like Isaiah did. You are worthy of being feared; You truly are great and awesome. In Jesus’ name, Amen.