Fear: I was afraid

because I was naked (Genesis 3:9). Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit, and in fear had hidden from God. We are talking here about the fear of the Lord.  It seems to me that our culture, including the church, has lost this, but “the fear of the Lord it is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). The principle is surly found in Romans 13:3, 4 where Paul tells that rulers (supremely God) are not a terror to those who do good, but to those who do evil. He goes on to say “But if you do evil, be afraid.”  Fear is not the end of wisdom, but it needs to start there.

Many try to say that fear, in the New Testament, is reverence and awe, but I have to wonder if we even walk in reverence and awe. And Paul, following his Damascus road experience, could say “Knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men” (Acts 9; 2 Corinthians 5:11 NKJV; Revelation 6:16).  And if we are to take the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), we must not ignore, or otherwise dismiss, Hebrews 10:26, 27 which reads “For if we continue to sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

A healthy fear of the Lord then keeps us from sin, but now let’s look at the antidote.  “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love”  (1 John 4:17, 18). It's not reverence and awe that is cast out here by the way, it is fear of punishment.

Christianity is not primarily about rules and regulations, it's about relationship (John 17:3). Accordingly we need to see it in terms of a relationship between a loving, wise, but strict father, and an obedient son. There is wisdom in the fear of punishment, “for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12).  A loving father always wants the best for his child, and the correction is there to train the child in the nature and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:2). Then, as the relationship of love, respect and obedience matures, fear will be cast out and confidence increase.  It's not about being perfect, with God, it's about the fellowship we have with Him and with Jesus when we walk in the light as He is in the light. When we do this the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleanings us from all sin (1 John 1:3-7, 9).  

Lord, thank You that as mature sons and daughters You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Even so it's not about being  perfect, rather its about continuing to walk with You and so be in the ongoing process, as we keep our eyes on Him, of being transformed to be “as He is in the World” (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Thank You Father that on that Day the transformation will be complete,  for “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2) in His precious Name Amen