We're Supposed to Fear God?

The Fear of the Lord and the Apparent Tension with Love

Proverbs 1 .7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Yet 1st John 4 says that God is love and perfect love casts out fear. Huh. Isaiah 11 .2 says in the Spirit of the Lord is the fear of God.

Yet 2nd Timothy 1 .7 says God gave us not a spirit of fear. Alright, so maybe the fear of God thing is an Old Testament deal. And no, because 1st Peter 2 .17 says fear God. And so does 2nd Corinthians 5 .11.

And Jesus says it in Luke 12 .5 right before he says fear not in verse 7. Alright, so now that we're thoroughly confused, what on earth is the fear of God? Is it just for unbelievers? After all, Hebrews 10 .31 says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Fear, Trembling, and the Christian Life

Yes, but Paul says to Christians in Philippians 2 .12, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, which is also Psalm 2 .11. What does it mean to fear God? Well, first, this does not mean that we're supposed to be nervous Christians filled with anxiety, always concerned that God is not pleased with us.

If you are in Christ, God could not love you any more than he does now. You can be confident in your salvation because of what Christ has done. However, we need to also have a healthy fear of God, in awe of his majesty and holiness.

Reverence, Obedience, and God's Loving Discipline

This keeps us obedient to his word, accountable to the body of Christ, his church, and away from the snare of sin. God doesn't just judge unbelievers. He also judges believers, though his discipline is given in love.

The fear of the Lord is not being scared of God. It's worshiping God with reverence. And if we fear the Lord, there's absolutely nothing else to be afraid of when we understand the text.