The Fear of the Lord

 Someone recently asked me, "Are we supposed to fear God because we fear being punished?"

Always game to wrestle with a good question - especially one many of us have probably asked at one point or another - I thought it might be beneficial to post my response here:

"When 'fear of the Lord' is spoken of positively in Scripture, it denotes awe or wonder at the incredible strength, depth, and mystery of God. It may be exhilarating or calming, but it isn't fear of punishment.

Our relationship to God should be characterized as one of awe/wonder *and* love. Fear of punishment is antithetical to love and is a sign of spiritual immaturity. Many people first turn to Christ because they are afraid of punishment for sin (I know I did). But if we fear God because we fear being punished, then we are only at the beginning of our spiritual journey.

Entire sanctification/perfect communion with God/theosis  is characterized by being entirely illuminated by God's holy love, so that our relationships with Him, with each other, and with all of Creation are fueled entirely by His grace, and reflect nothing but His love.

As the Beloved Apostle wrote in 1 Jn. 4:16b-19, 'God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on 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; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us.'"

#Love #Grace #Faith #Sanctification #Spirituality #Mystery #Theosis #Nazarene