Fear God.

“Fear God!”

Those words are used repeatedly throughout Scripture.  They have been quoted (and misquoted) so often that we do ourselves a favour to pause and think about them for a moment.  Exactly what does it mean to “fear God?”

“Fear God” can seem like an oxymoron.  Isn’t God loving and compassionate?  Isn’t He ready to forgive and gracious?  What is there to fear?  Haven’t we left the image of an angry, judgemental deity in the distant past?

We cannot avoid the reality that the phrase “fear God” is frequently repeated.  We must also acknowledge that there is a tension beyond our ability to resolve.  God does not want any to perish and for all to come to a knowledge of truth (2 Pet. 3:9) yet He will execute righteous judgement on those who refuse His offer of forgiveness (2 Pet. 3:19).  Psalm 76 says God is to be feared, that none can stand against His anger.

So, are we surprised when anyone asks, “Would the real God please stand up?”  Which is it - grace or anger?  How does fear fit into the picture?

Properly understood, “fearing God” is not about finding a balance between grace and anger.  If we understand the character of God as He has revealed Himself to be, we see this is a “both/and” truth, not an “either/or.”

Theologians smarter than me - which is pretty much all of them - have written tomes on this.  Here is my attempt to boil that down to a simpler summary of the key ideas of what it means to fear God.  As always, we must caution ourselves against being simplistic about God, thinking we can reduce Him to the lowest possible denominator.  He is still the Creator of all things, the eternal, infinite God who is completely other from us.  

Here is my “FEAR” acronym that helps me bring some simple, concrete ideas to what it means to fear God.

Faith - fearing God begins with faith IN God.  According to Hebrews 11, we begin by embracing the truth, by faith, that God exists and that He is active in His creation.  This gives us courage and confidence to pursue righteous lives (the author of Hebrews gives us an impressive list of people who have done this).  Faith never exists in a vacuum;  it always has an object.  Fearing God begins with faith IN God.

Enthroned - to fear God means we also acknowledge that He alone is the enthroned majesty, the Creator of all that exists, and there is no other.  If there is one theme the Apostle John emphasizes in the book of Revelation, it is that the King is on His throne.  As Canadians, we are accustomed to a symbolic crown/throne.  Yes, the King of Canada holds the office of highest authority, albeit symbolically.  With the Creator God, the Triune God, there is nothing symbolic about it.  There is no competition, no alternative, no other threat to His sovereignty.  We struggle with that concept and rebel against it, coming up with make-belief options for our loyalty.  It doesn’t change anything.  God is on His throne.  There is no other.

Anticipation - because God is God, because He is on His throne, we fear God by looking forward, especially when the stuff all around us is headed into greater confusion, chaos, and crisis.  Fearing God means we keep a perspective that the eternal will always outweigh the temporal.  We endure suffering (when it is for being righteous - 1 Pet. 3:14) knowing the best is yet to come.  This is where the courage and confidence components of faith in God become so critical.  God is at work.  Always.  Even when it hurts.

Righteousness - knowing Who God is produces an effect in our lives:  we make choices that demonstrate our loyalty to Him and to His Kingdom.  This is called “righteousness.”  Unfortunately, righteousness has often been reduced to keeping a set of rules or rituals.  Actually, Jesus taught that righteousness is the bias of our hearts and minds (Matt. 5-7).  We engage with the work of the Spirit of God to be transformed in the core of our being (Rom. 12).

So is the fear of God something we feel or something we believe? 

Yes.

God has created us as emotive beings, so we should feel that sense of awe and respect for our Creator.  We are also relational and intellectual beings who have the ability to exercise our volition.  We are capable of learning about God, of having relationship with Him, of making choices that reflect both what we feel and what we know to be true.

The fear of God means we never cease to be intimidated by WHO God is, WHAT He has done for us, and HOW He is at work in us and around us . . . all while we also enjoy an intimate and comforting relationship with us.  He is our Father.  He is the Creator.

It isn’t a surprise, then, that Solomon concludes his observations on life with this brief statement, “Fear God” (Eccl. 12:13).