Some would ask why we speak about the fear of God!
Have the Gospels not proclaimed to us that God is our Father, with all that the word implies of love and compassion? People are used to listen to us speaking about our good and kind God who deals with us with compassion and kindness, and gives us forgiveness for our sins when we repent? Why then do we talk about the fear of God?
Actually people are of two types: one type of people is impressed by love, while the other type takes love as a chance for recklessness and indifference.
Even those who are impressed by love are of two types: some of them love God and do what is proper for love with all power. God##s love appears in their life, their behavior, their obedience to God, and the conformity of their will and heart desire with God##s will. Those are the ideal type, but not all people are of this type.
Others love God but lack the will to act in love.
Love is a seal upon their hearts, not upon their arms (Song 8: 6), like St. Peter the Apostle who denied the Lord Christ although he loved Him; for after the resurrection he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” (Jn 21: 17)
I guess that at the time of denial Peter had love but not fear; the fear of God.
Peter was afraid of people lest they do him harm due to his relationship with Christ. His fear of God at that time was less than his fear of people. His love was not perfect, otherwise it would have overcome fear and he would not have denied the Lord!
Another type of people misunderstands love.
Knowing that God##s kindness prevails, and that He forgives and revokes punishment, they do not fear to sin! They have wrongful unacceptable familiarity with God, and say to themselves and perhaps to others: ##since we deal with a compassionate, kind and good God, we ought not to fear. Whatever sins we commit God will certainly forgive as He forgave the adulterous woman and Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons (Mk 16: 9). Our Good God accepted Zacchaeus and Matthew the tax collectors, and had compassion on sinners.
He disregards God##s love for him and has no love for God since he disobeys His commandments.
Speaking about the fear of God is very necessary for the present generation, where people lost the fear of God
Some people in our present days deny God##s existence. Others attack Him, criticize Him, and accuse Him! Others grumble against Him or break His commandments with all boldness and without fear!
Recklessness and indifference spread among this generation, and many people now rise against values and principles, and walk in the same way the oppressive judge walked, not fearing God nor regarding man (Lk 18: 2).
Yeah! We have to speak about the fear of God to this generation where fear is removed away from the hearts of many, even of the young.
There is no more fear of parents, of teachers, of elderly persons, or of seniors, but rather rising against systems and laws and all authority whether at home, at school, in the street, or in work.
Some would say that fear is characteristic of the Old Testament, whereas the New Testament is one of grace and love.
It is a wrong principle, for God “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb 13: 8- 11), “with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (Jas 1: 17) If there was fear in the Old Testament, there was likewise a commandment of love: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deut 6: 5) About this love the Lord Christ said, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Mt 22: 40)
And if love is established in the New Testament, fear also is mentioned on the mouths of the Lord Christ and His holy apostles, as in the verses:
“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Lk 12:4, 5; Mt 10: 28) Notice that the word “fear” is mentioned thrice in one commandment which the Lord started with the words, “I say to you, My friends” (Lk 12: 4) It is therefore clear that love does not conflict at all with fear. We recall also the words of St. Peter the Apostle, “Conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay her in fear.” (1 Pet 1: 17) And to the women he said, “… when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.” (1 Pet 3: 2)
Believe me my father and teacher St. Peter, you your words about fear are very gentle. See how St. Paul warns us, saying, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2: 12)
St. Paul added to the word “fear” a hard word: “trembling”. One of the most evident biblical verses about fear in the New Testament is that said by St. Paul the Apostle: “… perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Cor 7: 1) And St. Jude the Apostle said, “On some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jud 22, 23)
It is thus clear that fear can be a way of pastoral care to save souls. We can extend compassion to some, and to others we warn by fear, pulling them out of the fire before being burned. The commandments are varied: if some benefit from love, others need fear.
In this regard St. Paul said to his disciple Timothy the Bishop, “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all that the rest also may fear.” (1 Tim 5: 20) In this case fear is useful to prevent others from recklessness. This policy was useful in the punishment of Ananias & Sapphira his wife. The same fault would have happened many times more and others would have walked in the same way, but when St. Peter inflicted that punishment on them, “so great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.” (Acts 5: 11) That fear was for the benefit of the church and her stability since her foundation.
This is the way which the church followed since its early days. Why then some attempt to distinguish in the spiritual matters between the teaching of the Old Testament and the teaching of the New Testament? Is not the Scripture one homogeneous unit?
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3: 16) The God of the Old Testament is Himself the God of the New Testament. He did not change. So, do not think that God was severe with regard to sin in the Old Testament and lenient in the New Testament, God forbid! For sin is dreadful to the same extent in both Testaments. And God is the same in both: all goodness, all holiness, and all justice.
Therefore we cannot say the Old Testament was wholly a Testament of fear and punishment, nor the New Testament a Testament of grace and love.
Both contain fear and joy; joy for those who believe and hold fast in faith, and fear for those who do not believe, who fall, or who deviate.
The Old Testament is not one of threatening and warning and the New Testament one of promises!! For both contain threatening and promises. Remember that the Gospel says: “Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mt 3: 10) And the Lord Christ, with all His love, says, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (Jn 15: 6)
God knows the nature of man, and knows that fear is useful and necessary for such a nature, therefore He speaks about fear in both the Old and New Testaments.
In the Old Testament God did not only speak about fear in the context of threatening, but also in the context of love and grace.
In the Book of Psalms for instance God said:
– “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him.” (Ps 25: 14)
– “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.” (Ps 33: 18)
– “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” (Ps 34: 7)
– “Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him.” (Ps 85: 9)
– “So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” (Ps 103: 11)
– “So the Lord pities those who fear Him.” (Ps 103: 13)
– “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses … and his descendants shall inherit the earth.” (Ps 25: 12,13)
And in the Book of Jeremiah, God said, “I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from doing them good, but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.” (Jer 32: 39, 40)
Then in the New Testament God connected between fear of God and virtues, and between fear of God and sin.
We read about the righteous Cornelius that he was, “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.” (Acts 10: 2)
Fear is mixed with glorification by those who witnessed the healing of the paralyzed, for we read that, “They were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, ##We have seen strange things today!##” (Lk 5: 26) And in the miracle of raising the son of the widow in Nain, it is said, “Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God.” (Lk 7: 16)
Again in the Book of Revelation, St. John saw an angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people – saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him.” (Rev 14: 6, 7) And he saw angels praising God and saying, “Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy.” (Rev 15: 4) This reminds us of the words of St. Peter the Apostle: “Love the brotherhood. Fear God.” (1 Pet 2: 17)
As fear is mixed with virtue, lack of fear is mixed with sin. That is why the repenting thief on the cross rebuked the other thief who blasphemed the Lord, and said to him, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?” (Lk 23: 40) And the oppressive judge was described as not fearing God (Lk 18: 1). Our father Abraham likewise described the evil of Gerar, saying, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.” (Gen 20: 11)
So many are the benefits of fear! I shall speak about this next time – God willing.