Terry’s Take… Fear or Love of God? (Part III)
Some say that to “fear God” is simply to have a sense of awe, wonder, reverence, and respect for Him. But if that’s the case, why doesn’t the Bible simply tell us to “revere” or “respect” God, rather than “fear” Him? Evidently, the word “fear” is still most fitting to describe this biblical concept in most contexts. It’s not a perfect translation, but it’s close. This can feel troubling for many people, particularly those who fear their own father.
So… Is God Using Fear Tactics?
Western culture tends to view fear as bad… especially when used to manipulate others into submission. But the biblical concept of fear has a wider concept. It captures more than just the negative perception we may have of it.
The author of the book of Ecclesiastes considered fearing God to be the most meaningful thing we could do with our life (Ecclesiastes 5:7, 12:13). The prophet Nehemiah even called Israel to fear their God so that they wouldn’t be taunted by their enemies (Nehemiah 5:9).
In our modern culture, however, we’re so removed from this thinking that “fearing God” is a difficult concept for us to appreciate.
But would the Jewish authors of the Bible really want us to believe that God is a tyrannical bully who manipulates us, His children, with fear tactics? No way! No devout author of Scripture would ever mean to communicate this. No devout Jewish community would have considered including such a crazy notion in their religious writings.
The concept of “fearing God,” then, must have a meaning different from our modern understanding. In fact, fear can be good for us (and we know it).
Today, we talk about “healthy fear” being a useful tool for our making wise choices. For instance, we buckle our seat belts because we fear what might happen to our body in a car accident. I’m sure you can think of other actions you take on a daily basis because of a perceived negative outcome.
Similarly, God wants to instill a sense of healthy fear in our hearts to keep us from making poor decisions contrary to His commandments. Because we believe His guidelines are for our good, our posture of submission and gratitude compels us to obey His voice.
Our response has nothing to do with a damaged or unhealthy relationship between us and God. Any argument to the contrary ignores the moments of Scripture that clearly imply otherwise. Just a few examples:
- Psalm 25:14 reminds us, “The Lord is a friend to those who fear Him.”
- Psalm 103:17 says, “But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him.”
By the path opened to us through the blood of Christ, we can be close to God. Does this involve an element of fear? In a way, yes. When we see our actions as sinful…when we contemplate how our lives have diverged from God’s path… we in a sense… become “fearful” as we become aware of our sins. This “fear” can lead us to modify and correct our behaviours.
The three uses of the law for Lutherans are defined classically in Article VI of the Formula of Concord in this way: The law of God is used (1) to maintain external discipline and respectability against dissolute, disobedient people and (2) to bring such people to a recognition of their sins. (3) It is also used when those who have been born anew through God’s Spirit, converted to the Lord, and had the veil of Moses removed from them live and walk in the law.
But at the same time, we affirm that God is merciful. His love is unconditional… and when we ask Him for forgiveness… our sins are “white as snow” and as “far from the East is to the West.”