Why should one fear the Lord? Many answers abound for that question. The Lord is our Creator. He has the ability and right to send us to eternal damnation. He is mysterious.
Valid reasons all. However, how does our Triune God want to be feared. All the above reasons will terrify. These come about by having improper sermons preached at us. Ones that center attention on the divine attributes. Or how that now one is a Christian one has the ability to totally conquer sin in his or her life. God locates himself in coming to us in gentleness not in terror. A loving Heavenly Father who is reconciled to us. The Good Shepherd who in his death reconciled us. The gentle Holy Comforter who creates faith to receive that reconciliation.
Psalm 130:3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared. ESV
Imagine that! A holy and almighty God who does not mark, keep a record, of our iniquities. Has he gone soft on sin? Does he give us a Mulligan so we can take another run at holiness? Not at all! But the sacrifice of our Good Shepherd has paid for the sins of the entire world. So then why all the noise about having to become Holy as God is Holy? There again Jesus covered that with his entire life from conception on being Holy for us. Why are not all people going to live eternally in the Presence of God? Unbelief pure and simple. The natural man is God’s enemy and will not trust him. That is not a satisfactory answer however, that is the only answer we are given.
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ESV
There you have it. Plain, simple and so sad. Sins are all paid for a person but he or she rejects it and spends eternity separated from the source of life. “Heavenly Father, grant repentance and the forgiveness of sin through your word to our friends and family that still reject you as well as all others in the world.” In the name of Jesus. Amen †
