Fear or Love

”He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.” (Isaiah 33:6)

I found the phrase “fear of the Lord” 22 times in the New International Version of the Bible. Humanity is admonished to fear the Lord as a conscious CHOICE. That choice to fear the Lord is the key to the treasure of finding a sure foundation for loving God and our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

But God does not GIVE us a "spirit of fear".

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear...” (II Timothy 1:7).

The choice to fear the Lord is the BEGINNING, not the end, of wisdom. It starts us on our journey to find that sin has been atoned for as the result of God's love and faithfulness.

”Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)

Unfortunately, the fear of God is where most Jews and Christians remain. But we are not to continue to fear God. We are to move on to the understanding that "God is love" - perfect love that sets us free from the bondage of fear.

 “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love." (1 John 4:16)

The perfect love of God "keeps no record of wrongs", and the love of God "never fails".

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

That is the GRACE of God in action! In His grace, God gives us a "spirit of power, and of love, and a sound mind".

“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7).

"This is how we know that we live in him and He in us: He has given us of his spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world..." (I John 4:14).

 When we gain the wisdom that God is not just the Savior of some, but is the Savior of the whole world through Jesus, the love of God lives in us - driving out fear.

 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because HE FIRST loved us." (1 John 4:13-19)

Love and fear are not intended to occupy the same ground. There may be some of one and some of the other; but the more we fear "punishment", the less we know about the love of God. But when we grasp the love of God in saving the world, that "perfect love drives out fear".

It may be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God, but it is glorious thing to realize His anger lasts "only a moment" - while His love lasts forever.

"For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Proverbs 30:5)

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