Jan 17
16
The Fear of God
Without the fear of God a sinner cannot worship God. The fear of God is so important in worship, that throughout the Old Testament instead of saying “the worship of God” the scriptures call worship, itself, “the fear of God” and those who worship “those that feared God.” (Ps 5:7) Fearing God is worshipping God. The whole duty of man is to fear God. (Eccl 12:13; Lev 10: 3)
Natural Man Has No Fear of God
The naturally wicked man, by not even saying a word, has his transgression speak for him. It says, “There is no fear of God before his eyes.” (Ps 36: 1) By loving sin, by having no desire to hear Christ exalted, by refusing rebuke from the Lord, screams, “There is no fear of God before my eyes.” There is no reverential affection for God, only enmity against God, in all men as we are born the first time. This enmity is manifest in rebellion against those God has placed in authority: preachers, parents, and civil authority. Depravity is more than a doctrine; we are the depravity. Natural man has no holy, humble, obedient, loving fear of God, but is only hatred against God.
God Gives Fear in the Heart
God alone gives true fear in the heart. He promised to do so in the everlasting covenant of grace. (Jer 32: 39-40) Therefore, in time, God implants his fear in the heart in regeneration by the Spirit of God. It is through the gospel that God gives this wisdom. Our text says, “Come ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
Some may think the preacher is being mean or even legalistic by demanding you learn to show reverence while the gospel is being preached, at least outwardly. But it is so that you can hear this gospel. The reason for every practical word in the New Testament is to keep each of us, individually, from being a distraction from the gospel of Christ. It is because through the word, God makes his elect wise giving us fear in the new heart. “Come ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”
Clay Curtis.