Posted on 12/03/2020 6:14:54 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil" (Proverbs 3:7).
“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).
So, while your local Christian radio station is busy taking the fear the Lord out of your Bibles and trying to teach you reverence for God, or love for God, rather than the fear of God; they're doing you a great disservice because you won't depart from some things unless you're scared of judgment, unless you're scared of the living God, unless you're scared to fall into the hands of the living God, unless you are scared that God might actually call you to account and get you for it if you don't straighten up. These mega churches and feel-good churches are doing their fans a great disservice.
“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me" (Jeremiah 32:40).
Notice an interesting comparison. The Lord is talking about making a covenant with Israel; an everlasting covenant, in fact, and that relates to a lot of prophecy in Israel. One day the Lord will make a new covenant with them and do a lot of wonderful things for them.
We resent it sometimes. It's natural enough to be told we have to quit our sin and the reason you quit your sin is because you need to fear God, because God is angry with the wicked every day; and if you don't fear God, and if you keep on in your sin, He's going to get you. And so we don't we don't like that too much because after all sometimes sin is fun and; we don't like our fun ruined. Everybody that has a teenager knows that right well.
Here in Jeremiah chapter 32, there's an interesting twist to that because notice, “I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.” See, the fear of the Lord should cause you to depart from evil; but it will also cause you to not depart from your God. And with that comes the interesting play on words; because the more that you look at it, the more you realize that in the love for the Lord there is an element of fear, and those things do abide side by side.
“Oh no, brother. No way! No, no! First John says that “perfect love casteth out fear.” Alright, are you ready to set forth the idea that you love God perfectly? I don't really think so.
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