Fear Must Follow

“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.” (Pr 16:6 AV)

We tend to lean on the first part of this proverb and forget the who thing goes together.  The first part is God’s part.  The second is our part.  By mercy, God forgives and removes our sin.  By truth, He teaches us what sin is and His attitude toward sin.  If fear does not follow, we will fail again.  That word ‘fear’ can mean several things.  The use of the word here means reverence, respect, or piety, resulting in a very measured and humble response to Him.  This fear is not fear as in a phobia.  It is not a terror that freezes one.  This fear is not a fear of destruction, wrath, or vengeance.  This fear is the emotional response and respect due the Creator of the universe by virtue of Him being that very person.  If we say we fear God, then we care how He feels about what we do.  If we say He cares about what we do, then we will not do that which displeases Him.  It is a matter of respect, reverence, and worship.

How we respond to authority tells much regarding our character and maturity.  The person that recoils at the demands of authority has little character or maturity.  Or little of both.  The other day, my wife and I went to a fast-food chain that served only two staples.  Chicken tenders and fries.  If you want a bit of variety, you would order a sandwich, which consisted of the same chicken tenders in a bun with lettuce and tomato.  Having met each other will working in a pizzeria, we chuckle at the discussions that might be going on in the restaurant we are approaching.  Can you imagine employees arguing about what task they were scheduled with in that particular shift?  The murmuring and complaining going on when there were only two things to do?  “Ah, man, I have to fry the chicken today?  When it is going to be my turn to fry the potatoes?”  The same is true of any workplace.  There are those who are never happy.  They complain no matter the task.  They fight their boss and try to find something they could be happy about, but it doesn’t exist.  If they are unhappy frying chicken, they would be unhappy running the register.  No fear.  No respect.  Not reverence for the one whom they work for.

The same is true in a family setting.  If there is no fear of Dad, then what Dad requires will go ignored.  At some point, that child has to grow up and care what Dad thinks and how he feels.  This is sorely missing in today's churches.  The saints are all about affirmation.  What is God going to do for me today?  Where is the reverence?  Where is the respect?  It went out the window over one hundred years ago.  When we began to think our intelligence was more important that God’s divine hand, that was the day Christianity became about the saint and not about God.  When we tampered with the word of God to change it to our liking, our faith became about us, and not about God.  But even those of us who claim to be arduous defenders of scriptural purity can still make our walk with God more about us than about Him.  We have lost the respect and reverence due the God who created us.  So, mercy and truth may be the short-term fix.  But unless they are followed up by fear, sin is still at the door.