Fear of God

Here is one of the most simple, yet most serious warnings found in the Bible: “God is opposed to the proud” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). The last thing we as God’s children should want is to dabble in the archetypal sin that was the initial cause of all the rebellion and corruption in the universe (Ezekiel 28:14-17). We are shown in God’s word that pride’s antithesis and remedy is the fear of the Lord (Romans 11:20; Jeremiah 44:10; Proverbs 8:13).

For those who have repented of their sins and put their trust in Christ this fear is not the kind that dreads the punishment of hell (1 John 4:16-18). Instead, the fear of God that is considered a virtue in Scripture is a kind of humble awareness that our merciful Savior is also our omnipotent and omniscient Father—who will one day call us to give an account for our stewardship (1 Peter 1:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10-11; Romans 14:12).

Because the idea of “fear” doesn’t harmonize well with the popular misconceptions of a domesticated god, many dismiss this essential virtue and important safeguard, thinking that it couldn’t possibly coexist with their quest to love God. But the truth is that “the friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him” (Psalm 25:14), and any true knowledge of God is impossible to attain without it (Proverbs 9:10). So let us fight the subtle temptations to arrogance, pride, and self-promotion by humbly drawing near to God as we learn the fear of the Lord.