There are two sides to the coin of divine relationship [by this, I simply mean relationship with God].
Fear and Love!
A lot of the time we focus on Love but we forget about Fear.
Yes God is to be feared. He is not just our Father, He is the Judge!
As the Judge, God is just. That was why He couldn’t “just do anything about the SIN problem”. He had to make sure the blood requirement was fulfilled. So He sacrificed His only begotten son, Jesus Christ!
And we have the most popular scripture of all time John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life”
Please brethren don’t let us ever take God’s Grace [LOVE] for granted. God loves us but remember this scripture …
“6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 If[you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:6-11 (NKJV)
Love The Father And Fear The Judge
Don’t trample on God’s commands and think since you have a relationship with the Father there are no hassles, in fact because you love the Father, you have to fear the Judge. The Father chastens, disciplines, chastises the one He loves.
Don’t continue in sin and pray that Grace should abound. Fear God enough to know that God can deal with you harshly if you trample on His Grace.
I know it is popular theology to paint God as a Gentle Grandfather who answers yes to all family requests and forgives all without blinking but we need to know that as loving and forgiving as God is we should not deliberately and continually sin and think Grace covers all. God is just He will have to judge certain things we do, if He could not just pronounce one day that SIN is no more but had to pay the ultimate price we need to realize that there are certain principles and laws that God upholds.
Anannais and Sapphira got a taste in Acts 5, they sold what they had and lied about the money they brought to the common purse. They both died and the early church learnt a lesson – “Fear The Lord and Test Him Not!”
Acts 5: 11 “So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.”
Yes God is our Father but we must never forget He is the Judge of whole world also.
Grace is awesome but True Grace embodies the Love and Fear Of God.
Do not take Grace for granted and live in sin;
Grace teaches us to fear God and live soberly, righteously and godly.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Titus 2:11-14 NKJV
Walking In The Fear And Love Of God,
