Balancing the Love and Fear of God

The following is an excerpt from my book Abiding in the Vine that describes the balance between the love of God and the fear of God.

There are different areas in the Christian walk where we can have a tendency to go to one extreme or the other. If we react to one error, we can end up in another error on the opposite side of the pendulum. One clear example of this is how the church approaches money. On one hand, there is the so-called “prosperity gospel” that teaches formulas for gaining material possessions and riches. In its most extreme form, this is none other than greed disguised as godliness. On the opposite side, there is a poverty mindset that teaches that to have wealth is a sin and that poverty is godly. Neither of these extremes is correct, and if we overreact to either of these errors we may end up on the opposite side.

Another area where we can gravitate to one side or the other, is finding the balance between the love of God and the fear of God. It might seem odd that we are supposed to love the Lord and fear Him at the same time, but this is what the Bible teaches.

The Love of God

It is certainly right to emphasize the love of God. His love for us is absolutely foundational in our relationship with Him. It is the love of God that compelled Him to send His Son to the earth to die for the sins of mankind (see John 3:16). Without a revelation of God’s love for us it is impossible to love Him, for “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). As we grow in understanding and experiencing God’s amazing love for us, we will be able to love Him and love others.

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross reveals to us that God’s love is not mere lip-service. God did not just tell us that He loves us; He showed us. He also reveals His love to us in personal ways as we experience Him in our lives. When we have an encounter with God, it becomes apparent how intimately involved He is in our lives and how much He truly loves and cares for us.

The apostle Paul prayed that the Ephesian church would be able to “comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19). God’s love, revealed to us in Christ Jesus, is so big that it surpasses all knowledge!

The Fear of God

Some would say that because God is love we do not need to fear Him. This could not be farther from the truth. Intimacy with the Lord is founded on God’s love but it is also based on the fear (or reverence) of God. Psalm 25:14 says, “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.” The Lord will reveal His secrets to those who fear Him, to those who have a reverential awe of Him. Not only is God love, He is also holy and just, and He is worthy to be feared.

The fear of the Lord brings an awareness of His presence that keeps us from sinning. The Bible says that it will turn us away from “the snares of death” (see Proverbs 14:27). If we do not cultivate the fear of God in our lives, we can begin to have a complacent view of sin and soon we may become entangled by it. We should have a hatred toward sin and not make any agreement with it. The fear of God will help us to maintain this type of attitude.

To be clear, the fear of the Lord is not the same as being afraid of God. But as we approach Him we must keep in mind that He is God and we are not. We can have friendship with God without being flippant in our posture toward Him. We can speak to God like a friend, but He is not our “buddy.” Do you see the difference? It is a matter of reverence for who He is. As the writer of Hebrews states, “Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29, emphasis added). Surely the American church needs a restoration of the fear of the Lord!

The Balance

It is important that we have a proper balance between the love of God and the fear of God. These are not opposed to each other but rather work hand in hand. We are exhorted in Scripture to consider both the goodness and severity of God (see Romans 11:22). We must not focus only on one to the exclusion of the other or else we will have a skewed perception of God. When Jesus taught us to pray, He said that we should approach God as a loving Father (“our Father in Heaven”) but also with respect and awe (“hallowed be Your name”).

I pray that God will give us a greater and greater revelation of His love, that we may be rooted and established in it. I also pray that we will grow in the true fear of the Lord, serving Him and walking in obedience to His ways.

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Abiding in the Vine is a collection of 40 devotional writings that are meant to feed your spirit and draw you closer to God. Rich with the Word of God and insights into the Spirit-filled life, each reflection will bring understanding and encouragement, as well as challenge you to go deeper in your walk with Christ.