The biblical phrase, “The Fear of God,” has always been a tough concept for people to understand.
It seems paradoxical or counter-intuitive at first glance.
The Fear of God, however, makes a ton of sense when we bring in the concepts of “awe” and “respect.”
The biggest, most important, most powerful, most awesome thing is always something we regard with awe and respect. I remember losing my words the first time I was around a celebrity. They were normal humans like me, but their position and status had a profound affect on my comfort and ability to act normal. I held them in high esteem.
The centrality of God in the universe is a position that should lead to the centrality of God in our lives. His power, status, significance and magnitude should cause us to be in awe of him. If not, if we take him for granted or treat him as common, something is misfiring about our conception of God, ourselves or the universe.
The Fear of God, therefore, is a great indicator as to how we’re viewing God in our hearts.
This song of Chris Beland’s is quick becoming one of my favorites. He sang it in our house after a college and singles meeting and then again at Antioch. I’ve found few songs with as much theology embedded as this one.
Watch this video, listen to the words and learn about the deep meaning of the phrase “fear of God.”
Chris Beland :: Great and Terrible God from Antioch Church on Vimeo.
