But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. Psalm 130:4
The third strand of the fear of the Lord is the love of God. The fear of God that does us so much good arises out of our knowledge of the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness that leads the person who receives it to fear the Lord.
Notice the psalmist writes about “forgiveness, that you may be feared.” You see the love of God, and how much it cost on the cross, and you say, “How could I sin against love like this?”
Andrew Bonar said, “It has been much impressed upon me that, if convinced of sin at all, I must be so by the view of it in Christ’s love.” John Brown wrote, “To fear God is to love Him so that His frown would be your greatest dread and His smile would be your greatest delight.”
A person who fears God is one who has seen His glory, His judgment, and His love. Can you see now why Jeremiah speaks of the fear of God as something that lasts forever? Because even in heaven God’s people will fear Him as we love Him and love Him as we fear Him.
Glory: Heaven will be filled with the splendor of His glory. The pure in heart will see God, and when we do, we will fall on our faces casting our crowns before Him in awe and in worship.
Judgment: Heaven will remain a happy and holy place forever because of God’s judgment on unrepentant sinners that goes on forever in hell.
Love: Heaven will be full of the knowledge of His love. Glory, judgment, and love—forever we will fear him; forever we will love him. “I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever” (Jer. 32:39).
Which of these three, if you could see it more clearly, would give you a greater fear of the Lord today?
