Thursday, May 20, 2010

Fear without fear

A major theme of the Old Testament is "The fear of the LORD".
I puzzle at times about exactly what this means.
This morning I read Hebrews 12:18-29.
It brings out well the paradox that exists after the reconciling work of Christ, ending with the summary:
28Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29for our God is a consuming fire.

Christians can be confident they will escape the judgement of God, because of his great mercy, justifying us in Christ. But, that is no basis for complacency, but rather demands even greater reverence and awe.
Perhaps, this paradox is just one of many logical tensions (dialectic) the Gospel presents: the all powerful God dying on a cross, Jesus being both God and man, the first will be last, the poor widow gives the most, ....

No comments:

Post a Comment