A Matter of the Heart
The fear of God is the heartbeat of our new life in Christ and “the soul of godliness.” As such, it is not the mere sum of certain behaviors, or something we can acquire with simple self-effort. If it were, it would be an entirely superficial and infinitely less precious matter. Instead of being a consequence of any particular practices, the fear of God is a matter of the deeper orientation of a renewed heart—something that causes truly Christian behavior.The Reformers were deeply concerned with how easily we can mistake the reality of the fear of God for an outward and hollow show. As Martin Luther put it: “To fear God is not merely to fall upon your knees. Even a godless man and a robber can do that. Likewise, when a monk trusts in his cowl and rule, this is idolatry.” John Calvin added, “Wherever there is great ostentation in ceremonies, sincerity of heart is rare indeed.” That should give us pause here. It would, for example, be all too easy (and often right) to criticize church worship that seems devoid of genuine fear of God, but then as a solution simply lay down rules demanding some external performances that mimic true fear.Read More – Go to Source
This article is adapted from Rejoice and Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord by Michael Reeves.Need a prayer? Prayer RequestsPlease subscribe to our main Ministries daily scripture study – Koa Sinag MinistriesHave a Testimony of how God has changed or intervened in your life? Tell us your story! Give God Praise!Need some inspiration? Check out others Testimonies!Have you checked out our online store? We have a tonne of fascinating and colourful PDF books, toys, kids’ apparel, and much more, including complimentary PDFs for home schoolers!