It is easy to start to forget how great God is. Now, I don’t mean intellectually. I think most people who are familiar with the Bible can understand logically that God is so great and powerful, Almighty, holy, holy, holy, and all the other adjectives you can list. He is the Creator and the Sustainer of the whole universe. Logically, most Christians would agree wholeheartedly.
But how about when it comes to our emotions? How often are we driven to our knees in wonder at the God who made us and loves us? At the might of a God who can form the stars (Ps 8) and care for the flowers of the field (Matt 7)? How often do we feel the greatness and mercy of our God, and cry out with John Newton “amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saves a wretch like me?”
I can argue with you (convincingly, I hope) about God’s greatness and mercy, and think the Bible explains this loudly and clearly. But I confess that often I don’t feel it as I should. I am not as overcome as I should be. I am not as moved as the logic should move me.
(I am from Northern European stock, and my congregation is predominantly made up of people from Asian cultural backgrounds. Neither I nor most of my congregation are naturally very emotional people! So I realize I am writing this article to myself more than anyone else.)
As I have been preaching through Deuteronomy 4 I have been struck once more at God’s greatness and mercy. The people hearing that for the first time knew full well God’s might, as they were standing on land they recently took from a king who was far mightier than they were. They experienced first-hand the power of God; they saw it. But Moses warns even them not to forget God’s greatness and love when they enter the land and settle down and become comfortable.
But that was not the experience of many generations of God’s people. Most did not see the Exodus, the fire on Mt Sinai, or the miracles of Elijah and Jesus. For most, these are accounts recorded for them rather than things they lived through. But they still demonstrate God’s power and mercy and should be read and understood and responded to.
How can we be moved emotionally as we should be? How can we better appreciate, at a heart level, what God has done for us? Here’s some ideas:
- Songs. Christian music, either in a church setting or outside it, cannot help but be emotional by nature. Of course, we should respond to the great content of the gospel put to song, not just a clever tune, but music can make even the most unemotional Christian connect with the wonder of the gospel.
- Meditate on God’s word more and more deeply. That doesn’t mean meditate in the Eastern mystical sense of emptying your mind. Fill your mind with the gospel, with the Bible passage you are reading, and pray and think about it. Reflect on what it means for you, and praise God for that.
- Community. There is nothing like meeting and praying with other Christians to remind and excite you that God is so good, better than you often think. And to hear of God’s work in other people is encouraging too; He is living and active even now despite what the media tells us.
For me, the songs ‘How Deep the Father’s Love for us’ and ‘And Can It Be’ alway stirs my emotions up, as do good, faithful explanations of Bible passages in sermons.
We don’t need to be afraid of emotion as if it is a sign of shallow theology in some way. Having our understanding of God right must lead, at least some of the time, to us simply praising Him!
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“…driven to our knees in wonder…”; “…excite you that God is so good.” Wow!
When you consider that “fear of the Lord” and all variations thereof, appear 144 throughout the Bible, including 19 times in the New Testament, we should not be excited, or filled with wonder, at the Lord; we should be smitten with fear of Him.
Did not the Lord present himself to Moses as a burning bush for he knew that no man could look upon him? Even then, did not Moses have to turn his face away lest he be overcome with fear?
In Matt 10:28 we learn “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Thus Jesus teaches us that the fear of God is rooted in knowing His ability to punish us, and knowing the severity of that punishment. We should walk with a healthy “fear” knowing that one day we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ.
Additionally, it is through this fear that we come to know God. Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths.” And Psalm 25:14 “The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”
Those who fear God:
1. draw near to him and know him intimately
2. never speak disrespectfully of Him
3. Honour the Word of God
4. Live a holy lifestyle
5. Do whatever God says, no matter what it is
Thus, it is only through FEARING the LORD that anyone can come to know the Lord God as a friend. Simply acknowledging how mighty God is, is just a statement of fact. Certainly we are firstly drawn to affirm His might and glory; secondly we are drawn to fear Him in response. In other words, we can wonder at what God can do, and at what he has made, but it is right that we should fear Him.
Patria, thanks for your reply. You are right in saying that the fear of the LORD is a major category of response to God. But I have to differ with some of your conclusions. The fear of the LORD is not just a fear of judgement; it is a wider phrase than this, which includes that but is commonly used for a great respect and understanding of who God is.
My blog post, as with all blog posts, was trying to express one simple point: we should respond emotionally to God not just intellectually. Of course, that emotional (or intellectual) response can take different forms. It is not just fear of judgement as you put it: Thus Jesus teaches us that the fear of God is rooted in knowing His ability to punish us, and knowing the severity of that punishment. In context of Matthew 10, Jesus goes on to assure the disciples of their great value to Him to encourage them; the relationship is clearly not simply a fear of judgement.
Patria, I see a bigger issue here. Re-read your reply for me. Where is Jesus? Where is the gospel? Surely the only way we can come to know God is not through simply fear of judgement; it does not matter how much we understand this it will not save us or get us into relationship with God. Only Jesus can do this. And when you are in a relationship with God, it IS right that we are amazed, stand in wonder, and rejoice at our salvation! Surely Ps 8 expresses wonder, not just fear of judgement? Surely Paul is right to tell us to rejoice in the LORD always in Philippians 4, not just for us to fear judgement? Jesus’ death and resurrection mean that we need not fear judgement from God; we need to fear and respect God, respond well to him, but his people are not driven by judgement primarily.
Let’s see if this message will stick this time:
God is merciful, full of grace, and judgmental and wrathful, and he is found in both the New and Old Testaments. He is always the same, as the Son and the Father sharing fully the same attributes, including holiness and justice. Therefore, the God of the OT is full of the Gospel and of Jesus. So, when the Word was with God, Jesus was there at the beginning, so he is there throughout the entire OT.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones sums the fear of the Lord beautifully: “I cannot possibly regard mean and women as Christians unless they have known an element of fear: fear because they have sinned against God; fear because they realise that they are in the hands of God, and that He is a holy just and righteous God, and they have got to stand before Him in the Judgement. if people know nothing about the fear of death and of the Judgement, I cannot see how they can be Christians at all. It is a vital part of saving faith.”