Connection between fear and love

It is often said that Christians should not fear God, and that the word fear which appears repeatedly in Scripture means to revere God and stand in awe of him. Reference is often made to the words of the apostle John: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18). It is widely thought that fear is incompatible with love. But there is no incompatibility between fear and love. We fear God inasmuch as we fear arousing his fierce wrath. But at the same time, we love him. That fear and love are not incompatible, see also Deuteronomy 6:5 and Deuteronomy 6:13. Or see Deuteronomy 10:12, where both are commanded in the same verse.

The fear that is commended so highly in Scripture is more than just reverence or awe. Godly fear is the emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. In Deuteronomy 5:25, God’s people felt the threat of death. They understood that God is a consuming fire. In Deuteronomy 5:29 God commends this fear and expresses the desire that his people would always possess such fear.

To possess this godly fear does not mean that one lives in constant terror, as though God is constantly angry or that he might unpredictably lash out for no reason. This godly fear is a fear of inciting and incurring God’s wrath and displeasure. As contradictory as it sounds, Scripture shows us that if we have this godly fear of God, we have nothing to fear. This is clear when comparing the passage of Deuteronomy 5:25–29 with the related passage in Exodus 20:20. In the latter, Moses said to the people, Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin. Those who fear God rightly will keep his commandments, and those who keep his commandments have nothing to fear of incurring God’s wrath and judgment.

With this in mind, we return to what the apostle John writes in 1 John 4:18, referred to above. John speaks of the confidence believers have on the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). They do not fear the day of judgment, for they have lived like Jesus lived while he was in this world (1 John 4:17). This means that believers love God and keep his commandments (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3). Those who love God and keep his commandments have nothing to fear of incurring God’s wrath on the day of judgment.

Too many Christians have lost the fear of God, with the result that far too many serve God in their own manner, rather than in obedience to his commandments. Their service is more self-pleasing than God-pleasing.