The Fear of the Lord by J. S. WASHBURN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 4, 1907

The Fear of the Lord

By J. S. WASHBURN

J. S. WASHBURN

The fear of the Lord has no torment in it. It does not mean terror or torment. It means rest and peace. This is made very clear in Ps. 130: 1-4: “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who should stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”

If God should mark iniquities, if he should refuse to write pardon, should administer severe and stern justice,—and then, indeed, we should be in terror before him. Not one man would be able to stand, for all have sinned. “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” That is, the Holy Spirit comforts us with the thought that we fear the Lord because he forgives our sins.

Now what is the condition of the heart of him whose sin is forgiven? Is he in terror and sorrow? O who that has sinned, and in darkness and discouragement, in anguish and terror, has come to God, and with tears asked for forgiveness, can forget the joy and the peace that flooded the soul when the word “forgiven” was spoken to the sinful soul by the Holy Spirit? Is it fright, is it terror, that came to you, with the knowledge of sin forgiven?—No, the very opposite—joy, unspeakable and full of glory, reverence, adoration.

This is the fear of God that is the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of hope, the beginning of the life everlasting. We fear him because he forgives us, and he who thus fears God will have no fear except that he should in some way grieve the blessed, kind heart of him who so generously pardons our transgressions. O the goodness, the kindness, the tenderness of our Father, who forgives us! Let us thus fear him forevermore.

Nashville, Tenn.