The Fear of the Lord in Doctrine and Devotion

When you read the words, doctrine and devotion, many thoughts might come to mind. Thoughts like; glory, desire, knowledge, truth, delight, and worship, among others. These words, including doctrine and devotion revolve around a person and their relationship with God, both their understanding of God and appreciation of Him. A word that should come to the mind with doctrine and devotion, but probably doesn’t, is the word fear. Let’s explore the connections between doctrine, devotion, and fear for a few moments.

Doctrine is what the Bible teaches a person about God. Doctrine can be a systematic, Biblical, or even historical understanding of what God’s Word makes clear about God Himself. Doctrine includes the character of God, the actions of God, and the redemption plan of God among other topics surrounding God. As a person studies the doctrines of God’s Word, they rightly begin to come to an understanding of who God is and what God is doing both for His own glory and the saving of His people.

Devotion is the attitude or action of a person to God. As a person comes to rightly know God, they form a relationship with God. Devotion, as the Bible makes clear, is the right relationship a person has with God. Devotion is when a person desires God, delights in God, and lives every moment (and repents when they don’t) for the glory of God.

Doctrine and devotion then are two sides of coin. They are a given and give with God. As the person grows in doctrine, it naturally leads to growing devotion. As a person comes to understand doctrine about God, the delight and adoration of God increases. Yet a fear of God is smashed right into the middle of this coin.

The Bible has so much to say about a fear of God. Romans 3:18 makes it clear that the unbeliever does not fear God. Jeremiah 32:40 makes it clear that God puts the fear of Himself in the hearts of His people. Proverbs 1:7 tells the wise man that the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord includes doctrine.

The Bible is also full of commands to fear the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:13 is a direct command for God’s people to fear Him. Psalms 2:11 is a call to serve the Lord with fear. Philippians 2:12 is a command to work out salvation with fear and trembling. The Bible is abundantly clear that a fear of the Lord is a must for the Christian life. This means, part of a person’s devotion to God must also include a person’s fear to God.

This points to the fact that fear of the Lord is both a mind truth and heart bent. This connects fearing the Lord to a right understanding of God. That is fear and doctrine. This also connects fearing the Lord to a life response in action. That is fear in devotion. Thus, both doctrine and devotion are connected to a fear of the Lord.

But it is a natural response in the connection of doctrine and devotion. As the previous paragraphs state, as true doctrine increases in the mind and heart of a person, so devotion will also increase. As a right understanding of God grows in the mind, so worship of God grows in the life and actions of a person. As fear of the Lord grows in the mind through coming to understand God better, so fear in action towards God is a natural and most wanted response.

Before we close these thoughts on, doctrine, devotion and fear, let it be crystal clear. A fear of the Lord is a good thing. Fearing God is revering God. Fearing God is respecting God. Fearing God is standing in awe of His power and might. Fearing God is living humbly and repentant in the grace of God. Fearing God is not declaring any rights (in yourself) for yourself. Fearing God is knowing and living rightly in the truth that God is God and we are simply dust. So, fearing the Lord is part of the sanctified life of a believer.

The culture today is trying to convince humanity that there is nothing to fear. Many Christians have fallen prey to this lie and only look to a God who loves and is peaceful. They do not think about their sin, both the offense and result of it. But God’s Word stands in a much different way. As sinners who deserve wrath rightly, we must truthfully know the grace of God which is what saves alone through faith alone. This means, for a true believer in Jesus, as they grow in a right understanding of His life, the plan of the Father, and the working of the Spirit, they will grow in fear. And as a true believer grows in fear of the Lord alone who can save, they will respond in worship and delight in the one who saves. This means at the heart of the connection of doctrine and devotion is the truth of fearing the Lord. Do we fear truly the Creator and Redeemer of our very souls?