“Fear God, yes, but don’t be afraid of Him.” -J. A. Spender
Philadelphia, the sixth of seven churches in Asia Minor the apostle John wrote to in the book of Revelation, was closest of the seven in exhibiting the Christian lifestyle that Jesus taught in His days on earth. Perhaps for this reason, Jesus’ description of Himself in the intro of their letter was a little different and more intimate than the words He used in the other churches’ letters. In it, Jesus addresses the “angel”, or pastor, of the church:
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Revelation 3:7-8 (NKJV)
Jesus uses four characteristics here to describe Himself. Let’s focus on the first word: “Holy”.
“Holy” is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.” It describes a level of purity, perfection, and divinity far beyond that of any ordinary human.
When first meeting Jesus, the apostle Peter was be overcome by His divine holiness. When Jesus asked Peter to throw the fishing nets overboard one more time, Peter objected, but ultimately obeyed. This step of obedience opened the door of Peter’s faith to show who Christ really was – Holy God.
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Luke 5:5-8 (NKJV)
The material gain of that huge haul of fish was quickly overshadowed by Peter’s recognition of the divine. When we encounter the presence of a holy God, we are immediately aware of our own imperfections and unworthiness. But God’s forgiveness and grace and mercy are limitless, and through our faith in Him, Jesus covers us in His own purity and righteousness.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29 (NKJV)
The holiness of God brings about reverence and a godly fear, which is different from being afraid to approach Him.
In his book “The Awe of God”, John Bevere highlights the fact that 1) reverence and 2) holy fear, though closely related, are two separate things:
Reverence is a “profound adoring awed respect”. It is an appreciation for who God is.
Godly fear takes it to the next level. It is “to esteem, respect, honor, venerate, and adore Him above anyone or anything else”. Being all-powerful and deserving of our best efforts to devote our life to Him, holy fear leads to obedience.
Holy fear recognizes that one day, we people of faith will all stand face to face before Christ to give an account of how we used the gifts and blessings that He lovingly invested in us. We enter heaven through faith in Christ alone, but our heavenly crowns and awards after that are based upon what we did with our spiritual gifts, as represented by the “Minas” or “gold” in Jesus’ parables. Did we invest them wisely, or did we bury them in the ground because of fear? A holy fear of God leads us to fear inaction with these gifts more than a fear to step out and use them.
Reflection
What gifts or talents has God invested in you so far? How are you using them? What next step could you prayerfully take to “throw out your nets” one more time, trusting that Christ will bring about a response that will bear fruit for His eternal kingdom?
Dear Lord, continue to work in our hearts to bring about a deeper level of purity and obedience by the power of the Holy Spirit. Forgive us our sins and help us to repent of where we have followed the flesh rather than You. Grant us a holy fear that we may walk more closely with You, following and mirroring Christ, to Your pleasure and glory. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Times and Seasons - The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY 