Having a fearless faith isn’t easy, especially in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to Christianity.
In the latest episode of her growing Fearless podcast, Cissie Graham Lynch argues the strength and sustainability of our faith begins with the fear of the Lord.
But what does that mean? Is it possible to love God while also fearing the power of His holiness?
The answer is yes.
>> Listen to the full podcast episode.
Throughout her podcast, Lynch explains how fearing the Lord is a critical part of our reverence for who God is, but it’s a concept that wasn’t always easy for her to grasp.
“I can remember when I was a lot younger and struggling with this phrase ‘the fear of God’ and what’s the real definition of that,” Lynch said. “The best way I can put it, and the simplest way, is that we take God seriously.”
In today’s society, churches and Christians often make small to even big concessions when it comes to what they believe in order to appease the world. They don’t fear God or truly care about His Word.
“I think the struggle with this generation rising up in the church is that many don’t see God as a holy God,” Lynch said. “We’re trying to justify our sin, because it’s become incredibly personal to us. Whether we know or love someone who is gay, or we make social justice more important than Biblical justice.”
“We’re trying to wrestle with God and trying to bring Him down to our level … to justify our actions and beliefs. And it’s almost like we’ve humanized God. Of course, there’s no greater friend than Jesus, but I think so many people now have seen Him as such a friend that they don’t see Him as holy anymore.”
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempts Eve to take fruit from the forbidden tree—not by telling her that it would taste better than anything else—but by arguing “that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
One of the first sins of mankind was trying to be like God. It’s a sin that’s continued throughout history and into our own day and age, and it’s infected the church as well.
However, Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
If you’re looking to know God, start by fearing the One who deserves nothing but our honor, respect and reverence. And with that, comes a beautiful promise.
“And His mercy to those who fear him extends from generation to generation,” Lynch said.
