Loving a Fearsome God 

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1. Love {208} out of fear (Dt 6) or fear {314} out of love (1Jn 4)? Gen 0/13; Ex 20:6; Lev 2neighbor; Num 0 

1Jn 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

16 We have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 

17 By this, has been perfected the/this love in the midst of us: that we may have fearless confidence in the day of judgment; 

because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves/has as a consequence punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.19 We love Him because He first loved us.  20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

2. We are tempted not to love (be loyal/trust/obey) God when/because: 

Where would we be without a rlshp with God? Eph 2 wrath, no future/hope, nor purpose/peace/fellowship...nor His presence

I. Knowing the Person/Character of God and His Past/Present/Future acts/promises leads us to fear, trust, and love Him

Dt 6:1 (4:9-10) Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgments which the YHWH your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, 2 that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all which I command you...all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you 4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

5 You shall LOVE the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently 

12 then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

13 You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you

24 And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, 

that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.  25 Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.'

Ex 34:3...be ready in the morning 4 Moses rose early w/ two tablets of stone.  5 YHWH descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the Name 6 "YHWH, LORD God,  merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in HESED/COVENTANT-LOYALTY and FAITHFULNESS 7 keeping/guarding HESED for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, punishing...  

II. Since God is infinitely good & sovereign, all His dealings with us are for our good [cx satan's lie Gen 3]

Ps 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The LORD tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

1Pt 1:6 greatly rejoice, tho now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,7 that the refining of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, tho it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Tho now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith --- the salvation of your souls.

Heb 2:10 fitting...in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

13 “I will put My trust in Him." 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

Heb 12:7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields...

III. How to love God   [sing His praises; obey; offer sacrifices; hesed; give first fruits; spend time listening and talking; serving]

A. Worldly love: We desire/like/lust after something/one if it gives us what we like/lust after (affirmation/feeling of worth/value, pleasure, possessions)

B. Love is a decision (based upon knowledge) and a commitment to self-sacrificially do what is in another's best interest regardless of response.

1. Loyalty: Hesed (covenantal faithfulness) to God's reputation (glory) and agenda, depending only on Him for our needs and desires

2. Obedience: we can't have a relationship with God apart from total obedience to His will, which leaves no room for indulging our desires

3. Volitional Valuing: we must choose (synthetic happiness) to value what God values as our highest good and action/attitude determiner

4. Exclusive Emotional Intimacy: we're unfaithful when we seek our needs from, or set our affections on anything created/temporal

5. We reconcile God's love and justice/discipline by knowing God and His ways/plans and then trusting His Word/Revelation.

See Projection File for elaborative verses and copies of Questions about:

1. Why we are tempted to not love God?

2. How do we actually love God?