The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Grace and Fear"
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5;1-2).
"Let us have grace, that we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear."
Why does grace lead not only to peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ, but also to "reverence and godly fear?"
The answer lies in the cost of grace. "Ye are bought with a price" declared the Apostle Paul (I Corinthians 6:20). That which God "freely gives" to us cost Him far more than we will ever know (Romans 8:32). The atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus required His being "smitten of God" with the Father's wrath against sin (Isaiah 53:4). What does this mean? We know of the scourge, the fists, the thorns, the ridicule, and the nails of the cross executed by human hands (Acts 2:23). But what of the hand of God raised against His beloved Son, "made to be sin for us?" (II Corinthians 5:21). We now almost nothing of such smiting and of what the solemn declaration means, "He hath put Him to grief" (Isaiah 53:10). Or of what it means that the Lord Jesus cried out upon His cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:49).
"But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed, nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through, ere He found His sheep that was lost."
("The Ninety and Nine," Elizabeth Cleophane).
Whatever the infinitely vast measure of sorrow and pain known by our Lord, of this we can be sure: God administers the grace purchased by the Lord Jesus with utmost seriousness and determination. As the writer of Hebrews declares of believers who "do despite unto the Spirit of grace… How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?… whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Hebrews 10:29; 2:3; 12:6). God's grace, blessed and wondrous as it is, must also be viewed in terms of fear if neglected. Our Father loves His Son and He loves us too much to neglect necessary administration of discipline if we wander from His freely given grace doctrinally, or in terms of attitude, word, deed, and how we relate to God and people. "The Lord will judge His people" (Hebrews 10:31).
In such solemn light, we see how and why grace leads to "reverence and godly fear." Again, consider the cost. We pay nothing for the salvation of God because, as another hymn simply and beautifully sings, "Jesus paid it all." He paid with His blood, His agony, His sorrow, His forsakenness, and His death. The unbeliever who rejects such grace will surely find no other way to the God who made a way at the highest cost to Himself (John 14:6). The believer who neglects such grace will surely find the Father who loves him administering the chastening meant to restore and return the fallen unto the freely given blessedness of grace in the Lord Jesus. Far too much blessedness was bestowed for such acceptance and favor to be neglected. Far too much of such costly grace blesses the believer for "reverence and godly fear" to not accompany our peace and joy. Our Father will most surely see to that if we wander from the freest gift ever given, purchased by the highest cost ever remitted.
"For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
(Hebrews 10:30-31)
Weekly Memory Verse
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
(I John 4:10)
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