Today’s Scripture: Psalm 19:9

“The fear of the Lord is clean.”

I find myself motivated to obedience by a deep sense of reverence for God. When Joseph was tempted to immorality by Potiphar’s wife, his response was, “how then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, NIV). He didn’t calculate the possible wrath of Potiphar or the forfeiture of God’s blessing, but was motivated by reverence for God. He obeyed a sovereign, holy God, even though God had allowed him to be sold into slavery by his own brothers.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 7:1, “since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (NIV). These promises he mentioned were God’s promises to be our Father and to make us his sons and daughters (6:18). Philip Hughes commented on this passage, “The logical consequence of possessing such promises is that Christ’s followers should make a complete break with every form of unhealthy compromise.” Here again, promises come before duty, and duty flows out of a heartfelt response to the promises of God.

Paul then wrote that we should bring “holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). This fear is a sense of profound awe, respect, and devotion. It’s a recognition of God’s intrinsic worthiness, the infinite majesty of his being, and the infinite perfection of his character. Because of who he is and what he is, God is infinitely worthy of my most diligent and loving obedience, even if I never receive a single blessing from his hand. The fact is, of course, I’ve received innumerable blessings from him. But his worthiness is intrinsic within himself; it is not conditioned on the number of blessings you or I receive from him.

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