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“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” — Rev. 14:6-7
In this prophetic scenario, the church is gone and the age of grace is over. The world is held in the grip of Satan’s governors and is facing the impending wrath of God. Yet in that late, dark hour God still extends His mercy to a rebellious world. An angel takes up where the church left off, inviting sinners to escape “the wrath to come.” And, that invitation is extended “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue”—as far as God intended for the gospel of His grace, but the demand is greater.
In this dispensation God is chiefly represented to us in terms of His loving Fatherhood; then it will be in terms of His position as Creator and Judge; His power and His justice. The emphasis of the gospel of the grace of God is on the love of God (Jn. 3:16, e.g.). During the tribulation period, when God’s day of grace has ended and His wrath is about to be poured out, the emphasis is on fear of God. That is the difference between the everlasting gospel and the gospel of grace. Yet, grace stands in the shadows even then, for the cry goes out, carried not by the church, but by the angel “in the midst of heaven” urging sinners to recognize the awful danger and the power of His wrath, and to pay the price, whatever it might be, to escape His everlasting judgment.
God’s love has its limits; it is restricted by His holiness, Who is “of purer eyes than can look upon sin.” In that late hour, those who have been indifferent to His love are solicited to fear Him. The world is reminded, in Old Testament terms, that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom [Prov. 9:10 + see Psalm 111:10; Prov. 10:27; 14:27 and study Prov. 1:23-33!].”
It behooves us as believers to note that love and fear are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are concomitant; they belong together. The Spirit of God commands, “”O love the Lord, all ye His saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer [Ps. 31:23].” Yet in another place He exhorts, “O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him [Ps. 34:9], having declared just before, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them. A concept of divine love that turns God into a “big daddy” figure is a distortion of truth. He does not cease to be the Mighty God, and we do well to respect His majesty.
As this “nugget” goes out on this New Year’s day, may we make a fresh commitment to revere and love Him more than ever before. And may He be pleased to give us the grace to keep that resolution. To be sure, the “new year” means little to the God who is the author of time, Who knows the end from the beginning, and to Whom one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (II Pet. 3:8). We, however, are bound by time and mark hours, days, weeks, months and years, and it is a good thing to mark a milepost now and then and pause to reflect on the past and contemplate the future.
So I say again, let us determine to love Him more and to approach Him with reverential fear and give Him glory, lest we find ourselves inadvertently “castaways” (I Cor. 9:27). His power and glory are great beyond definition, who “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Privileged to hear and respond to the gospel of His grace, and confident because of our relationship through Him Who died for us and rose again, let us through whatever the days ahead may hold, “walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing” until He calls us into the glory of His presence and love is subordinated to fear.
“…That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God…” — Col.1:10
For a prosperous new year,
"Pastor" Frasier
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