They say we should work out our salvation with "fear and trembling"--which is such a cliche it may not cause a reaction but if you think about it the two ideas here are in contrast with each other. Salvation being the pinnacle of joy and "fear and trembling" not really applying to the idea of salvation.
As you say, God is infinite, and so *too big*. The fear and trembling because we experience is because we know he is infinite and his justice is perfect. But fear is a gateway to love, because we don't fear things we don't care about. Love can be scary too, because it involves trust--a kind of fear that we will be hurt. Fear means we are still alive--even alive to the spiritual reality. A worse fate would be indifference, and indifference to God is a truly scary thought!
I liken the Biblical admonition "Fear not" to Scripture's repeated reminder not to be anxious. Seems to me that the sheer frequency of these twin imperatives reveals how much fear and anxiety are woven into our humanity. The antidote, if there is one, is trust: don't be afraid and don't be anxious, because God is powerful and God is good. Isaiah 30:15b is the verse that keeps coming back to me in these days when there's plenty about which to be fearful and anxious: "In quietness and trust is your strength."
They say we should work out our salvation with "fear and trembling"--which is such a cliche it may not cause a reaction but if you think about it the two ideas here are in contrast with each other. Salvation being the pinnacle of joy and "fear and trembling" not really applying to the idea of salvation.
As you say, God is infinite, and so *too big*. The fear and trembling because we experience is because we know he is infinite and his justice is perfect. But fear is a gateway to love, because we don't fear things we don't care about. Love can be scary too, because it involves trust--a kind of fear that we will be hurt. Fear means we are still alive--even alive to the spiritual reality. A worse fate would be indifference, and indifference to God is a truly scary thought!
This is so good 🙌♥️
I liken the Biblical admonition "Fear not" to Scripture's repeated reminder not to be anxious. Seems to me that the sheer frequency of these twin imperatives reveals how much fear and anxiety are woven into our humanity. The antidote, if there is one, is trust: don't be afraid and don't be anxious, because God is powerful and God is good. Isaiah 30:15b is the verse that keeps coming back to me in these days when there's plenty about which to be fearful and anxious: "In quietness and trust is your strength."