I have been blessed recently by the words of Acts 9:31 where we are told that after the conversion of Saul, their fiercest enemy, the church prospered, "Walking in the Fear of The Lord, and in The Comfort of The Holy Spirit."
In these two characteristics we see a perfect balance for the church and the Christian life.
Of course we do not fear the Lord in the same way we feared the class bully in the 7th grade or the street gang threatening the neighborhood. God is holy and loving. There are a number of holy aspects to fear of the Lord. One is certainly trembling in His Majesty. Suppose you see something wrong, even sinful, in the church. You may be called by God to confront it in the spirit of Elijah. You need to do this with the humility of one who stands in the presence of the only One who is qualified to judge. You will recognize that your sins may be as serious before a holy God as those you see in others. You will not dare gossip about it. You would be terrified to make a joke about it. And you will realize that only God can bring about repentance.
The fear of the Lord is balanced by the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Jesus used the same word when He referred to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter in John 14:16.
Let me point out 4 aspects of this word.
The Holy Spirit continually calls us to the assurance of Forgiveness in the grace of God. This is not careless indulgence but the grace of forgiveness.
This is a word for Encouragement. You may have noticed that the church walked in the comfort of the Spirit as well as the fear of God. The Holy Spirit encourages us to go in God's direction.
By the Spirit we have intimate and continual Fellowship with God.
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