The prolific writer and beloved Scottish preacher, Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), delivered a sermon on 1 John 2:15 entitled, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection. He sought to convince his hearers that it is a generally futile to dislodge from the heart an inordinate love for the world by attempting to prove it an unworthy object of affection. It is far more effective, he argued, to replace this inordinate affection with a superior ordinate affection–love for God.
As Peter wrote to suffering saints in Asia Minor, one of his goals was to help them make the important transition from fearing man to fearing God. There is subtle autobiography all over this counsel since his own cowardice was well documented (Luke 22:54-62), and so was his courageous confrontation of his former intimidators (Acts 4:5-12). Peter had first-hand knowledge of both fears and issued an unapologetic summons to forfeit the former and embrace the latter.
Speaking of every real and potential persecutor of these sincere believers, Peter’s command is, Have no fear of them, nor be troubled (1 Peter 3:14). At first read this strikes us as easier said than done. How can any believer simply banish such an unbidden, natural emotion, particularly when confronted by real people who possess the real ability to inflict real harm. Peter’s answer: In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy (1 Peter 3:15). To regard Christ as holy translates the verb “to sanctify” which has a range of implications including proper awe and fear of the Holy One. Peter is drawing on the words of Isaiah where God calls the prophet to a simliar fear exchange. God says, “Do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy, Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:12-13).
Regarding Christ as holy includes letting him be your number one fear. So the summons is to let go of the crippling fear of man and embrace the liberating fear of Christ the LORD. Couldn’t we call this the expulsive power of a new fear? This is precisely what witnesses saw in the Scottish reformer, John Knox. When his body was being lowered into his grave, it was said, “Here lies one who feared God so much he never feared the face of man.”
If the church of Jesus Christ is going to be effective in its core disciplines of worship and witness, all of us need to transition from fearing man to fearing God. This will best be accomplished by cultivating a healthy fear of the Almighty, a reverence for the Creator God who is also our Redeemer. Let us saturate our souls with the Word, begging God to awaken Christ-exalting fear and may that fear expel all the lesser fears for which our souls were not created.
As I think about what you just said it reminds me of Scougal’s quote:
“The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love.”
I wonder if our souls are also measured by what we fear.