The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
How often do we hear that the fear (not reverence!) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What is being emphasized today is love! love! love! This is an imbalance. The American believers, for example, think of God as the great Santa Claus in the sky; a kindly old gentlemen who is wringing his hands while his boys behave like the sons of Eli. Compare this concept with the Fire that flamed from the Most Holy Place and slew the two sons of Aaron.
There always is Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, the blessing and the curse. To ignore Ebal while we stress Gerizim results in tragedy. If we would bear a true testimony of God we must tell of His unfathomable love and also the terror of His wrath.(Deut 27:12,13)
There is a problem that arises when we seek to balance the necessity for godly behavior with a continual stress on God's love, mercy, and grace. Some preachers and teachers of today are bringing into view the numerous passages of the Scriptures that speak of the necessity for moral change in the believer. Immediately the warning is issued that we must balance any preaching of the necessity for moral change with several references to the love, mercy, and grace of God.
