“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

It is my hope that all Christians would agree to certain absolute truths about God. Such things as; Jesus Christ is God who walked this earth; He died for our sins; was resurrected on the third day; proving His sovereign power over all things, including death; and is now at the right hand of the Father, awaiting His appointed time to return and set all things back according to God’s plan. Amen. Christians shouldn’t have any real theological issues with these things. In fact, I would argue that top level statements of faith like these are rarely debated in Christian forums and are nominally accepted by all. The debates are more likely found with topics of finer detail like, can a person actually lose their salvation, or what happens immediately after you pass. And trust me, we will not be providing any insight on those topics here. But there are other subtle debates that exist too. Such as the push-pull relationship of God’s mercy and His justice. Is God all love and grace, or isn’t He strength and the ultimate power and authority too? At times, and with the New Covenant in place, it’s easy for us to just exist and not think about the true consequences of our actions (i.e. sin). We know the love that God has for us, we can experience His blessings and mercy each day. But today’s verse reminds us of the complete attributes of God. His power and glory are so great that fear is our natural response. So today remember; fear of God which leads to obedience is just as much a part of our faith statement than anything else.