Love And Fear

“O how I love Your law” (Psalm 119:97).  “I am afraid of Your judgments” (Psalm 119:120).  In the Bible we learn that all of our emotions have been given to us to serve God in various ways.  The older term “affections” includes our feelings and our capacity to love and choose.  In his great treatise The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards wrote that the heart of biblical religion is in godly affections, that is, loving and serving God with every capacity He has endowed us with.  The Puritans knew this subject was of supreme importance, and dealt with it accordingly.  Thomas Manton’s wise comments have much to teach us: “In this psalm, you find the man of God under diverse passions; sometimes of joy, sometimes of sorrow, sometimes of hope and courage, and sometimes of fear.  As there is a time for all things in this world, there are several conditions and duties that we run through, and we have affections planted in us that suit every condition.  Religion does not nullify, but sanctify, our affections.  They are implanted in us by God, of great use to grace when rightly stirred and ordered.”  Manton’s point here is supremely important for Christians to understand!  God does not want to ride roughshod over our emotions, but to sanctify them for His holy purposes.  Every ability of our souls and our bodies are given to us to fully serve and enjoy Him!