Witnessed By The Law And The Prophets

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as an atonement in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:21-26 NASB

God is holy holy holy - The majesty of His presence, the weight and worth of His glory are unchanging - He is unwearied by time, undiluted, and uncompromised. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, yet through Jesus Christ, our ACCESS has changed. At the exact moment Christ died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom signifying that any who trust in Him for salvation can now be reconciled to Him and are invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence as we work out our salvation with “fear and trembling”.

Philippians 2:11-15 NASB Andthat every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.

To fear God means that we refuse to grow familiar with His holiness. We won’t cheapen in our own minds what it cost Jesus to reconcile us to the relationship we were born for. The fear of the Lord brings not only communion with Him but also wisdom, understanding, refuge, life and a sure foundation for our times.