The Presence & Fear of the Lord

If the Lord had not said it Himself we would hardly have believed it possible - that He would grace us with His company! Yet He did indeed say it: "...there am I in the midst of them." (Mt 18:20)

The realisation of His holy presence is something every Christian congregation should covet, but it has its conditions and these conditions are frequently forgotten. Again, the privilege brings with it an awesome responsibility which we just as often overlook.

Are we overstating the case? Well, the fact that many believers are woefully unaware of the conditions necessary to knowing His presence is highlighted by a common misquotation of our text. Have you not frequently heard, "For where two or three are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them?" But that is not what the Lord said, and it reveals a fundamental flaw in our thinking: namely that if all who gather are His people, the Lord's presence is guaranteed.

Yet how full of significance are the omitted words, "in My name."

Those three words describe not so much a form of gathering as a state of mind, an attitude of heart. Submission to the Lord and His word and a very real, practical dependence upon Him are the essence of being gathered together in His name. Yet, it must be confessed that brethren often meet to break bread, for prayers, or for carrying out assembly affairs without sufficient concern for His word and His will. Surely such gatherings are not "in His name", regardless of correctness in outward form.

This may be illustrated from the Old Testament. We read of days when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes," and at such a time "the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man... they presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God" (Judges 20:1-48).

Notice that Israel cannot be faulted here for either lack of unity or determination - they "gathered as one man... took their stand", and what looks on the surface to be even more significant, had assembly "as one man to the Lord" (see NASB). Surely then, what they were about to do was the result of loyalty to Jehovah? Not so! Their position was correct; their condition was not.

God was not with them. See how there is no record of them searching the law of Moses for instruction and no "calling on the Lord out of a pure heart" - no practical dependence upon Him. Only after being soundly defeated in their attempt to effect discipline upon their erring brethren did they ask counsel of God. In response God brought them under His discipline and allowed them to taste the fruit of their own pride.

Too often we assume the Lord's among us because we are His people, we have gather together and are united in desire. The weakness of many of our meetings has its roots in this fallacy. It is time, as Haggai says, to "consider our ways."

And what if we were to invoke His name and call upon Him to be among us in truth - what would be the result? How would we respond if He exercised His discipline and unmasked our hypocrisies? The often-told story of David's attempt to return the ark to Jerusalem on a cart instead of the shoulders of the priests should be weighed carefully. David was displeased when the presence of the Lord (which he seems to have truly desired) brought him and Israel under judgement instead of blessing.

The New Testament tells also of Ananias and Sapphira who did not act with sufficient respect for the Lord's glory. As they met with a company most clearly gathered together in His name, their secret sin was exposed. This is what the presence of the Lord does - it brings judgement as well as blessing, for He is holy and the Lord says in Exodus 33:1-23, "I will not go up in the midst... lest I consume you." Again in Lamentations we read that "the presence of the Lord scattered them" (Lam 4:16, NASB).

There are the highest privileges associated with being gathered in His name and it is not the purpose of this article to minimise them in any way: rather it is to draw attention to the holiness of the God we profess to worship and to warn of the responsibilities that are ours when we gather as His people.

It is just possible that someone may note that the Lord doesn't not appear to judge among His children today the way He once did. In reply we ask, does not the Lord feel the same way today as once He did? Has He changed? Does what is written once need to be demonstrated again in our day before we will believe it?

Our responsibility is to tremble at His word (Isa 66:2).

We must also point out that what hinders a sense of the Lord's presence in our gatherings is not merely outward sins. "The Lord looks upon the heart" (1 Sam 16:7). It may well be that many of the troubles experience in local churches today are the Lord's discipline in regard to the pride that exists among us. Can He manifest Himself to us while we harbour that spirit which He hates? Our past divisions (and the present threat of future division) demonstrate not only the sinful tendencies of the flesh but also the Lord's jealousy for His own glory.

His presence (so easily claimed) may prove our undoing unless we repent. The "brethren movement" which we seem to love so inordinately may yet experience further shame if local congregations do not humble themselves instead of making odious comparisons. We must remember Paul's words: "We dare not compare ourselves with some... they measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise" (2 Cor 10:12).

Yet how often have we heard some congratulating themselves that their assembly is not like the one in such and such a place. To evaluate our condition by any other standard than that of God's word is utter folly and opens the door to empty self-congratulation. Well, what can you do? What can I do? If what has been said in this article is true, how can we turn things around? Well, we can't - but we can respond to God's word as individuals, and we can see to it that we do not deny His name. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Rev 3:20). Then perhaps the Lord in mercy may Himself turn things around. Let us keep going to our meetings: let us not give up the Breaking of Bread, or anything else that has the potential of bringing pleasure to God's heart, but let us do it while "perfecting holiness in the fear of God." This will bring true revival. "The had the churches rest... and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit" (Ac 9:31).

Written by Colin Anderson