The Fear of The LORD is the first in a five-part series on Omissions — Things we don’t like to talk about.
fear - suffering - holiness and zeal - judging - jealousy
The Fear of The LORD
The reason I'm starting with this topic is because if we really get the Fear of God, everything else will fall into place.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10
We should have a holy fear of God. We should fear God alone.
We're afraid that presenting God as a person to be feared will make people reject us, our message, and our God, so what we do is water down the Gospel because we're ashamed of the God we proclaim. Jesus said "whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26
In Revelation 14:7, an angel proclaimed an eternal gospel to everyone on earth that they should "Fear God and give him glory!"
Philippians 2:12b
...Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Fear God — Don't fear the Devil.
Imagine being in a room with a mouse and a lion. Which one would you be more afraid of?
In this metaphor, God is The Lion, and anything else we improperly fear is the mouse.
Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Like Aslan, God is not safe.
"Safe?" "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
— C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
We should fear God rather than man. The Spirit of This Age would have us scared to stand up for what is right.
We shouldn't be timid. We shouldn't shrink back. If God is for us, who can be against us‽
2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 10:39, Romans 8:31
While it may be puzzling that we are simultaneously called to love God, and fear God, it's a mistake to try to resolve this tension by thinking that when the Bible says to fear God, it only means to respect Him.
We do our community and our own discipleship a great disservice when we shy away from teaching and preaching on fear (especially the fear of God) in the same sense that the Word does. While there are a handful of verses urging us not to fear things like the devil, spirits, enemies, or circumstances, the Bible has many more verses that admonish us to fear God. (see appendix)
- Scriptures about the fear of God vastly outnumber scriptures such as "Fear not!" or "Don't be anxious." (see appendix)
- Fear of God was not only an Old Testament thing, it's also a strong New Testament theme. (see appendix)
- When the Bible says fear, it's not mistranslated. It doesn't just mean "reverence' or "respect'. It means fear. Such as phobeō (see appendix)
Check out this Video by Francis Chan about the Fear of God.
Fear God, Love God — Don't Sin
In what Jesus describes as the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40) God stresses to us the importance of fearing Him and Loving Him wholeheartedly. Deuteronomy 6:1-9
We are supposed to Fear God alone, and to Love God with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
King Solomon stresses the importance of fearing God, saying that it is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 1:7) He continues to emphasize the importance of fearing God, saying that (coupled with keeping His commandments) it is “the end of the matter”, and it is “the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Both a True understanding of the Fear of God and a True understanding of the Love of God lead to True obedience.
James 4:7-8, John 14:15, Psalm 19:7-11, Luke 1:50
2 Corinthians 5:11a
Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others...
Sin can kill you
Judging by our casual posture towards God, and an utter lack of the fear of The LORD, it seems like we don’t even know the God of the Bible anymore. God’s nature doesn’t change — He’s the same God that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (because they had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before Him Ezekiel 16:49-50) Matthew 10:15, and He’s the same God who struck down Ananias and Sapphira for what most of us would consider a “white lie,” bringing great fear upon all who heard of it! (Acts 5:5)
Sin leads to death if you keep on sinning. "There is sin that leads to death"
Proverbs 14:12, Romans 6:15-23, James 1:14-22, 1 John 5:16-18
Don't tolerate sin in your life. Don't let it have any ground at all. "Give no opportunity to the devil"
You know what they say, "you give 'em an inch, they take a mile".
Romans 13:14, Ephesians 4:26-27, 1 Peter 5:8-9
James 1:15
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Listen to Your Conscience
When you ignore your conscience, you sin.
James 4:17
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Romans 14:23b
...whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
"How can I learn to hate my own sin?" - click here
This video may help you get a sense of urgency about the fear of God:
Fear God — He's Coming to Judge the World
Our current church culture doesn't reflect the reality of the character of Christ as described in the scriptures about the second coming.
Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
Ephesians 4:30
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
God can easily destroy us, and yet, we can confidently draw near to Him because of His mercy and grace.
Through the blood of Jesus, when He died on the cross for our sins, He made a way for us to enter the holy place with boldness. Hebrews 10:19
Ecclesiastes 5:1-21 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. |
Hebrews 4:15-1615 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. |
If we're perfected in love, we don't have to fear punishment. 1 John 4:18
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1
The Greatest Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
1 "Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Matthew 22:36-40
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
Appendix - Bible Verses!
click here to expand the appendix.fear - suffering >>