Church as it was meant to be, was a community of saints who feared God. (Acts 9:31)
In doing these studies, we want to discover and do church the way God has designed His Church to be, without personal preference, cultural influence or denominational perspectives. A person’s experience of their earthly father can influence the kind of fear they have of God. An over-emphasis on the love, grace and mercy of God can result in living without any fear of the Lord.
I have some questions about ‘fearing the Lord.’
Is walking in the fear of the Lord the same as being filled with fear of the Lord?
Should a loving God who casts out all fear, who has not given to us a Spirit of fear, ever allow us to be filled with fear?
Is fearing God’s anger or displeasure, Old Testament and only something the ungodly should fear?
Walking in the fear of the Lord (Acts 9:31):
Is to live in Awe, Honour and Reverence of the Lord. Whatever we do, wherever we go, whatever we say or whatever we think, our hearts desire, if we fear the Lord, must be to please God. We please God by discovering and doing His will, by living by faith, free from the sinful entanglement of the world, continually allowing God to do His Good work in us (2 Tim 2:4; Heb 11:6, 13:20-21; 1Thess 2:4, 4:1; Gal 1:10)
Is to live in dread and trembling of the Lord. (Phil 2:2)
Perhaps modern destine for God’s judgement, punishment and hell have influenced the church to create a “nice, pink, fluffy” kind of God, who only ever does nice things and whom we should never fear.
The Greek word for fear is "PHOBOS." It not only involves awe and reverence, but it also includes dread, terror, and that which strikes terror.
Is “Phobos” something Christians should feel in relation to God?
In Acts 5:11, the early Christians, and everyone who heard what happened to Ananias and Sapphira were, Luke tells us, “seized with fear.” So what happened to the “Casting out of fear? ”
When someone dies, people often think about their eternal destiny. When confronted with a near death experience, people often take stock of what really matters in life.
Perhaps this is what happened to the early church, or maybe they were filled with fear when they saw there were consequences to offending God.
Often, the shock of a tragic event wears off and we go back to the way we were before, sometimes living a reckless life without any care of the spiritual consequences.
Walking in the fear of the Lord requires a consciousness that God is watching and a consistency in seeking to please God in the “wherevers” and “whatevers” of life.
The book of Proverbs reminds us there are good consequences to walking in the fear of the Lord:
1. The "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of knowledge - Pr 1:7
2. The "fear of the Lord" will cause one to hate evil - Pr 8:13
3. The "fear of the Lord" will prolong life - Pr 10:27
4. The "fear of the Lord" provides strong confidence and is a fountain of life - Pr 14:26-27
5. The "fear of the Lord" prompts one to depart from evil - Pr 16:6
6. The "fear of the Lord" leads to a satisfying life, and spares one from much evil - Pr 19:23
7. The "fear of the Lord" is the way to riches, honour, and life! - Pr 22:4
The opposite applies when we walk without the fear of the Lord.
Walking Without the Fear of the Lord (Rom 2:10-18)
It is not only the ungodly or non-Christian that walks without the fear of the Lord. Many Christians live without any fear of the Lord in their hearts, lacking the consciousness that God is watching.
Christians who walk without the fear of the Lord are:
1. “People Pleasers.” Of course it’s good to please people, but not when it requires compromising on the principles of God. We have an audience of ONE. We only need the “well done” applauses of ONE. Popularity with people is secondary to pleasing God.
2. “Secret Sinners.” If you are walking in the fear of the Lord, you will constantly examine yourself to see if there is anything that offends God in your life. If you are not walking in the fear of the Lord, you just don’t care, or you convince yourself that God is not too bothered about your little sin. God is not going to kill you if you sin, but he is waiting for you to say; Ps 139 23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
3. “Word Wrigglers.” It is not only cults that twist the truth. Christians, not walking in the fear of the Lord, can often twist the Word of God to suit what they want to do. The excuse for adultery is love. Many use a Robin Hood theology, making it Ok to steal because, “I am poor.”
Twisting the Truth is not only about lying to yourself and others, it is about trying to get one over on God, doing a devil on God by trying to deceive Him.
Word-Wriggling comes from the lies of our own heart. Here are some lies we tell ourselves:
1“NO ONE WILL SEE ME” (Num 32:23; 2.Sam 12:7; Acts 5)
2 “GOD UNDERSTANDS THAT I’M LIKE THAT. HE MADE ME THAT WAY”
God made you perfect. (Ezekiel 28:15; James 1:17)
We choose to sin and God commands that we repent. (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3)
3. “I CAN ASK FOR FORGIVENESS LATER”
This is a sham, a misuse of God’s grace, rebellion. Are you sure you’ll be able to repent later? You might die suddenly.
4. “IT’S OK IF MY INTENTIONS ARE GOOD”
Consider Uzzah in 2 Sam 6: cf; 1 Chr.15:13
5. “SURE, GOD IS PLEASED WITH IT.”
Because it feels right (1 Sam 15:10-23) and the majority approves. (Ex 23:2; 1 Kings 18:17ff; Col 3:17; 1 Cor 4:6; 2 John 9-11)
6. “I’M TOO YOUNG TO RESIST”
Not too young to be an example.(1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:6-8) Not too young to overcome.
(1 John 2:13).
7. “I’M TOO OLD. I’VE DONE MY PART”
It’s not over until it’s over, and for the Christian, when its over here it’s only beginning over there.
To consciously and consistently walk in the fear of the Lord, should not require the Lord to give us a fright every now and again to keep us on the right track. It simply requires a choice on our part to do what pleases the Lord.
So how can we keep the fear of the Lord in our hearts? What things should we be choosing to do?
1. WAIT IN THE WORD
Just as "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom 10:17), the same can be said for the "fear of the Lord!"
Notice Deut 31:10-13, where the children of Israel were told to gather every seven years to read and hear the Word... The purpose? "...that they may learn to fear the Lord!"
As we read and listen to the Word of God, we should gain a healthy degree of the "fear of the Lord" (Rom 2:4-11; 2Pete 3:7-14)
2. WAIT IN THE WONDER OF GOD
"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him." (Psalm 89:7)
The Psalmist simply considers how amazing God is, from his creation to his dealings with mankind and he was filled with awe.
3. WALK WITH THE LORD
We sometimes forget who we are walking with. Would you walk differently if Jesus were right here beside you? Well, He has said He will never leave you, He’s here and He’s watching. Chose to walk in the fear of the Lord, and wherever you are and whatever you are doing, seek to please the Lord.
