Why Fear A Redeemer? - 1 Peter 1:17-18 Series

1 Peter 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the worthless way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Fear the Judge

The Third Command

Today we come to the third command in the book of 1 Peter. The first one was live in hope. The second was live in holiness. Today we see the third, and this one may come as a shock - live in fear.

17 If you call on a Father who judges impartially based on each one's work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in fear.

Live in hope, live in holiness, live in fear. Nobody minds that first message. I could preach about hope all day long and I would not make any enemies. The sermon on holiness probably made a few folks uncomfortable. God requires that we be set apart from this world, set apart from sin, righteous and holy in absolutely every area of life. That is obviously not as popular a message as the one about living in hope. But this third one? Live in fear? That is about as psychologically incorrect as it gets. And some would say it is not only psychologically incorrect; it is religiously incorrect. Even in much of the church culture the idea of fearing God is anathema. The word fear is redefined to mean reverence or awe, not actual fear.., because the idea of being afraid of God is very distasteful to many Christians. And on the surface it seems like they might have a point here in 1 Peter 1. Peter has been going on and on about living a life of hope in God. How can a life of fear possibly be compatible with a life of hope? And didn’t John say that perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn.4:18)?

Fear Means Fear

And yet – there is really just no getting around the fact that the word means fear. It is the normally, everyday Greek word for being afraid of things. And it is not like this is some vague, obscure passage that is out of step with the rest of Scripture. There are many, many times God’s Word calls us to fear Him – Old and New Testaments. Sometimes people claim that fearing God was an Old Testament thing, and now that Christ has come and we are sons of God, fearing God is a thing of the past. The problem is – this passage is in the New Testament. So is 1 Peter 2:17 which commands us, …fear God, honor the king. So is Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another in fear of Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:11 is also in the New Testament, and it says: Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.

Acts 9:31 Then the church … was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

Acts 19:17 they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

2 Corinthians 7:1 … let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness in fear of God.

Philippians 2:12 … work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

Luke 12:4-5 "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

That is just a sampling – the New Testament is loaded with commands to fear God. Fear of God is mentioned well over one hundred times in Scripture, and God is the object of fear far more often in Scripture than all other objects put together.

And not only does God require all people to fear Him, but He forbids us to fear anyone or anything else.

Isaiah 8:12-13 do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. 13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread