![]() The continual blessings we receive from God, especially the forgiveness of our sins ( Ps 130:4), should lead us to fear and love Him ( 1Sa 12:24 Ps 34:9 67:7).Anyone who sees or experiences a manifestation (i.e., a visible or physical sign or demonstration) of God’s glory cannot help but become afraid ( Mt 17:1-8).When we truly realize God’s holiness (i.e., His purity, perfection and separation from evil), the normal response of the human spirit is to fear Him ( Rev 15:4).In addition, the amazing power that He continues to exercise over his creation–including humankind–is cause for fearing God ( Ex 20:18-20 Ecc 3:14 Jnh 1:11-16 Mk 4:39-41).We should be in awe of Him because of His matchless power as the Creator of all things and all people ( Ps 33:6-9 96:4-5 Jnh 1:9).Although there are different types of fear, part of our respect and awe is in the knowledge of his wrath and power. The reasons for fearing God are found in the different meanings of the “fear of the Lord,” as described above. This type of fear is to be afraid, especially if you are caught on the wrong side of God’s justice. In the NT, the author of Hebrews acknowledges God’s coming vengeance and judgment, and then writes: “ It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” ( Heb 10:31). Moses experienced this aspect of the fear of God when he spent forty days and nights praying for the sinful Israelites: “ I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for He was angry enough with you to destroy you” ( Dt 9:19). When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they were afraid and tried to hide from God’s presence ( Ge 3:8-10). FOUR: GOD IS ANGRY ABOUT SINįinally, to fear God involves recognizing that He is angry about sin and has the power to punish those who stand arrogantly against Him and break His laws (cf. Here, fearing God means to be moved to belief and trust. ![]() In other words, fearing God produces confidence, hope and trust in Him, which are necessary when we are looking to God for mercy, forgiveness ( Lk 1:50 cf. The psalmist encourages all who fear the Lord to “trust in the Lord–He is their help and shield” ( Ps 115:11). ![]() For example, after the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea on dry ground and saw how God destroyed the Egyptian army who came after them, they “ feared the Lord and put their trust in Him”. True fear of the Lord causes believers to place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation. THREE: FEAR OF THE LORD CAN PRODUCE FAITH For He spoke, and it came to be He commanded, and it stood firm” ( Ps 33:8-9). Also, when the psalm writer reflects on God as Creator, he says: “Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the people of the world revere Him. They even begged Moses to deliver God’s message to them so they would not have to encounter God Himself ( Ex 20:18-19 Dt 5:22-27). For example, when God revealed Himself to the Israelites at Mount Sinai through “ thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast,” they all “trembled” in fear ( Ex 19:16) because of His great power. TWO: FEAR OF THE LORD CAN PRODUCE AWEįearing the Lord means to be in reverent awe of His holiness, to give Him complete reverence and to honor Him as the God of great glory, majesty, purity and power. In this sense, fearing the Lord is to appreciate His character. Pr 2:5) means accepting the fact that His justice and holiness (i.e., purity, perfection, completeness of character and separation from evil) cause Him to judge sin. Knowing God and understanding His character (cf. ONE: GOD IS LOVING & JUSTįirst of all, we must recognize that God is loving, merciful and forgiving but He also is holy, just and righteous. What does it MEAN to FEAR God? The broad command to “fear the Lord” involves understanding several things about a believer’s relationship with God. “These are the commands, the decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all His decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.” - Deuteronomy 6:1-2 This is an excerpt adapted from the Fire Study Bible Notes. By fearing God, we can avoid being trapped by the natural pull toward going our own way, defying God and giving in to the inviting ways of immoral behavior. Only as we truly fear the Lord will we be freed from all destructive and satanic fears. A frequent command given to God’s people in the OT is to “ fear God” or “ fear the Lord.” It’s important that we understand what this command means for Christ’s followers today.
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