The Fear of the Lord

 When someone mentions "the fear of the Lord," the first reaction is some type of uneasiness or flat fear.  Then almost immediately those feelings will turn to confusion.  But wait, I thought God was love.  I don't think God wants us to fear Him.  He wants us to love Him.

Well, this expresses the confusion and ignorance around the "fear of the Lord."  So, when there is confusion, let's go the Word of God.

Some think this concept of fear is only an Old Testament concept while the New Testament is all about love.  After all, doesn't perfect love drive out fear, as John declares in I John 4:18?

Yet, in Jeremiah 32:40, he plainly states one of the blessings of the New Covenant is the implanting in believers' hearts the fear of the Lord:  "I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me."

It is a New Testament concept and even a church teaching for Act 9:31 reads "So the church...walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit was multiplied."

Paul and Peter both used the fear of the Lord as a motive for holy and righteous living.  

Isaiah was speaking of Jesus Christ himself when he said, "and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:3).  If Jesus in his humanity delighted in the fear of God, surely we need to give serious thought to cultivating this attitude in our lives.

Some should fear God with an anxious dread because of the realization of God's impending judgment upon sin.  God's wrath is already on the unbeliever, but there is a coming a day of unbridled wrath poured out on sin and sinners.  Paul said in Romans 3:18 "There is no fear of God before their eyes."  That seems to indicate our present state of mind among unbelievers today.

So how do we fear Him?  By developing a deep reverence and awe of God.  The awesomeness of God is so captivating we should walk in awe and worship of God.

Revelation 15: 3 indicates that even in Heaven there will be a fear of God:  "Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name?"  In Heaven?  Yes- but it will be pure worship and reverence for the great God.

So when we fear God rightly, we honor Him and bring glory to His name.  We honor Him for who He is and not what we want Him to be or the culture demands of Him.

"Dear Lord, reveal more of who you really are and develop within a pure fear of You resulting in truer worship and honor to your name."

Blessings;

David