The Fear of the Lord

Thesis: Because of Who God is and what He’s capable of, you must fear Him.

Second thesis: If you are in Christ, you need not fear final judgment.

Key Verses

Job 28:28, “And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’” This verse uses parallelism to compare the fear of the Lord with turning away from evil.

Prov 1:7, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Ps 36:1, “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.” (Quoted in Rom 3:18.)

Dt 5:29, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and keep my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!”

Introduction

Americans are an anxious people. Some statistics (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, ptsd, obsessive-compulsive disorder, separation anxiety disorder).

Adults

19.1% of adults had any (ie, at least 1) anxiety disorder in the last year.

Females (23.4%) outpace males (14.3%)

Serious impairment: 22.8%; Moderate impairment: 33.7% (combined: 56.5%); Mild impairment: 43.5%

Adolescents

31.9% of adolescents had any anxiety disorder.

Females (38%) outpace males (26.1%)

Serious impairment: 8.3%

As a result, sales of Prozac, Valium, and Ritalin are through the roof. This is without mentioning over the counter and under the counter self-medication techniques like illegal drugs and alcohol abuse.

We are an anxious, fearful people. With one really big problem: we’re not afraid of the right thing. Or, I should say, the right Person.

We need a return to “the Fear of the Lord.”

Why? Because of Who God is and what He’s capable of, you must fear Him. But, if you are in Christ, you need not fear final judgment.

Transition: Before we can rightly fear the Lord, we must have a clear-eyed view of what the Fear of the Lord is.

What the Fear of the Lord IS.

The Fear of the Lord is real Fear.

How many of you have heard that the fear of the Lord concerns a holy reverence for God?

Deut 5:24-27, You said, ‘Look, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that God speaks with a person, yet he still lives. 25 But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer. 26 For who out of all humanity has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 Go near and listen to everything the Lord our God says. Then you can tell us everything the Lord our God tells you; we will listen and obey.’

Yes, we must revere God. We must respect Him.

But God is more than a Father. He’s more than a King. He is GOD.

Face to Face with God

“Then Abram fell on his face” (Gen 17:3).

“And fire came out from before the LROD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Lev 9:24).

“And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ‘Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.’ And they fell on their faces...” (Num 16:20-22a).

“He [Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified” (Matthew 17:5-6).

The Fear of the Lord concerns WHO GOD IS.

Jer 5:22; Dan 6:26; Job

This is why it’s so important that we know the Attributes of God (Infinite > Personal > Creator > Immaterial > Self-Existent > Self-Sufficient > Omnipresent > Omnipotent > Omniscient > Sovereign > Eternal > Immutable > Holy > Wise > Wrath > Grace/Mercy/Love > Impassable > Truth > Justice > Freedom > Jealous > Simple > Solitary

The Fear of the Lord concerns GOD’S WRATH AND JUDGMENT.

Ec 12:13-14, “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.”

Ps 119:120, “I tremble in awe of you; I fear your judgments.”

In the Unrighteous

Terror

“Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm” (Exod 15:16; Song of Moses).

“People shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the LORD, and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to terrify the earth” (Isa 2:19).

Turning

Turning to Christ is the only way to escape the wrath of God.

In the Righteous

Obedience

“The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil” (Prov 8:13).

“By fear of the LORD one turns away from evil” (Prov 16:6).

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding’” (Job 28:28).

“You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD” (Lev 19:32). 

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of the body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Cor 7:1).

Confidence in God alone

“If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom 8:31)?

Courage

“Haven’t I [God] commanded you? Be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

“But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and have no fear’. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw Jesus only” (Matthew 17:7-8).

“Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Conclusion: An Explanation and Two Illustrations

An explanation of 1 John 4:18.

With this understanding of “the fear of the LORD,” how should we understand 1 John 4:18, which says, “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear”?

Whatever it does mean, it CANNOT mean we aren’t to “fear the Lord.”

The key: “because fear involves punishment.”

So the “fear” in 1 Jn 4:8 is not “the fear of the Lord” but “the fear of final punishment.”

“Perfect love casts out fear” of final judgment in hell because you are in Christ.

This is the concern of the unsaved person. If you aren’t in Christ, you face God alone.

Two Illustrations

Fear of a Judge

No relationship

Only Law

Judged by your works; this is a terrifying thought.

Punishment / Hell

Fear of a Father

Relationship

Judged by Christ’s works; this is a reassuring thought.

When I did wrong.

When I needed confidence/courage.

Confidence: “My dad can beat up your dad.”

Walking into the ocean.

How should the Christian relate to fear?

Stop fearing people; fear the LORD.

Some of you are too worried about what others think. None of us are worried enough about what God thinks.

When posting to social media, your first thought shouldn’t be, “What will people think?” but “What will God think?”

“What will people say?” is secondary -- by a long shot -- to “What does God say?”

Examples

When you fear the LORD, you treat people the same whether they have deep pockets or no pockets.

When you fear the LORD, you respect people because they are made in God’s image, whom you fear.

When you fear the LORD, you speak the truth in love, unafraid to offend.

When you fear the LORD, you don’t party with the same crowd that offends the holiness of God.

Fear of the LORD and personal holiness.

Social Media

TV / Streaming / Youtube

“Can I do this and please God?”

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1)?