The Fear of the Lord

[SongOnTheWind]

My question is a simple one, but one I'd like to dig deep into:

How can we grow in the fear of the Lord, especially in this day and age?

Scripture, insight and thoughts please

 

[GallagherM]

That is a great question SongofWind; this was the scripture that came to my mind when reading your question about having reverence towards the Lord.

I do enjoy sharing big chunks of scripture because they very beneficial to the soul; and the spirit of Christ that lives inside of us. (I believe we have a spiritual body that is fed by abiding in the vine; whom we receive life from Christ to walk in the spirit).

Anyway:

James 1:
12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;

24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

 

[SongOnTheWind]

Do you think the body of Christ has lost the fear of the Lord?

 

[tturt]

YES

Jesus taught on the fear of the Lord - awe, reverence compared to dread or terror.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matt 10

We decide if we' have the fear of the Lord. Then God teaches those who fear Him. (Pro 1). Having the fear of the Lord is loving Him, giving Him honor, respect, devotion, right worship, serving Him, following Him and being submitted and obeying His Word, His will.

- Having the fear of the Lord means we love what He loves and hates what He hates (Psa 97:10, Pro 6:16-19).
- How to have the fear of the Lord:" (Pro 2:1-5).
- "...we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" Heb 22:28 Having the fear of the Lord is the true and acceptable way of worshipping the Lord (Benson commentary).
- It "...prolongs one’s days..." (Pro 10:27).
- "In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge." (Pro 14:26)
- It causes men to depart from evil (Pro 16:6),
- "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life." (Pro 22:4)
- "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25).⁹
- teach children to have the fear of the Lord (Psa 34:11).
- Having the fear of the Lord is a treasure (Isa 33:6l, and
- churches walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).

Having the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge, instruction, and is the fountain of life (Pro 1:7, 9:10, 14:27).

"The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil." Pro 19:23

Plus "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,, and make our abode with him." John 14:23

 

[Carl Emerson]

Ask for an encounter with Him...

 

[Carl Emerson]

Identify your need - be honest with Him...

Lord I confess I lack a fear of you...

"If we ask anything according to His will He hears us... and if we know that he hears us we know that He grants the request that we ask..."

Ask for fear of Him.

You know that He wants you to have it...

 

[SongOnTheWind]

Why do you think we are lacking in it today?

 

[tturt]

There's a number of reasons from my perspectve -
-so much misunderstanding about this type of fear We decide if we are going to love God and hold Him in awe, to the point of having the fear of the LOrd,
- the way the OT is discounted by many believers starting with "In the beginning God..."
- our opinions are valued more than God's Ignoring Scripture such as "... hate what He hates and love what He loves ..." Some go by what culture says
- the way Scripture overall is ignored by believers

 

[SongOnTheWind]

There's a number of reasons from my perspectve -
-so much misunderstanding about this type of fear We decide if we are going to love God and hold Him in awe, to the point of having the fear of the LOrd,
- the way the OT is discounted by many believers starting with "In the beginning God..."
- our opinions are valued more than God's Ignoring Scripture such as "... hate what He hates and love what He loves ..." Some go by what culture says
- the way Scripture overall is ignored by believers

If one can discount any portion of scripture, can they really call themselves a believer? Do we not believe that the Word of God is Life, and indeed was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ? How then can anyone who believes in Him who is perfection discount any part of Him?

This already shows complete absence of fear of the Lord. Why would we not hold the whole Word of God as sacred and apply ourselves to it in its entirety?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

My question is a simple one, but one I'd like to dig deep into:

How can we grow in the fear of the Lord, especially in this day and age?

Scripture, insight and thoughts please

There is a purity in "fearing the Lord". Going back to our first Love Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the fear of the Lord. We can grow in fear by waking daily with His Holy Spirit towards the narrow gate. Blessings.

 

[SongOnTheWind]

There is a purity in "fearing the Lord". Going back to our first Love Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the fear of the Lord. We can grow in fear by waking daily with His Holy Spirit towards the narrow gate. Blessings.

Seeing as all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, shouldn't that mean that we all must be automatically walking in the fear of the Lord?

And concerning equating our first love with the fear of the Lord, does the loving the Lord always mean that we fear Him?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Seeing as all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, shouldn't that mean that we all must be automatically walking in the fear of the Lord?

And concerning equating our first love with the fear of the Lord, does the loving the Lord always mean that we fear Him?

1-Yes and no. At times we "quench the work of the Holy Spirit" by the weakness of the flesh."Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5: 16
2-Fear of God starts with loving Him.

 

[SongOnTheWind]

1-Yes and no. At times we "quench the work of the Holy Spirit" by the weakness of the flesh."Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5: 16
2-Fear of God starts with loving Him.

So we walk in the Spirit in order not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but does that always result in fear of the Lord?

How does loving God produce fear of God? Is there a scripture you can reference?

 

[SongOnTheWind]

Identify your need - be honest with Him...

Lord I confess I lack a fear of you...

"If we ask anything according to His will He hears us... and if we know that he hears us we know that He grants the request that we ask..."

Ask for fear of Him.

You know that He wants you to have it...

Do all of us know this? Or do some think it unecessary?

 

[tturt]

It's not automatic to have the fear of the Lord. He doesn't make us have it. We can chose it. Some didn't- "...did not choose the fear of the Lord:" Pro 1:29

 

[Carl Emerson]

Do all of us know this? Or do some think it unecessary?

I think much modern Christianity is 'mancentric' and PC.

The prophetic voice is largely muted.

The 'churchgrowth' movement has commercialised Christianity.

Scripture is often used as a hammer rather than a doorway.

Christian community is largely absent.

I am pretty burdened about this season but pockets of life remain and the breath of life will again speak to the bones...

 

[Carl Emerson]

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord is one of 7 spirits that make up the Holy Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11.

All truely born again have this indwelling awe/respect/fear of Him.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

So we walk in the Spirit in order not to fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but does that always result in fear of the Lord?

How does loving God produce fear of God? Is there a scripture you can reference?

Agape love is fearing the Lord. Jesus Christ of Nazareth distinguished this with Simon Peter in John 21.

 

[SongOnTheWind]

Agape love is fearing the Lord. Jesus Christ of Nazareth distinguished this with Simon Peter in John 21.

I don't assume that because Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, that Peter answered out of fear, or sought to obey the commands given him out of fear either, seeing as he was adamant that the Lord knew he loved Him.

In fact, the bible also says that perfect love casts out all fear, but that is not the fear of which I am focusing on in this thread.

I agree that we can and should both love and fear God. I agree that we can look at fearing God in the context of love, as well as loving God in the context of fearing Him; but I don't know that love is caused by fear, or fear by love.

 

[SongOnTheWind]

The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord is one of 7 spirits that make up the Holy Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11.

All truely born again have this indwelling awe/respect/fear of Him.

So again, how can all true believers grow in this fear? Is it a work of grace, or diligence, or the Word of God, or walking in truth, or prayer, or a combination of some, all, maybe even more?

What's the key?