What happended to the "Fear of the Lord"?

[Serving Zion]

Yes, I absolutely agree.

Hmmm, .. then I have to wonder: why did you ask?

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12: 28-29 KJV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?... You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21)


This question has been burning on my heart for some time now. Especially during the last few weeks. I see an ever growing number of Christians seemingly abandoning the word of God and biblical values altogether because they believe they aren't practical, or realistic in today's culture. They unapologetically confess that they are living in sin all the while clinging to the notion that God will just forgive them so it doesn't matter. So the question is simple. What happened to the holy and righteous "Fear of the Lord".

Now, for those who do not know what the "Fear of the Lord" means, it does not merely mean to be "afraid" of God as if He was some vengeful and cruel being. Because God is perfect love and perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:8). Rather, the Fear of the Lord is "the reverence and awe of all that is "God" which renders one to willful obedience in Him". It is recognizing that before God is kind, loving, and merciful, He is holy, righteous, and just. In fact, I have no doubt that God loved every soul that had ever been cast into Hell more than we can ever hope to imagine. So, as Proverbs 1 says, we will be fools to not follow the wisdom and instructions of the Lord.

I hear many people claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as their "Lord and Savior". Which is great! However, Christians tend to imagine Jesus as our loving savior depicted as a smiling man with a child on his lap. However, we tend to forget that "Savior" is a title which describes what Jesus did. He saved. "Lord" is a title for WHO Jesus is. He is Lord of all Creation. Jesus said Himself "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) and when He comes again, He won't be wearing a white robe carrying a little lamb on His shoulders while riding a donkey. Instead, He will be riding a white horse and wielding a sword with a robe soaked in the blood of the wicked.

"11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
'King of Kings and Lord of Lords'."

So once again I ask. Where has the Fear of the Lord gone and why does it seem like so many Christians have abandoned it?

Narrow is the way that leads unto life and few be there that finds it. Those who do not understand the basics need to implement them. Paul says prove that Christ is in you unless you be reprobate (2 Corinthians 13:5). One of the ways we can know Christ lives in us is if we find that we are keeping his commandments (See 1 John 2:3). For the person who says they know the Lord and yet they do not keep his commandments, they are a liar and the truth is not in them (See 1 John 2:4).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Jesus essentially says when He returns, will He find faith on the Earth?

Meaning, there are not many people today who are truly believing Jesus's words, and neither are they following Jesus as He desires them to do by faith.

For He says, I quote:

"...when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"
(Luke 18:8).​

I take this to mean that "Christ's coming" is defined as: His coming for those few who are of His true and faithful church (in the Rapture) followed by His second coming.

As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man. Most think they can commit grievous sin and still be saved (on some level) today. But it doesn't work like that.

1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." (2 Timothy 3:1-5).​

They deny the power of God thereof that they can live righteously and obey God in this life by the Lord. They justify sin and think they are saved by having a belief alone on Jesus. This is the majority view in Christianity. But many will be surprised when they face the Lord one day.

 

[(° ͡ ͜ ͡ʖ ͡ °) (ᵔᴥᵔʋ)]

Hmmm, .. then I have to wonder: why did you ask?

Sanity check I guess. I just had a liberal Christian on the WWMC section block me because I quoted 2 Peter 2. Apparently she didn't like the part where it said "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:21-22).

 

[Brotherly Spirit]

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12: 28-29 KJV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?... You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21)


This question has been burning on my heart for some time now. Especially during the last few weeks. I see an ever growing number of Christians seemingly abandoning the word of God and biblical values altogether because they believe they aren't practical, or realistic in today's culture. They unapologetically confess that they are living in sin all the while clinging to the notion that God will just forgive them so it doesn't matter. So the question is simple. What happened to the holy and righteous "Fear of the Lord".

Now, for those who do not know what the "Fear of the Lord" means, it does not merely mean to be "afraid" of God as if He was some vengeful and cruel being. Because God is perfect love and perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:8). Rather, the Fear of the Lord is "the reverence and awe of all that is "God" which renders one to willful obedience in Him". It is recognizing that before God is kind, loving, and merciful, He is holy, righteous, and just. In fact, I have no doubt that God loved every soul that had ever been cast into Hell more than we can ever hope to imagine. So, as Proverbs 1 says, we will be fools to not follow the wisdom and instructions of the Lord.

I hear many people claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as their "Lord and Savior". Which is great! However, Christians tend to imagine Jesus as our loving savior depicted as a smiling man with a child on his lap. However, we tend to forget that "Savior" is a title which describes what Jesus did. He saved. "Lord" is a title for WHO Jesus is. He is Lord of all Creation. Jesus said Himself "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) and when He comes again, He won't be wearing a white robe carrying a little lamb on His shoulders while riding a donkey. Instead, He will be riding a white horse and wielding a sword with a robe soaked in the blood of the wicked.

"11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
'King of Kings and Lord of Lords'."

So once again I ask. Where has the Fear of the Lord gone and why does it seem like so many Christians have abandoned it?

Not a single answer for it. Simplest answer is what Jesus said when the disciples slept during his prayer expressing how he was struggling but sought God's will. It was "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak", I believe most Christians have faith but are tempted. Much easier to accept what's selfish and convenient, we're short-sighted only looking at things near to us and struggle to see what's ahead. Worse when the flesh is literally tempting you from within like battling sleepiness.

Another answer I believe for most is the difficulty of committing ourselves to God. Also as Proverbs mentions commonly along with wisdom are knowledge and understanding. What it means to love God, how the love of God differs and it's distinction compared to all else. In Proverbs 8:13 it has "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride ,and arrogance, and the evil way, and the froward mouth ,do I hate."

So two major reasons in my mind are the lack of commitment and maturity coming to God. We struggle to deny ourselves before Him, not listening and learning in spirit and truth. This leaves us lukewarm and ignorant.

 

[Serving Zion]

Sanity check I guess. I just had a liberal Christian on the WWMC section block me because I quoted 2 Peter 2. Apparently she didn't like the part where it said "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:21-22).

It is very sad, so difficult in these days to find brethren that can remain in Christ after the Word of truth is spoken to them, for just as James 4 says "they are adulteresses".

I have not found one Christian who has not got some wrongness in their belief systems. That is the reason that they fall away at the word of truth - "they have hated me for no reason" and "we know that we have life because we love the brethren".

So it is good to let them go their way (for it is God's battle to redeem them, not ours), as Isaiah 6:9-13 says "the holy seed will again be for a burning".

 

[Blade]

Hmm.. when you make JESUS your lord.. wheres your past? What is He remembering? If now that we know Christ trust in have faith that He is who He said He was.. are not in right standing with God.. the great I am.... aka righteousness. Where we boldly come before Him... where we are now FRIENDS...

One needs to define this "fear". To many times.. its compared to mans definition of fear. I have no fear of my Father what so ever. My Father ....is my best friend.. Everything Christ did said.. was my Father. He is GOD...oh I bow I fall on my face and will stay there forever.. and NEVER move...yet I can come go never giving it a second thought. How can we LOVE respect show reverence for.. all that..for someone we DONT KNOW?

How this got on to "Christian". So.. if its truth you seek. I am not here to please man. The true mark of a Christian? Not written. See its not my job to bring people to Christ. I cant. The sweet sweet holy Spirit is the ONLY ONE that pulls draws them. I share to every creature.. the gospel. And.. when it comes to sin.. a Christ the CROSS has been done. Its finished. How hard is this.. past.. you sinned over and over..you then offered a sacrifice. That only covered it. You keep going. So.. now this THANK YOU FATHER..spotless lamb.. took the WORLDS place.. and HEAR READ these words "took away" the sins of the world. Where are they? What sin are you doing what sin that you have right now..for we all have sin if we say we dont we deceive our selfs and the truth is not in us. I can not find where no SIN is the definition the sign the reason one has ever lasting life.

I can find verses if I take ONLY them and try to run with the... a reason. But.. ME I have to take ALL the word. So.. Jesus leaves.. says..I have to go to send you the Holy Spirit. That will convict the world of SINS? No.. it is not written "SINS".. of SIN..what sin does GOD convict the world of? What SIN made it past the blood of a GOD? That they DON'T believe in Him. That is what keeps one out of heaven.

Some still can not except the fact you can not in any way earn get your way into heaven. Sorry.. you can be SPOTLESS..never sinned.. your STILL not getting in. He said.. I AM THE ONLY DOOR IN! One HAS to go through Him. So.. always sin. or never sin.. your not getting in. So knowing Christ never sinning.. you get in.. sinning you get in. My sheep listen to my voice, I recognize them, they follow me,
and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely never be destroyed, and no one will snatch them from my hands. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one can snatch them from the Father's hands.

You can TRY to say.. you NEVER willingly sin.. please. There are so many times we are faced with something and we willingly lie.. made the wrong choice. Get over it. Your flesh has not been changed.. the fact EVERY TIME before and after ..you feel AWFUL.. you wish you pray you never did it..yet you did.. PAUL knew this.. its no longer I that sin but the sin that is in me. So.. if you cant see the heart.. then see the GOOD 1st.. and if they are in error.. then get dirty if you have to become all things.. to help them.. left them up.. when YOU are strong.. walking faithful.. ITS TO HELP those that are not.. they already have the FLESH telling them how bad awful they are.. they have the enemy judging convicting them.. and THEN they have BELIEVERS doing the same..

How does Christ treat you? WHEN has HE EVER made you feel guilty convicted.. judged when you missed or walked in sin...when? 24/7.. He says thats why I died! SIN has been taken care of.. and since we dont give this gift and can not will not see whom HE writes in HIS books then see LIFE give LIFE..you know what happens when YOU show grace right? MORE is given to you... HE KNOWS the sins you they do.. KNOW HE is HELPING.. [bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse] its HIS KIDS! HIS creation. He died.. we didnt. Hes not runing.. ALL this is freely KNOWN to them that ASK! See them ASK to see them through HIE EYES.. His love.. He cryes.. because not ONE person on this earth KNOWS how much HE LOVES THEM! NO ONE has this kind of love.. His OTHER SHEEP? HELLO ITS YOU!

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Many falsely assume Jesus pays for future sin, but there is no fear of the Lord in that kind of belief. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Why all the trembling if it is not talking about fear? This is why I have a problem with OSAS or Belief Alone-ism. Nothing is required but a belief. But even the devils believe and tremble. Surely we know that the Belief Alone Camp is not really fooling anyone. All a person has to do is read their Bible and they will see there are tons of warnings about how sin can destroy your soul. Those who do not want to see these many verses in the Bible are simply justifying sin and evil in the name of God's grace. For God's grace is not a license for immorality on any level (See Jude 1:4). Jesus told believers who cast out devils in his name to depart from Him because they worked iniquity or sin (See Matthew 7:22-23). You have to bury or ignore verses like these in favor of the popular gospel message by churches today that make room for a person's sin.

 

[LightLoveHope]

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12: 28-29 KJV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?... You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20-21)


This question has been burning on my heart for some time now. Especially during the last few weeks. I see an ever growing number of Christians seemingly abandoning the word of God and biblical values altogether because they believe they aren't practical, or realistic in today's culture. They unapologetically confess that they are living in sin all the while clinging to the notion that God will just forgive them so it doesn't matter. So the question is simple. What happened to the holy and righteous "Fear of the Lord".

Now, for those who do not know what the "Fear of the Lord" means, it does not merely mean to be "afraid" of God as if He was some vengeful and cruel being. Because God is perfect love and perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:8). Rather, the Fear of the Lord is "the reverence and awe of all that is "God" which renders one to willful obedience in Him". It is recognizing that before God is kind, loving, and merciful, He is holy, righteous, and just. In fact, I have no doubt that God loved every soul that had ever been cast into Hell more than we can ever hope to imagine. So, as Proverbs 1 says, we will be fools to not follow the wisdom and instructions of the Lord.

I hear many people claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as their "Lord and Savior". Which is great! However, Christians tend to imagine Jesus as our loving savior depicted as a smiling man with a child on his lap. However, we tend to forget that "Savior" is a title which describes what Jesus did. He saved. "Lord" is a title for WHO Jesus is. He is Lord of all Creation. Jesus said Himself "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) and when He comes again, He won't be wearing a white robe carrying a little lamb on His shoulders while riding a donkey. Instead, He will be riding a white horse and wielding a sword with a robe soaked in the blood of the wicked.

"11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
'King of Kings and Lord of Lords'."

So once again I ask. Where has the Fear of the Lord gone and why does it seem like so many Christians have abandoned it?

These people do not see the destruction their sin is having on others, and how love needs to come into their lives.

In a wealthy society which encourages self indulgence and the individual is king without reference to anyone else it is easy to excuse ones behaviour is just who we are.

Many refuse to accept Jesus calls us to have a cleansed open heart which reaches out to others and hurts and loves and is truly involved with others.

On forums such as this I have found 50% accept they are untouchable, and just need to wait for Jesus to bring them into heaven when they die.

Paul says two simple things

Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness
2 Tim 2:19

Aim for perfection
2 Cor 13:11

If they cannot accept these two goals they do not really know Jesus.