Lesson 4:

The Fear of God

1.       The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge and understanding.

a.       Men who do not fear God do not know the most important truth! (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10)

b.      Only a fool would refuse to acknowledge and fear God. (Psalm 14:1; 19:1-2)

c.       True devotion and godliness begins with the fear of God.

2.      The scriptures speak of fearing God in two senses.

a.       The sinner should be terrified of the judgment and wrath of God. (cf. Revelation 6:16)

b.      The Christian has been delivered from such terror because of his sin. (cf. 1John 4:17-18)

                                                              i.      The Christian should continue to fear God’s discipline when he sins.

                                                            ii.      For the Christian, the primary sense of his fear is reverence. (cf. Revelation 1:10-18)

c.       This fear has been aptly described as a “wholesome dread of displeasing.”

3.      Components of the Fear of God: A Biblical Understanding of the Character of God

a.       The Lord is perfect in every attribute that He possesses.

                                                              i.      Man is like God in some respects, but the reverse is not true.

                                                            ii.      God is not like man; we must broaden our conception of God to see Him properly.

b.      We serve an incomparable God. (Isaiah 40:12-28)

                                                              i.      The Ten Commandments prohibited worship of false gods and idolatrous worship.
(Exodus 20:1-6)

                                                            ii.      The error of idolatry is an attempt to compress deity into a tangible form that men can relate to; God cannot be so defined! (Exodus 32:1-5)

c.       Some see God as they would like Him to be, rather than as He is.

                                                              i.      E.g. A god who vindicates the self-righteous (Luke 18:9-14)

                                                            ii.      E.g. A god whose love for sincerity nullifies his law (1Samuel 15:13-, 7-9, 13-23)

d.      Those who do so serve a god of their own imagination, rather than the true God.

                                                              i.      God has revealed Himself in creation (Romans 1:20), a book, and a Being (John 1:14).

                                                            ii.      Unless our concept of God is derived from His own revelation, it is a false concept.

4.      Components of the Fear of God: A Pervasive Sense of the Presence of God

a.       The Lord is everywhere; He sees everything that we do. (Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:23-24)

                                                              i.      The pagans believed that their gods were limited by areas or elements. (1Kings 20:23)

                                                            ii.      But the true God rules over all space and time; He transcends it. (1Kings 20:28)

b.      The Lord is intimately acquainted with each one of us. (Psalm 139:1-16)

c.       How does the omnipresence of God affect my life?

                                                              i.      Every decision I make is made under His oversight.

                                                            ii.      Not a word that I speak escapes His notice. (Matthew 12:36-37)

                                                          iii.      He holds me responsible even for the secret thoughts of my heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

d.      I must learn to live each day with a sense of God’s presence around me.

                                                              i.      What choices will I make about entertainment if I know God is watching?

                                                            ii.      How will I dress for the day if God is there? How will I speak to others?

                                                          iii.      What kind of worker will I be if the Lord is standing beside me?

e.       The thought of such intense scrutiny may seem oppressive, but God is seeking our good.

5.      Components of the Fear of God: A Constant Awareness of My Obligation to God

a.       God’s will is that I be holy in mind, body, and spirit. (1Thessalonians 4:3-8)

                                                              i.      To be holy means that I must be set apart for God’s service.

                                                            ii.      Holiness involves clean hands and a pure heart. (James 4:8)

1.      Clean hands, i.e. moral purity, undefiled by the corruption of the world

2.      Pure heart, i.e. focused mind, not distracted or double-minded

b.      The goal of the Christian’s life is to become like Jesus. (Romans 8:29)

                                                              i.      I must thoroughly acquaint myself with Jesus’ life and teachings. (2Corinthians 3:18)

                                                            ii.      Only then can I truly answer the question: What Would Jesus Do?

c.       The Bible must become my authoritative guide in life. (2Timothy 3:16-17)

                                                              i.      Its teachings must be my final answer on all moral and religious questions.

                                                            ii.      My beliefs and practices will be determined by God’s will revealed in His word.

d.      Every day I must live with an awareness of my responsibility and relationship to God.

                                                              i.      What would the Lord desire me to do in this situation? What has He commanded?

                                                            ii.      What would Jesus do? Would Jesus respond in this way?

e.       Every word, thought, and deed must be subjugated to Christ. (2Corinthians 10:5)

                                                              i.      If I do not view God reverently, I will never succeed in living this way!

                                                            ii.      My view of God and of His role in my life will determine the way I choose to live.

f.        I must see God as holy, see that He watches me, and see my responsibility to be like Him.

g.      The fear of God will transform a person’s life if it truly penetrates his heart.

h.      Once we are truly convicted on these truths, we will live in a way that glorifies Him.

i.        Are you walking in the fear of the Lord?

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