GODLY FEAR
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding has all those who do His commandment” [Psalm 111:10]. The fear of the Lord describes an obedient response of wonder and awe before the Most High God. Fear is often a result of God’s grace, a sign that God is at work in your heart. In this context “fear can also refer to what we feel when we love someone so deeply that we would do anything in the world not to hurt him or her or to damage our relationship with the beloved. Fear of the Lord is also described as ‘godly fear’ [Hebrew 12:28]. Fear of the Lord is often said to be man’s duty [Ecclesiastes 12:13; Isaiah 11: 2-3; Luke 1:50]. Godly fear signifies or is equivalent to reverence, awe and total worship and is therefore essential part of the attitude of the mind ; that is which we ought to stand towards the All-Holy God.
On the contrary, fear is spoken of as something unworthy of a child of God, something that perfect love cast away. The effect of Adam’s sin was that he was afraid [Gen 3:10]. Sin always destroys that feeling of confidence God’s child should feel in a loving father and produces instead a feeling of shame and guilt. Ever since the fall of man, God has been teaching men to fear but with penitence to ask for forgiveness in full confidence of receiving it. Fear of God is not being petrified of God. Rather ‘perfect love casts out fears’ [1John 4:18]. But fear of the Lord is the humble awe before the God of the universe. “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplication with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death and he was heard for his godly fears (or reverent submission)” [Hebrew 5:17].
The best way to look at fear of the Lord is a child who respects but fears his father. The child knows that if he does something wrong, He will be disciplined. But the child also loves his father because he knows his father loves him and has his/her best interest at heart. When we call God, Father with fear of the Lord, we come to know that God is our Dad and we have a healthy respect for Him. We will be obedient to Him because we are afraid to hurt our Dad. If a person is not deep enough into his spiritual life, he may only be afraid of being punished by dad. A child is not supposed to fear his father except he/she does some wrongs. They should live very intimately and harmoniously under tough love. A dad can discipline his child out of love; that does not mean he hates his child. Also a father’s love to his child gives the child freedom and confidence to discuss or ask of the father his needs or tell him things he may not discuss with other people.
WHY GODLY FEARS IS A GOOD THING:
- 1)It means you know God is real and you recognize His existence.
- 2)You take God seriously and that He made you and determines your destiny; not man or witches or ancestors. Some people think there’s no God and even if he exists, he is irrelevant in this age and can be ignored.
- 3)God’s holiness attracts human fears because man is unholy; God’s pure, perfect and righteous, in all his ways and doings.
- 4)In God, man sees his sinfulness and nakedness. Our fears show our awareness of our flawed character and ungodly actions.
- 5)Fears mean you know the anger and wrath of God against impurities and sin. Fears also reveal that hell is real. The wages of sin is death; so sin has repercussions and consequences.
- 6)Fears mean awareness of our need of God’s grace and salvation to mankind. We have to work out our salvation. We must repent and turn to God or else God owes us nothing that avails us His grace and mercies.
- 7)Fears humble and provoke our need for God; faith-filled assurance that we are saved by God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Be glad when you fear because it means you know enough to tremble before God and fear for eternity or else you will be strolling dangerously down the path to hell.
In the Radio Pulpit Message titles Fears Relieved: it says, “Awareness of God’s holiness and your own unworthiness is a huge step in a right direction.” In the hymn “Amazing grace” it says, “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace his fears relieved.” It means it was God’s grace [nothing but the grace of God] in the first place that brought and exposed our hearts to the holiness of God and our sinfulness; to fears and the God of all grace turns around to bring relief to the fears. What an awesome God! I believe that many who sing this great song have never thought of it in this meaning. But what makes this composition what it’s, is the thought and the meaning of grace of God. Fear is not a good state to remain for long but it is often a necessary and crucial stage on our path to redemption. Fears bring us to the knowledge of God’s greatness and holiness; the realization that as a sinner we are ruined and do not deserve God’s blessings and acceptance. Yet this great and awesome God loves us unconditionally and His grace brings us back to Him. He’s relentless in pursuing us until He brings us back to Himself. This is because He had bought us back to Himself when He died on the cross and paid for our souls once and for all. The work of the cross can’t be reversed.
In a vision, Prophet Isaiah encountered the awesomeness, majesties and holiness of the God of heaven, the Creator of the universe and was consumed with terror and fears. He cried, “Woe to me! I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips and I lived among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the king, the God Almighty” [Isaiah 6:5]. God took a man He intended to use through a spiritual trance [or life changing journey] into His awesome presence and he saw the Lord of lords and King of kings in his majesty, highly and lifted up; glorified and exalted and worshipped. Isaiah saw holiness, devotion and dignified worship at its best. He was overwhelmed by a sense of God’s holiness and majesty and his unworthiness and sinfulness that triggered cries of lost and ruin. He did not see himself fit in anywhere, in anything; very undeserving and inappropriate. Isaiah confessed his sinfulness and wretched situation to God. God saw Isaiah’s heart and sincerity and through His heavenly messenger responded with pity and mercy, “Your guilt is taken away and sin atoned for” [6:7]. After cleansing him, God decided to commission him and made him a mighty mouth speak, a prophet.
In another instance, when the angel appeared unto Zachariah on the right side of the Altar of incense, he was troubled, afraid and terrified. The angel said to him, “Fear not, Zacharias for your prayers is heard and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son and you shall call his name, John” [Luke 1:11-13]. Zachariah saw something that triggered fears in him; the same brought a message of relief. He must have thought in his mind, why me! In improper time and improper age! What a joke! Unbelievable! How can God decide to roll forward [or catapult] all the prayers we said since we were young? Be careful what you pray for; whatever you ask, God hears and shall bring to pass. It could be now or later. Yet it is God’s timing and still possible. That’s what makes God unique; He’s God and nothing is impossible with Him.
In another surprise, an angel of the Lord appeared to Mary, a virgin engaged to a poor carpenter called Joseph of the tribe of David. The angel said to Mary, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women” [Vs 28]. When Mary saw the angel, she was terrified and deeply troubled wondering in her mind what manner of visitation and greeting that was. The angel saw the fears in Mary and calmed her down saying, “Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold you shall conceive in your womb and bear a son and shall call his name Jesus” [Vs 30-31].
The good thing about God’s grace is that it may begin by teaching our hearts to fear but ends up in relieving our fears. At first the holiness and power of God may terrify us but then His goodness and the promises of His word give relief, hope and reassurance. The Gospel of John says, “But as many as receive Him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name” [John1:12]. When we receive Christ [put faith in Christ], God avail us His forgiveness, salvation and eternal life. The scripture says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved [Acts 16:31]. Whoever believes in His only Son shall not perish but has eternal life [John3:16]. Since it’s impossible for God to lie, it then means His promises never fail. ‘The back to God hour’ says, “Many people who fear for their salvation have had their fears relieved when they at least grasped justification by faith [not through human efforts].
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. Know that the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him; on those whose hope is in His failing love” [Psalm 33: 8, 18]. Pray with me: Father, because I fear Your name, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise today and it shall bring healing, restoration and victory to me. Therefore, I declare that today, I am righteous, healed, restored, strong and more than a conqueror in Jesus’ name. Amen [Malachi 4:2; Romans 8:37].