The discipling of our Heavenly Father.
THE FEAR OF GOD: Defined The next study I actually get into the rewards of walking in the fear of God. I wanted to continue one more study on defining the fear of God, along with sharing about the discipling hand of God. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin. We as believers say at sometime that we love God. But it takes God to love God. He loves Himself through us. I loved Him because He first loved me. (1 Jn.4:19). None of us can possibility love God with our four fleshly loves like God can love Himself through us. The same is true with hating sin. We may all have said at some time in our Christian walk that we hate sin. Most of the time we may have been talking about the sin in the world, or in someone else. We may have actually said or thought that we hate the sin we see in our own lives. However, Just like we can't love like God loves, we also can't hate the way God hates. God hates sin. He hates it so much that He sent His Son to die for us to redeem us from the sin nature and the power of sin over us. When we learn the fear of God we will find that our hatred of sin increases. The Father disciplines us for the same reason our earthly fathers should have disciplined us, to modify behavior. With our earthly father it was to modify moral behavior. It was so that we would talk and act the way our earthly father believed we should. But there were no standards because each earthly father had their own view of what to discipline and what was acceptable behavior. With God the discipline was to modify righteous behavior. It was so that we would think, say, and act the way our Heavenly father does and in alignment with both His Word and His character. The joy of this is that the standard is absolute. The same standard the Father set for you, He set for me. That which is acceptable behavior is that which looks like Him. In this He is forming His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ in us. Hebrews 12:5-11 ESV And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. (6) For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (7) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? (8) If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (9) Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? (10) For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. (11) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline or chastening of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing. As children, the fear of discipline from our parents no doubt prevented some evil actions. The same should be true in our relationship with God. We should fear His discipline, and therefore seek to live our lives in such a way that pleases Him. It is not being afraid of God but in awe and reverence, fear His holy presence in the midst of a disobedient heart.
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We live in a society that is reward motivated. This is not new, just different motivations. I just finished 11 studies on my webpage blog and on facebook on the fear of God. Now I want to address the rewards of seeking, embracing, and walking in, the fear of God. First I will give a short definition of the fear of God. It was also associated with the first time the word "worship" was used in the Bible.
Genesis 22:5-6 ESV Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and WORSHIP and come again to you.” (6) And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. Genesis 22:12 ESV He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you FEAR God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” THE FEAR OF GOD: defined The believer's fear of God is a holy awe and reverence of God. It is realizing that God is love and that along is greater than our minds can absorb. However His justice and judgment are as great as His love and that is also terribly beyond our comprehension and understanding. The consuming fire of His judgment is equal to the fire of His Holy presence. Hebrews 12:28-29 ESV Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, (29) for our God is a consuming fire. This reverence and awe is exactly what the fear of God means for Christians. This is the motivating factor for us to surrender to the Creator of the Universe. ENCAMP AROUND ME OH GOD: Psalms 34:7 ESV The angel of the LORD encamps around those who FEAR HIM, and delivers them. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD: This could refer to any of God's messengers however in most cases it refers to the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ known in the Old Testament as WORD. ENCAMPS: This literally means that He pitches His tent. In doing so it also means that He defends and protects. When the Angel of the Lord encamps around us it is like having a heavenly army surrounding us. He camps as our guard. WHO FEAR HIM: Those who fear God are those who are His true friends. To fear means to stay in a position of awe and reverence of the One Most High ready to be obedient to WHATEVER the Lord demands even if it means giving up your most cherished and prized possession or loved one. Genesis 22:10-12 ESV Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. (11) But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." (12) He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." Father, we love Your visitations, however we desire more. We desire Your habitation among us. Come and dwell among us as we lay our lives down together. Ephesians 2:19-22 ESV (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place (A HABITATION) for God by the Spirit. OUR LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE FATHER
It is exciting when we learn a new or deeper truth. It is exciting seeing it manifested in our lives. However, we would be mistaken if we think that we will always be faithful in that truth no matter what situation we find ourselves. In other words each day we need to die to ourselves and put on the new man lest we find ourselves walking out the symptoms of rejection or rebellion. If you are married you or your spouse might say that a lot of the romance in the marriage has waned over the years or might even be gone completely. There might be some sense of taking one another for granted that when you wake up in the morning you will be there for one another. You might have a disagreement and walk around the house "on egg shells" ignoring one another for a day or a week or longer. There might be a makeup and forgiveness time and your love is rekindled for a season. But before long the danger comes back in. That danger is called "the familiar." The familiar is a place of going back to doing what is easy and comfortable, usually setting the priorities of the day to satisfy your own desires and needs. One of the greatest dangers for the believer is the place of "the familiar." You hear a truth and get excited and revived in your heart. You make promises to God and maybe to other about your walk with the Lord that seem at the time easy to fulfill. But in a matter of days or weeks the fire starts going out and you are right back in the daily place of doing what is easy and the habit of life that is comfortable. And there you stay until the next "revived time" where your heart is stirred to passion again. But even then, the place of the familiar awaits for your return. We need to renew our place of passion every morning as we arise. We need to seek the face of our Father in prayer and Word daily as we die to ourselves and break the place of the familiar. It is learning to stay in a position of worship, praise and a revived heart. One of the truths that we need to renew daily to assist this staying in a position of a revived heart is learning to walk in the fear of God. The opposite of this would be walking outside of the love of God and walking in the fear of man. Fear in itself is a tormenting spirit. Walking in the love of God casts out the fear of man and the fear of rejection and stirs up the passion to stay in an ongoing deep fellowship with our Creator. 1 John 4:18 ESV There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. I will let the rest of the Scriptures speak for themselves without any commentary from me. Isaiah 50:10 ESV Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Isaiah 66:1-2 ESV Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? (2) All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. SPIRITUAL LEADERS ARE TO BE THOSE WHO FEAR GOD:
Moses' father-in-law gave him counsel concerning how to properly lead people and how to choose the right leaders for the nation. The leaders to be placed over the people had to be men who FEARED GOD! Exodus 18:19-20 ESV Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, (20) and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. Exodus 18:21-22 ESV Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who FEAR GOD, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. (22) And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. If we fear anything other than God, we are being deceived from the truth of God's Word. God is the only Person, Deity, or object in the universe worthy of our fear. Of course Satan, the enemy, would disagree and has provoked man to establish a world-wide industry of generating bogus fear. His weapons are horror movies, anxieties, worries, nightmares, phobias, panic attacks, demons, ghosts, drugs, and tragic events. In using these things as weapons of fear, the enemy, along with the world and it's fallen system, has made victims out of many Christians who are trying to survive, instead of them agreeing with the Word of God as being overcomers. Believers are quick to agree that Satan wants the worship and praise that is due to God the Father and this is true. But Satan also wants the fear that is due to God the Father. I have been around believers who do not want me to speak about Satan or demons at all. They believe if we avoid them and don't provoke them, then they will leave us alone. Of course there has been some Pastors who have written books with this incredibly false and foolish doctrine. We must believe as Christians that to be "in Christ" means that we have been purchased from the mastery of Satan and the demons and need not fear them any longer. Whenever it is in our power, we should cut off any access Satan has to our minds or hearts to plant bogus false fear. F.E.A.R.=False Evidence Appearing Real! Isaiah 8:11-13 ESV For the LORD spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: (12) “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. (13) But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE HATRED OF SIN STAND TOGETHER!
The Hebrew word "yare" means reverence and awe but is not limited to that. It also means fear, fearful and afraid. If we fear anything other than God, we are being deceived from the truth of God's Word. God is the only Person, Deity, or object in the universe worthy of our fear. We said in the past studies that the fear of God is closely linked to the illumination of His sovereignty. We also said that the fear of God is linked to the wisdom of God. The fear of God also causes us to HATE SIN the way that the Father hates sin. There is too much tolerance for sin within the body of Christ. The body of Christ as a whole has joined the world in tolerating sin, compromising with sin, the renaming of sin to make it sound softer and more acceptable, participating in sin, and in general is still a slave to sin. The true fear of God causes a believer to feel about sin the way the Father feels about it. Someone cannot say that they love God and that they fear God and be in love with sin and the world at the same time. We are not called to give our own definition to sin and pick and choose what we would call right and wrong. If so, sin would be defined as what is right or wrong in our own eyes. In doing so, there would be no measuring tool or standard. God's Word and God's Character is always the final authority and standard as to what is called "SIN." Wherever there is an awe of God there is a dread of sin. Fear of God And hatred of Sin Proverbs 8:6-7 ESV Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, (7) for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. Proverbs 8:13 ESV The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. Proverbs 16:6 ESV By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. Amos 5:14-15 ESV Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you have said. (15) Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD STAND TOGETHER!
THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE WISDOM OF GOD STAND TOGETHER! The Hebrew word "yare" means reverence and awe but is not limited to that. It also means fear, fearful and afraid. If we fear anything other than God, we are being deceived from the truth of God's Word. God is the only Person, Deity, or object in the universe worthy of our fear. The fear of God is closely linked to the illumination of His sovereignty. The sovereignty of God is the absolute authority, rule, and government of God in the whole of all that exists. But the proper fear of God is also linked to the wisdom of God. If we desire the wisdom of God we must first fear God. Jeremiah 5:21-23 ESV “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. (22) Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. (23) But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. FEAR AND WISDOM: Psalms 111:10 ESV The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Proverbs 9:10 ESV The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. To "Fear God" means to be Morally reverent: afraid, fear or fearful.
The Hebrew word "yare" means reverence and awe but is not limited to that. It also means fear, fearful and afraid. I want to spend time expounding this over the next few weeks. If we fear anything other than God, we are being deceived from the truth of God's Word. God is the only Person, Deity, or object in the universe worthy of our fear. Psalms 76:4-7 ESV Glorious are you, more majestic than the mountains full of prey. (5) The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; all the men of war were unable to use their hands. (6) At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. (7) But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? Matthew 10:26-28 ESV “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. (27) What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. (28) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Luke 12:4-5 ESV “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. (5) But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Genesis 22:12 ESV He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
H3373 yârê' yaw-ray' Fearing; Morally reverent: afraid, fear or fearful. The Hebrew word "yare" means reverence and awe but is not limited to that. It also means fear, fearful and afraid. I want to spend time expounding this over the next few weeks. In Hebrew, "yirah", "yare" and "pachad" mean reverent fear, terror, or dread. Many believers see the fear of the Lord simply as respect or reverence. There are other words in Hebrew for mere respect, reverence, or honor, such as "kabad". Reverence, honor and respect for God are great things and are to be embraced, but the true fear of God moves us even beyond this. Jonah 1:16 ESV Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows. This Jonah verse reminds me of a lot of unbelievers today who get into a critical life crisis. "Lord get me out of this and I will do this and that and serve you all the days of my life". The fear here is a terror and dread. Psalms 90:11-12 ESV Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? (12) So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalms 119:120 ESV My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. When we think of the FEAR OF GOD, what comes to mind? Sometimes I believe that many Christians see God like the Wizard of Oz when it comes to FEAR. Small wonder we try to "explain away" the fear of God when we have such misunderstandings roaming through the Body of Christ.
Something deep within many in the Body of Christ says, "The FEAR of God is all an illusion." "Surely, behind the curtain over there, there must be a cute little man pulling levers to make all the smoke and flames." Some might even say, "If we really knew Him, we'd see that God is just a gentle old man sitting on His throne, who means well, but is really harmless." Who really is the object of our prayer, praise, and worship? Do we know the revealed God of Scripture, or do we believe in a God who is like the Wizard of Oz? We must realize how effective the enemy is at lying and misrepresenting the true nature of God to us, and repent of any false views we may have of our heavenly Father. Otherwise our knowledge of God will remain flawed. Will we truly fear God? The Father will teach us if we want to learn. Psalms 34:11 ESV Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalms 89:6-8 ESV For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, (7) a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? (8) O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? Psalms 76:7 ESV But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? All of us should remember the incredible act of faith of Abraham when the Lord told him to put his son, his only son, on a altar. The story os recorded in Gen.22:1-19. But the key verse is Gen.22:12.
Gen 22:12 KJV And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Abraham, I know that you FEAR God. It does not say "I know that you LOVE God", but "I know that you FEAR God". What a statement! The Hebrew word is H3373 yârê' yaw-ray' meaning Fearing; Morally reverent: afraid, fear or fearful. This is the same Word used 62 times in the Old Testament. In fact a great story to read would be Gen.42. The sons of Jacob did not recognize their brother Joseph who had been sold into Egypt and elevated into a place of prominence. But they were so distant from the heart of God that they did recognize the statement of Joseph. He said that he feared (a place of awe or reverence) God (Elohim, a Word used only by the Jews to identify the One True God). Gen 42:18 KJV And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live; for I fear God: We have great examples to follow in learning to sit, stand and walk in the fear of our God. The Church has been in a state of tolerance and compromise for over a generation now (40-60 years). This was started by the state of lawlessness imposed upon us by the enemy during the 1960's rebellious drug culture of "make love, not war". I was a part of that group. Thank you Lord for mercy, grace, and forgivness.
Love vs. War! Opposites! I always wonder about opposites. The church gets this really messed up. Like what do you think the opposite of God's love is? We typically would say that the opposite of love is hate. It is not "hate" but "fear". God's perfect (mature) love casts out fear. What are some of the MAJOR fears that plague the church? Well, we know we have fears like fear of snakes, spiders, heights, water, failure, rejection and etc. However, the two major fears in the body of Christ is the fear of man and fear of death. But what is that stands against tolerance, compromise, the fear of death and the fear of man? It is the FEAR OF GOD! When we fear God (Sit in a place of total AWE of the majestic One), then we will walk in righteous indignation and hate sin the way God the Father hates sin, therefore, there will be no room for tolerance and compromise. Therefore, we will stop renaming sin so it will be more socially accepted. ALSO, when we fear God and accept His Word totally, we know longer walk in the fear of death and the fear of man. When we no longer fear man we start calling sin what God calls it. When righteous indignation overwhelms us then abortion is no longer called a "choice" but murder. Homosexuality is no longer an "alternate lifestyle" but an abomination (unnatural act) before God. Alcoholism will no longer be called a "disease" but drunkedness. I'm not picking on a few "pet" sins, but giving examples of a multitude of sins that we, as a sinful, worldly people have renamed so that sin loses its sinfulness. Moral injustice should not be defined by the society, the culture, or the age in which we live just because Christians fear man more than we fear God. Moral injustice will be and should always be defined by the Word of God and the Character of God. This will only happen in the church, the body of Christ, when believers embrace the fear of God over the fear on man and stop walking in a state of tolerance and compromise. RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION...BIRTHED OUT OF THE FEAR OF GOD...MAY IT BE AN INCURABLE HEART CONDITION FOR US ALL! POST #1 THE FEAR OF GOD
THE FEAR OF GOD AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD STAND TOGETHER! H3373 yârê' yaw-ray' Fearing; Morally reverent: afraid, fear or fearful. The Hebrew word "yare" means reverence and awe but is not limited to that. It also means fear, fearful and afraid. I want to spend time expounding this over the next few studies. If we fear anything other than God, we are being deceived from the truth of God's Word. God is the only Person, Deity, or object in the universe worthy of our fear. Fear And Sovereignty In Scripture and in personal experience, the fear of God is closely linked to the illumination of His sovereignty. The sovereignty of God is the absolute authority, rule, and government of God in the whole of all that exists. The sovereignty of God is a truth that respects His relationship of final authority to all other beings or man-made gods. Therefore the sovereign relationship of God towards all time, space, matter, and mankind states that God possesses and exercises this absolute authority, rule, and government because He is GOD. Therefore, a proper understanding in the sovereignty of God would be to properly understand the FEAR of GOD. Job 23:13-16 ESV But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. (14) For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. (15) Therefore I am terrified at his presence; when I consider, I am in dread of him. (16) God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; |
AuthorCharles Morris. Founder and Senior Pastor of RSI Ministry, RSI School of Ministry, and RSI Publishing L.L.C.. Archives
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