What does it mean to Fear God? What is the Difference between "Awe-full" and "Awful"?


Most people ask the question what does it mean to "fear the Lord". I thought God loved us why should we fear him?  It often stems from reading the verse, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 9:10 So let's unpack what that means. 

The word fear in the bible could easily be translated "awe".  When the angels showed up to people in the bible they usually calmed them down by saying "fear not".  The angels showed the glory of the Lord which is what we might say was "awe-ful" or left people full of awe.  

We normally use the word "aweful" in a negative sense, but it originally meant to be "full of awe" or "inspiring". Read online as to how the word has morphed into a negative, dreadful word.  A better word is "awesome".  If it was that awesome for the disciples to experience the holiness and glory of the Lord, how much more to be in God's presence.

Fear is also respect.  We often fear so many things in this life in an unhealthy way.  We fear outcomes that rarely happen, which creates lots of anxiety and stress.  You may be experiencing a lot of this during the Corona Virus epidemic.  But there is also a healthy fear of this virus which results in taking the proper precautions such as washing hands and social distancing. The bible helps us to see the difference between healthy fear and unhealthy fear.  

The bible says in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." This healthy fear is often lost on society.  But we can't use this to be manipulating to people.  I.e. You better fear God or you will go to hell, as has often been used in church history.  

So we fear God out of awe and respect.  But there are other places in the bible that put fear of God in proper perspective and how God doesn't want us to "fear" in another sense.  For instance the verse, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

My personal favorite, "Perfect love casts out all fear."  1 John 4:18 Or, "I did not give you a spirit of fear/timidity but one of power, love and self control." (this is a great verse for anxiety too!) 2 Timothy 1:7

So though we fear God, we know that He loves us unconditionally. We use this perfect, unconditional love that he showed us by sending His Son to cast out awful, dreadful fear, and intimidating fear.  I love this verse on how much God loves us! 

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do not be full of fear friends, cast your anxieties and cares on God for He cares for you!  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more