Fright, Part II

Scripture says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. That is so true. Even though we have been freed from the curse and wrath of God through faith in Jesus Christ, we must honor God with our fear and awe of Him. If you have read my posts entitled Worm then it is probably already apparent that humility plays a huge role in the development of our fear. We are to be truly afraid of Him, not because of what He will do to us but instead because of what He is capable of.

He is God and is to be treated as such. It is a great respect for His power. Thanks be to Jesus Christ (and ultimately God Himself) for the gift that He gives to us freely that totally brings us into peace and mercy which protects us from His wrath and the wrath to come in the last days. Trust this one thing, one day the entire world will fear Him and the fear will be so intense that it can not be compared to anything else the world has ever experienced. He will wake up the world to who He is so violently and abruptly that very few will be able to stand.

However, though these times may be difficult for even us, we are assured that He will deliver us just as He promises in His word. Be very afraid of the Almighty God for He is supreme above all other things. We must submit our lives to Him just as He gave His life for us.

^{Psalm 89:6-8}

⁶ For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD ?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?

⁷ In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.

⁸ O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?
You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Fright, Part I

There are two types of fear. Godly fear and earthly fear. Earthly fear is the fear of punishment or loss. So, what is different about godly fear? Now, that Jesus has secured our righteousness and our salvation we have no need to look at God as a judge and executioner.Those who believe in Christ are not to be afraid of God's punishment or His wrath.

Instead, Godly fear means to show God reverence and honor. He is God and there is no other. We have heard of His might and read stories of His great wrath towards injustice and wickedness so we know what He is capable of. However, once we know God exists and really believe that in our heart, the next step is to understand who He is. Once we understand God's nature through the teachings of the bible, we must seek to be like Him.

We serve Him and revere Him as King. We humble ourselves to His will and make ourselves servants to God's Kingship. My fear, (which I believe is the definition of godly fear), is to be without Him. I want to please God. I want His presence in my life. I want to be a part of His future kingdom. I fear His absence in my life and I am afraid of not pleasing Him. It is sort of funny but the outward expression of our fear looks the same as earthly fear but the reasons behind the expression is so different.

Psalm 128:1-4

1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.

2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.

4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.