Hello elijah23! Thanks for posting this.
To answer your question, yes with respect, for Christians, "The fear of the Lord" engenders more of a healthy respect for the Lord and His teachings, in that we know that the consequences for sin can be very severe. Let me please illustrate.
We as Christians must fear God. If we fear men who can kill our bodies, how much more should we fear the One Who can kill both body and soul? Yes, grace and love adorn (should adorn) a true born again Christian’s walk with Christ. Yes, God has granted us that grace through the blood of His Son, and the assurance of His salvation! Praise Him for it! But…God HATES SIN. Even the sins of His people, despite the grace and forgiveness He bestows. If God so hates sin, His people must also. If we hate our sins, our fear is engendered out of a love for a holy God, because we know how seriously He looks upon sin, and therefore we fear to willfully sin against Him… Like Job, making a covenant with our eyes. Has God changed from His character in the OT? No. With Him still there is no shadow of turning, according to the Scriptures. Though He imparts love and grace to His people so expressed in character of our LORD Jesus Christ, yet He will, as our loving heavenly Father, chasten us for the sins we willfully commit against Him, though He forgive us. This is for our good, His glory, and to encourage willful obedience in us, promoting a fear akin to godliness. For us then: taking God seriously and at His Word.
Paul speaks this encouraging piece to us:
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.â€
A blogger friend of mine further illustrates the point this way:
“Fear†is not a proper translation. “Awe†is a better word and for a saved person, I have never stopped being in awe of God. There are many Scriptures to verify that this is not limited to the unsaved.
The Fear of the Lord†(YIRAH JEHOVAH) (YIRAH) comes from a root word meaning a feeling of dread. (DEUT 2:25; GEN 3:10; 32:11; PSALM 119:120) This is a fear of God’s Holiness and power and produces a reverential awe of Him. (JOB 37:22-24; PSALM 33:8) The best way to describe this is a respect for God’s uncompromising holiness as the basis in all His dealings with mankind. (JONAH 1:10-16; EXODUS 14:31) Man is awed by anything that dwarfs his/her power. Fear of the Lord is awe for His sovereign power. (PSALM 8:1-4; ECCL 12:13) Stand in reverential awe of God. In order to avoid undermining this awe, keep His commandments. You can then fulfill your role as a priest of God, as an ambassador of God and as a soldier of God. (DEUT 10:12)
a. One of the consequences of the fear of the Lord is that it keeps one from doing things that are evil. (EX 20:18-19; PROV 16:6; JOB 1:1)
b. The fear of the Lord is the basis of all wisdom. (PSALM 111:10; PROV 15:13)
c. The fear of God is the first principle of divine viewpoint knowledge. (PROV 1:7)
d. The fear of the Lord is the source of personal happiness and prosperity. (PSALM 34:9:
112:1-3; ECCL 8:12-13; PSALM 128:1-4; 34:9)
e. The fear of the Lord extends one’s physical life. (DEUT 6:2; PROV 24:7; 19:23; 10:27; PSALM 33:18-19)
f. The fear of the Lord provides access to divine help in time of need. (PSALM 145:19)
g. The fear of the Lord is the mark of one in whom God takes pleasure. (PSALM 147:7)
h. The fear of the Lord prevents the economic abuse of others. (LEV 25:14-17, 35-43; NEH 5:1-5)
i. People who do not fear God cannot be trusted. (GEN 20:11)
j. Those who fear God do not turn away from Him and His Word. (JER 32:39-40)
k. Those who govern men in the fear of the Lord, rule in righteousness and are a source of refreshment and blessing. (2SAM 23:3-4)
l. The early New Testament Christians were characterized by a Spirit of the Fear of the LORD. (ACTS 9:31)
m. God is to be feared because He has power over one’s physical life and eternal destinay as well (LUKE 12:4-5)
n. The fear of the LORD is developed through the learning of Bible doctrine truth. (DEUT 31:9-13)
o. The fear of the LORD will preserve a person from idolatry (JOSH 24:14-15)
p. The fear of the Lord preserves a nation from military conquest (2KINGS 17:39)
q. The fear of the Lord secures infinite mercy for those who fall into sin. (PSALM 103:8, 12-18)
r. Believers should seek close friendships only with those who fear the Lord. (PSALM 119:63)
s. Those who are placed in positions of civil authority, are to be those only who fear the Lord (EX 18:21)
t. The fear of the Lord prevents a heartless abuse of the physically handicapped. (LEV 19:14)
u. The fear of the Lord preserves a respect for the aged. (LEV 19:32)
v. God’s great desire for His children is that they would so fear Him that they would obey His commandments. (DEUT 5:29)
w. Failure to fear the Lord leads to disobedience of His commandments and results in chastening of physical illness. (DEUT 28:58-61)
MARANATHA++++
John Bunyan 1628-1688 once wrote,
Christian, let God's distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear Him greatly. He has put His fear in your heart, and may not have given that blessing to your neighbor, perhaps not to your husband, your wife, your child, or your parent. Oh, what an obligation should this thought lay upon your heart to greatly fear the Lord! Remember also that this fear of the Lord is His treasure, a choice jewel, given only to favorites, and to those who are greatly beloved.
Mathew Henry, commentary writer and theologian writes,
In order to the attaining of all useful knowledge this is most necessary, that we fear God; we are not qualified to profit by the instructions that are given us unless our minds be possessed with a holy reverence of God, and every thought within us be brought into obedience to Him.... As all our knowledge must take rise from the fear of God, so it must tend to it as its perfection and centre. Those know enough who know how to fear God, who are careful in every thing to please Him and fearful of offending Him in any thing; this is the Alpha and Omega of knowledge.
To conclude, does fearing the Lord mean "a dread of the Lord because we think he might do something awful to us without any warning?" For the unbeliever, yes. For the born again Christian, no. Christian blogger Douglas Summers writes,
The whole of the Gospel is about the judgment upon mankind by God for their disobedience. But the good news of the Gospel is the promise of God to those who would accept it was mercy and Grace in the Savior...
How did we overcome? (1 John Chapter 2; 5:1-5) (Rev.12:11). We love God, That love came from His Spirit of rebirth…We have His Spiritual DNA. That is the GUARANTEE of the purchased possession that Christ claimed to Martha and all,â€They shall never see deathâ€.(John 10:27-30; 11:23-27). You see, there is a peace for us that goes beyond understanding. The world can not have it….nor understand it.(Phil.4:4-7; Eph.2:14-15). But we are grieved by the flesh and it’s waywardness, and there will always be a conflict between the two until that final day, but we have peace in God...
Let me close with Bernie Koerselman.
++Perhaps you’ve heard, as I have, that to fear God means we’re to be in awe of God and reverence him. Certainly we should be in awe of God and reverence him. But is that what Scripture means when it says to fear him?
Examining the issue, “Should Christians Fear God?,†is not beating the wind – a futile exercise without purpose. Instead, for many it may be a watershed issue in their Christian lives. Because many teachings and doctrines within our churches today portray God only as all loving, many assume there is no reason to fear Him.
What Does Scripture Say About Fearing God? :armed
Having proved the falsity of the statement that there is nothing we can do to cause God to love us more and nothing we can do to have him love us less, we are now prepared to examine what it means to “fear†God.
At Isaiah 8:13-14, God spoke to Isaiah saying,
“The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.â€
That sounds like a lot more than just reverence and awe, doesn’t it? There is something about the word “dread†that almost makes me shudder. It would appear from the statement that our fear and dread of God may arise from regarding him as holy.
As one would expect, if this is an important subject Jesus would speak to it. He did and clearly answered our question. He said:
“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him (Luke 12:4-5).
Would a person normally be afraid of someone who would kill us? Likely so. It is the most natural emotion, probably instilled in us by God to promote our survival. At the most basic level such fear would cause us to run or fight. But Jesus said not to be afraid of those who kill the body. Jesus said to fear someone far greater, someone who has the power to throw us into hell. He emphasized it, saying, “Yes, I tell you, fear him.â€
Who is it that has the power to throw us into hell? It is only God. For those without a saving faith, that will happen at the great white throne judgment:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11).
Isn’t it strange that so many people seem to have it backwards? They seem fearful of those who will kill the body, but seem to have no fear of God.
Ultimately we are raised to eternal life or condemned to hell because of our faith or our unbelief. Paul warned the Gentiles of the need to persevere in the faith, using the examples of the Jews who had been broken off because of unbelief. He warned that the same could happen to them:
You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.†Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either (Romans 11:19-21).
In an age of false doctrines and false claims about salvation, Paul warned the Philippian believers:
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, . . . (Philippians 2:12).
Why would they work out their salvation with fear and trembling? If they were careless, if they did not obey the true gospel, they could have believed in vain (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-2) and be condemned to hell. Today, with the proliferation of false doctrines, wouldn’t there be an even greater need for us to approach our salvation with fear and trembling?
The Beginning of Wisdom
For those of us who revere and honor God’s word, we know that when God says repeatedly that we will be judged according to what we have done, he means what he says. We also know that if we choose evil behavior instead of righteousness we will be cast into the lake of fire. Surely we must fear our God who will not depart from his word. Just as the scriptures above have stated, we should be highly motivated to live out our faith in our Lord Jesus, knowing that in the books of heaven all our deeds (and thoughts and attitudes) are being recorded.
Finally, our works, our obedience, and the fruit we bear for God are not so we can earn salvation. Our salvation is by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus as our Lord. As the reformers were fond of saying, we are saved by faith alone but a faith that saves is never alone. Our works, our obedience, and the fruit we show to the world are evidence to God, to ourselves, and to others that we have a living, saving faith in our Lord Jesus.
Fear of God motivates us to be strong and persevere in the faith. In the face of terrible persecutions many of our ancestors in the faith refused to deny the faith. They feared God more than they feared the loss of their lives or the pain, suffering, and torture of persecution.
Fear of God motivates us to avoid evil and live obedient, righteous and holy lives before God and man. For those who live obedient, righteous and holy lives there is no fear when they are judged “according to what they have done.†+++
http://www.inplainsite.org/html/should_ ... r_god.html
God bless the brethren,
In Him
~Fay L.
The lord punishes us like a father who punishes their children to teach them the error of their ways. Not because he's simply vengeful, but because he loves us. God is love