God Fearing

[The Parson]

Here's a subject I haven't seen discussed much. To fear God. Are you a God fearing man or woman???

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Can you define what God fearing means?

[Brother Mike]

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Well, I will comment on this verse in Matthew first.

The context here is to the Jewish people during the tribulation. There will much hatred coming to them from both the antichrist and their fellow unsaved brethren. They will have a choice. The antichrist and his followers can only cause physical death. If these remain unsaved, they will be looking at eternity in hell. Otherwise, they will enjoy an eternity in heaven.

There is of course, application to the unsaved and saved in this world. There are only two paths that lead to eternity.

Also, before this comes up, this verse is often used to justify annihilationism. This is borne out in 2Th 1:9 as the ultimate punishment from the presence of God. Not the destruction of the soul.

[The Parson]

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Well, I will comment on this verse in Matthew first.
The context here is to the Jewish people during the tribulation. There will much hatred coming to them from both the antichrist and their fellow unsaved brethren. They will have a choice. The antichrist and his followers can only cause physical death. If these remain unsaved, they will be looking at eternity in hell. Otherwise, they will enjoy an eternity in heaven.
There is of course, application to the unsaved and saved in this world. There are only two paths that lead to eternity.

I don't see where I'd disagree with you Brother.

Also, before this comes up, this verse is often used to justify annihilationism. This is borne out in 2Th 1:9 as the ultimate punishment from the presence of God. Not the destruction of the soul.

Yes, I know. And it seems a weak argument at best...

[Brother Mike]

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Part Deux

To the unsaved, there should be a healthy fear of God in them, but alas there is not:

Psalm 36:1 (KJV) The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Romans 3:18 (KJV)  There is no fear of God before their eyes.

To the unsaved, they cannot and will not, understand the many attributes of God that provides the saving Grace through Jesus Christ.

Saved people know God as kind, loving, and merciful. But God is also holy. He is a judge, and consuming fire:

Hebrews 12:29 (KJV)  For our God is a consuming fire.

We do not fear God, as saved individuals, as the unsaved. Our collective view of the attributes of our God bring us a reverence and awe which results in our obedience to Him, and his will. We have recognized the Godly fear that brought us to salvation and it is this now that, through which we are motivated, properly and wisely to our Christian service and to glorify and worship Him as such.

In summary, the fear of the Lord (1) is the beginning of knowledge (Pr 1:7); (2) is to hate evil (Pr 8:13); (3) prolongeth days (Pr 10:27); is strong confidence (Pr 14:26); is a fountain of life (Pr 14:27); is riches and honor and life (Pr 22:4).

[Buckshot]

I think of a saved persons fear of God as fear of a chainsaw. A chainsaw is an awesome tool and I really enjoy using them but know they are capable of horrible distraction and pain. I realize God is much greater and more powerful than a chainsaw and also not a tool for our use.With God, He can bless, withdraw blessing, discipline, etc. the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge so I think we should all keep a good helping of it.

[Fenris]

Let's have a look at Exodus 1:

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.

We find an amazing thing. Because the midwives feared God, they did not do as Pharaoh ordered. In other words, the fear of God lifts from us the fear of man.  It gives us the freedom to act according to our conscience and disobey wicked orders. It seems to me that this is why dictators and autocrats hate God so much, because it relegates them to lower status and removes control from them.

[The Parson]

I think of a saved persons fear of God as fear of a chainsaw. A chainsaw is an awesome tool and I really enjoy using them but know they are capable of horrible distraction and pain. I realize God is much greater and more powerful than a chainsaw and also not a tool for our use.With God, He can bless, withdraw blessing, discipline, etc. the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge so I think we should all keep a good helping of it.

Wow, that's a wonderful analogy.

[journeyman]

Here's a subject I haven't seen discussed much. To fear God. Are you a God fearing man or woman???

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Can you define what God fearing means?

To me, to fear God is to have reverence for the thimgs he does, because of who he is. Like Jesus showimg love to people who not only didn't llove him, but abused him. The image of the invisible God. That just blows me away.

[The Parson]

That just blows me away.

Me too journeyman. Me too!!!

[Redeemed]

The fear of God seems to me to consist of great love, respect and awe. It's not God Himself that we fear per se it's the fear of letting Him down much like well taught and obedient children have great respect and love for their parents and very much want to please.
We are to come to hate sin and love righteousness as much as God does yet, as Paul said, we all at times do what we hate. The fear of God IMO is the fear love of self overriding our love of God.

[greenonions]

I think fearing God is to regard God as being capable of bringing great harm, and being careful not to displease Him (e.g. sin).

Psalm 2:11 Serve Yahweh with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way,
    for his wrath will soon be kindled.
    Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.

However, we should not fear our standing on the day of judgment when we believe in Jesus and have evidence of being born again, namely that we demonstrate God's love toward one another.

1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. ... 17 In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.

Also, we should not fear God so that we stay away from Him, but we need to draw near.

Hebrews 4:16 Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.

David was afraid of God after Uzzah died, and didn't want to bring the ark to Jerusalem, but then God blessed the household of Obed Edom and David changed his mind. (2 Samuel 6:1-12)

Here's a subject I haven't seen discussed much. To fear God. Are you a God fearing man or woman???

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Can you define what God fearing means?