THE FEAR OF THE LORD

WHAT IS THE FEAR OF THE LORD?

Psalm 19:9: "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever ..."
Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom ..."
Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge ..."
Proverbs 8:13: "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil ..."
Proverbs 14:26: "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence ..."
Proverbs 14:27: "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death."
Proverbs 15:33: "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom ..."
Isaiah 33:6: "... the fear of the LORD is His treasure."

GOD CALLS PEOPLE TO SALVATION, BUT MOST PEOPLE DESPISE HIS INSTRUCTION IN WISDOM:

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7) "Come, ye children, hearken unto Me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." (Psalm 34:11-14)

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS TO LOVE HOLINESS AND HATE EVIL:

"The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19:9) "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." (Proverbs 8:13) "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off." (Proverbs 23:17-18)

PRIDE AND ARROGANCE KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHOOSING SALVATION IN CHRIST:

"For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of My counsel: they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." (Proverbs 1:29-31) "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: ... And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols He shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (Isaiah 2:10-12, 17-22)

HUMBLE REPENTANCE IS ESSENTIAL IN CHOOSING SALVATION IN CHRIST:

"Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith." (Proverbs 15:16) "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility." (Proverbs 15:33) "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life." (Proverbs 22:4)

GOD'S WORD IS THE SOURCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF GOD:

"And unto man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28) "If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:4-6) "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." (Psalm 111:10)

GOD'S MERCY AND TRUTH IS THE SOURCE OF SALVATION AND ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE:

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." (Proverbs 16:6) "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14:26-27) "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by Me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased." (Proverbs 9:10-11) "The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened." (Proverbs 10:27) "The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil." (Proverbs 19:23) "The LORD is exalted; for He dwelleth on high: He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is His treasure." (Isaiah 33:5-6)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST JUDGES ALL MEN EQUITABILITY BASED ON THE CHOICE THEY MAKE CONCERNING HIM:

"And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him [Jesus Christ], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall he slay the wicked." (Isaiah 11:2-3)

THE FRUIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD:

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God." (Isaiah 50:10) "What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall He teach in the way that he shall choose." (Psalm 25:12) "Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments." (Psalm 112:1) "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30) "Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in His ways." (Psalm 128:1)



NOTES:

GOD CALLS PEOPLE TO SALVATION, BUT MOST PEOPLE DESPISE HIS INSTRUCTION: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29) "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6) "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25)

THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS TO LOVE HOLINESS AND HATE EVIL: "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart ... to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." (Deuteronomy 30:6) "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted Word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)

PRIDE AND ARROGANCE KEEP PEOPLE FROM CHOOSING SALVATION IN CHRIST: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Titus 3:5) "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith." (Romans 3:24-27)

HUMBLE REPENTANCE IS ESSENTIAL IN CHOOSING SALVATION IN CHRIST: "I tell you ..., except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3) "... Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. " (James 4:6-10)

GOD'S WORD IS THE SOURCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF GOD: "Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth ..." "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation ..." (Ephesians 1:13) "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4:1-2)

GOD'S MERCY AND TRUTH IS THE SOURCE OF SALVATION AND ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL LIFE: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." (1 Peter 1:2-3) "... And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are One. ... And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 John 5:6-7, 11) "And hereby we know that we are of the Truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (1 John 3:19-20) "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." (1 Peter 1:22-23) "Jesus answered, ... for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Every one that is of the Truth heareth My voice." (John 18:37) "Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth." (John 17:17) "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalm 25:10) "He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him." (Psalm 61:7) "But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15) "Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face." (Psalm 89:14) "He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." (Psalm 98:3) "For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations." (Psalm 100:5) "He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth." (Psalm 57:3) "Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust." (Psalm 16:1) "Withhold not thou Thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth continually preserve me." (Psalm 40:11) "The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore." (Psalm 121:7-8) "... I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." (2 Timothy 1:12)

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST JUDGES EVERY MAN EQUITABILITY BASED ON THE CHOICE WE MAKE CONCERNING HIM: God is equitable and fair in His dispensing of salvation. It is based on a freewill receive it or reject it decision on man's part (Lamentations 3:31-36). "The wages of sin is death ..." (Romans 6:23). This is true for all men. The only difference between the saved and the lost is whose death: Christ's death in the sinners stead, or the sinner own eternal death in Hell for himself. It is the sinners choice. If he receives Christ (John 1:12) through repentance and faith he will be accepted into the family of God and be an hair with Christ (Romans 8:16-17; Revelation 21:7; 1 John 5:4-5). Furthermore, when sinners choose "the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 6:23) then Christ does not judge us according to the sins He has seen us commit, nor the evil He has heard come from our mouths, nor according to the sin that He knows is in our hearts, but He judges us on an on the equitable basis of our repentance of our sins, and faith in His promise of eternal life. It is His power and our reliance on Him that save us. Our choosing and receiving of the testimony of His Word which testifies to the salvation that is in Jesus Christ (Joshua 24:14-15; Isaiah 1:18-20).

THE FRUIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD: Whoever fears the Lord and receives Him, and walks in the light of His Word will be blessed (Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:21-25; Revelation 1:3). However the one who is saved and backslides will loose his rewards according to his works: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). The Lord will teach the saved in "the way that he shall choose" (Psalm 25:12), but if he will not obey the Lord will chasten him: "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:31-32) "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:6-11) But there is nothing in the Universe that can separate a child of God from his Lord (Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 7:25; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; John 10:27-29)


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