Atos 9

Atos 9

Murray wrote that "Nothing could be more significant than that the fear of the Lord should be coupled with the comfort of the Holy Spirit as the characteristics of the New Testament church: So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. (Acts 9:31). Paul (2 Co 7:1+) and Peter (1Pe 1:17+) both use the fear of the Lord as a motive to holy and righteous living. The example of the Lord Jesus Himself, of Whom Isaiah said, “and He will delight in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:3+), should put the question beyond all doubt. If Jesus in His humanity delighted in the fear of God, surely we need to give serious thought to cultivating this attitude in our lives (1Pe 2:21+). (BORROW The Practice of Godliness page 18 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) David Jeremiah - WALK IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD We’re to walk with the wise, and we’re also to walk in the fear of the Lord. Consider the first-century example Luke records for us: “the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace.… And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). Walking in the fear of God, however, is an almost forgotten concept. Christians were once described as “God-fearing people,” and pastors preached about the fear of the Lord. Nowadays, though, we’re so eager to present the Gospel in an inoffensive way that we’ve gotten away from using—and practicing—the verb fear. Yet the phrase the fear of God appears repeatedly in Scripture. There are over 300 references to it in the Old Testament alone. In his book The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote this: In olden days men of faith were said to walk in the fear of God.… However intimate their communion with God, however bold their prayers, at the base of their religious life was the conception of God as awesome and dreadful. This idea of God transcendent runs through the whole Bible and gives color and tone to the character of saints.… Such a fear of God isn’t an unhealthy phobia, but a therapeutic sense of awe at His greatness. One way to cultivate this attitude is to visit a location that speaks of His grandeur. You might choose a classic cathedral where you can sit in silence awhile. Or you might find a mountain ledge or a thundering waterfall where the sheer, dangerous beauty of God’s creation makes you dizzy. Perhaps a camping trip away from city lights will allow you to gaze into the black sky and see the splendor of the stars. Spending time like this is a way to cultivate a reverence for God Almighty, Omnipotent, Holy, and Eternal. Don Fortner - ‘Walking in the fear of the Lord’ Read Proverbs 1:7–31 Believers are men and women who walk in the fear of the Lord. God’s people do not have a slavish dread of God. We are not afraid to speak to him and about him. We are not afraid that he will become angry with us, disinherit us, or punish us for sin. Faith in Christ removes that kind of terrifying fear. Yet the believer does not think, talk about, or seek to God carelessly, flippantly, without reverence for his infinite, glorious, righteous being. A true heart knowledge of the triune God will produce godly fear in a man’s heart. The fear of the Lord is simply reverence for him. It is much like the reverence a son has for his father, involving both love and respect. God has won the admiration of his children’s hearts, causing us to reverence him. We reverence his name, his being, his Word and his works. All that God is, all that has to do with him, all that he says and all that he does is held in high esteem by those who know him. This fear of The Lord shows itself in many ways. To fear God is to hate evil. The man who knows God hates the evil of his own heart and life, hates the evil performed by others and hates the evil of false doctrine, which robs God of his glory. ‘Those who fear the Lord are careful not to offend him. We cherish our fellowship with the eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And we take care not to grieve and offend him, because we want nothing to hinder the fellowship we enjoy. The heart that fears the Lord withholds nothing from him, no matter how dear and valuable, when he calls for it. To fear the Lord is to worship him. It is to worship God, as he is revealed in Scripture, in our hearts. Such fear of the Lord is progressive. Believers walk in the fear of the Lord. The more a man knows him, the more he fears him. God grant that I may be found ‘walking in the fear of the Lord’. Amen. Love That Fears - THE FEAR OF THE LORD felt by the saint is not a sick, cringing fear of punishment. It is, rather, the kind of confidence a young child has in her father. She is convinced that his power is much greater than anything that might harm her, and equally convinced that he will use his strength on her behalf. Thus she loves him deeply, “fears” him the most, and all the while rests in his care. ILLUSTRATION - I heard about this dead church where the pastor did something a little unusual. In the middle of the sermon he had everyone get up and greet one another. A lady that was new to the church approached a man that was sleeping. All the noise and stirring about woke the man up and he looked up and the lady stretched out her hand and said, “Hello, I’m Gladys Dunn.” The disgruntled man said, “Ma’am, I’m glad it’s done too!” That is not a healthy church. F B