Desk of Dennis PillerFearlessly Courageous3 20 2023Click for Audio Version
The Awe and Fear of God
The Bible emphasizes both the awe and the fear of God. In Proverbs 1:7 it says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” This verse shows that the fear of God is essential in understanding His wisdom. In Psalm 33:8 it says, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” This verse shows that everyone should have a healthy reverence for God. In Isaiah 8:13 it says, “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.” This verse emphasizes the importance of having a deep reverence for God.The fear of God isn’t being afraid of God to where you withdraw or stay away from Him. The fear of the Lord keeps us from hiding from Him. What we should be terrified about is being apart from God… Being estranged from him. Being lukewarm to him. That is something to be terrified of, but sadly it is typically not how most Christians see God. When we come to the truth, of being afraid of not walking with him daily, we have moved off of the milk of his word and have started eating the meat of it. A walk that is personal. A walk that is one of reverence and awe of His magnificent Holiness.
So I asked myself; How do I do that? I want to be more Holy…I want to be more humble…I want to be more like him every day.
1. One way to stay in this state of reverence and repentance before God is to make sure you are spending time in prayer. Ask him to show you. Believe and have faith that he will. Prayer means regularly talking to God about your struggles, worries, and needs and asking for His help. 2. Spend time studying the Bible and learning about God's character along with how holy he is and His will for your life. John Bevere said, “Authentic Holiness isn't bondage; it's true freedom."So often, as people, we measure holiness by human standards, comparing ourselves to others. But that holiness leads to bondage. God's holiness is freeing; it allows me to be genuinely holy and be how God made me.
If Lucifer stood in the very presence of God and chose not to fear the Lord, Matt 1:1-11 we who have yet to see God in this magnitude should beware not to make that same mistake.
"Pride and the spirit of Religion" are the two sneaky demons who cover each other so people are oblivious to their self-deception. Consider these two spirits at play when you walk out your days with reverent fear and trembling before God’s holiness. Beware of these spirits or demons that will lull you off into that area that does not stand in Awe of God! Remember to put on the full armor of God before you start your day. Eph 6;12
3. Meditating on God's word:Thinking deeply about what it means to be holy as God is holy?God's holiness means He is TRANSCENDENT. ( Helpful Synonyms are: glorious, incomprehensible, and inscrutable) Every individual aspect of God is so uniquely glorious that it cannot be fully measured or comprehended. He is beyond the limits and borders of every other thing; He is greater in every way than all else.
A commentary on this verse says:When God tells us to be holy, he refers to our thoughts and actions in our own lives as we strive to follow God. In Leviticus 20:26, God told the Israelites he had set them apart. In Leviticus 19:2 God has Moses reminding the people that their calling is to "be holy as God is holy."
God commanded Moses to address these precepts to all the congregation of the children of Israel—a phrase which occurs nowhere else in Leviticus.
“As the surroundings of the king must bear the moral imprint of the sovereign;” or, in other words, your nearness to God not only demands that your conduct should not contradict His holy nature, but that your life should bear the imprint and reflect the image of God”. (See Leviticus 11:44; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15.)He is teaching real separation from the world and the flesh and an entire devotedness to God and him alone. He wants every thought brought unto submission… into obedience to God! Only God is to be held in Awe. The Fear of the Lord, includes inward reverence and esteem, along with outward respect and obedience. God is the one who will make you holy. He warns us not to waver and turn to the false Gods that will make us miserable and cause us to lose our way and lose our heart and awe and fear for God.
True holiness leads to intimacy. My wife and I stayed holy (celibate) in our courtship before marriage. This is the type of holiness God wants from us. This type of holiness is grounded in a relationship…friendship…intimacy.
Finally, spend time with God in nature and in worship and stay grounded with other believers to stay accountable to his call to Holiness. Great are you Lord. Casting Crownshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZqV6i98SkA
