Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.

        Hebrews 4:1-2

It’s stated quite often in our culture today…it’s the mantra of “faith over fear” and yes, for those of us who belong to Christ, we are to live without fear (1 John 4:18). But there is a fear that is valuable and this fear can, quite literally, serve us well. It is the fear of the Lord. Consider these words:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

    Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If anyone should desire to take on the label of being wise, they must first experience and understand the fear of the Lord. This fear, as spoken of in the Proverbs, is a reverent respect and awe for God. It is to understand the reality that He is the Creator and we are the creation. It is a realization that He is perfect, righteous, and holy and we are not. The fear of the Lord brings with it the knowledge that He alone is worthy of our complete devotion, worship, and loyalty. But perhaps most importantly, it brings these four (4) things into our lives. The fear of the Lord:

1. Brings us to the end of ourselves

2. Allows us to see our spiritual state apart from Christ

3. Opens the way for us to run to the cross

4. Brings spiritual life and eternal salvation as we surrender our lives to Jesus

Put another way, no one can come to saving faith in Jesus unless they first come to the realization that they are completely empty, spiritually dead, and without hope apart from Christ. This is what the fear of the Lord does and it is highly effective for ushering in salvation to anyone who discovers it. 

There is a line in the famous hymn “Amazing Grace” that demonstrates the constructive aspect to this fear. Consider these words:

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear,

The hour I first believed!

Amazing Grace

John Newton, 1779

It is the grace of God in our lives that brings about the fear of the Lord. And as we correctly assess our lives in light of this revelation, we can then call on the One who came to save us. It is through faith in Jesus alone that brings about this salvation. And what happens to fear after conversion? Our fears are then “relieved!” This is why Newton could say that grace taught him to fear and that the very same grace that brought him to that reality now had the power to relieve all of the unnecessary fear in his life. So, as Christians, we are to live apart from fear but it is the fear of the Lord that brings us to that glorious reality. The power of God, the power of Christ, now calms our fears as we rest in the love, peace, and acceptance that we now have as a result of being in Christ. This is what the writer of Hebrews is conveying. We need to fear if the promises of God remain yet we find ourselves coming short of them (something we will discuss next time.)

The promises of God are true and sure and every born again believer in Jesus should rely on and enjoy them as we walk in a personal relationship with Christ. As a believer, there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1). As Christians, we enjoy spiritual life stemming from the Spirit of God living within our hearts (Acts 2:38). This is not the reality for those who dwell outside of Christ (Romans 8:9) and that should be the greatest reason to fear. Yet we see multitudes of people moving through life without, at least outwardly, the slightest concern for eternity or their spiritual well being. But that is what the fear of the Lord can accomplish. It can move us from being apathetic and complacent about the things of God to saving faith, a brand new life, and a personal relationship with Christ. The gospel is good news but in order to receive it we must first come to the end of ourselves and that realization happens only when we rightly assess our lives and our spiritual state apart form Christ. There is an effective, valuable, constructive, and glorious fear and it is one that, indeed, will serve us well…the fear of the Lord!

Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you experienced the fear of the Lord? 

Call on Him today! He will meet you right where you are!