Outcomes of fearing God (See Isaiah 40: 18-31)
There’s a sort of quick fix Christianity about today––Fast feel good theology. Some people look for an experience of God in meetings and moods. This falls very short of experiencing God in his revealed greatness.
In part one we discussed the joy of fearing God. A healthy fear of God is our response to thinking about his presence, character, word and work.
True fear of God affects us as we discover him in history, nature and Jesus.
In History (Discovering God in the Bible)
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. (Isa 40:22-24)
God is involved powerfully in the actions and destiny of rulers. Psalm 2 speaks of the kings of the earth challenging God. Hear God’s response: The one enthroned in heaven laughs and scoffs at them––and they are terrified
In Nature (Discovering God in the physical worlds)
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?.......... (26) Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isa 40:12) The Lord knows them all.
There are roughly 100 billion galaxies, each with about 100 billion stars.
God determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. (Ps 147:4)
God in Jesus: We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
When the disciple Thomas, who doubted, understood who Jesus was he said correctly: ‘My Lord and my God’ Thomas responded out of respectful awe/fear.
We exist to enjoy God and everything he has made. When we receive Jesus we enter a close relationship. We are joint heirs with him of everything he receives. (Romans 8) The thought that we can know and experience God like that is & awe-inspiring, yet true.
In the first part of this series we considered what it was to fear God. My main aim now is for us to think about the gifts and outcomes that come to us when we truly fear God. Now hear this: God enjoys us enjoying him.
The gifts. God has placed a basic fear (respect) of himself in the soul of every Christian. Two points: First, God says he will give singleness of heart & action to his people so that they will always fear him. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good (Jer 32:39)
It took the nation of Israel 70 years of exile in Babylon before thy realised that.
Second point: He promises to inspire us to fear him. As we respond to God with respectful awe/fear we become aware of his gifts to us. Here’s a small example of what we receive by fearing God.
From the Psalms: (25:14, 34:9-10, 103:11,17) Notice the relationship.
- The Lord confides In those who fear him & makes his covenant known to them.
- Those who fear him lack nothing & no good thing.
- As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.
- From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.
From the Proverbs: (8:13, 10:27, 19:23)
- To fear the Lord is to hate evil. New life brings new values.
- The fear of the Lord adds length to life. How’s forever sound?
- The fear of the Lord leads to life. – We discover what we had wasn’t life.
From Isaiah: He will be the sure fountain for your times, a rich store of salvation of wisdom & of knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. (33:6)
The treasure is Jesus: All that he has is available to his people: Rescue, Refreshment, Wisdom, and Knowledge. Then there is the great retirement plan: An everlasting and indestructible retirement home in heaven.
Outcomes from fearing God. True fear of God actually produces a great love of life and many happy days. Fear of God isn’t just an emotional feeling that hits us at times then fades away. True fear of God is a motivating life affirming value. It grows within us as we grow towards spiritual mature––We begin to see what the Lord is really like
We really do receive life changing gifts that come from a proper fear of God.
We may not have the overwhelming appearances of Old Testament prophets or New Testament apostles. We may not have the rich history of God interacting with the Jews. But we have Jesus. And he has a plan: We are in it, and every detail of it will be achieved––For the world and for the universe.
As we live in awe of him our lives will produce outcomes that build for eternity.
Hear the writer to the Hebrews:
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptable with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:28)
