No one shall see the Lord without holiness, without following after holiness. (Heb. 12:14, Matt. 5:8)
The fear of the Lord……what is it?
It is an internal disposition that produces emotions of fear, dread, and dismay at the thought of displeasing the eternal God. It is a deeply unsettling uneasiness at the potential of displeasing Him. This disposition makes it impossible to sin against Him lightly, wholeheartedly, persistently.
It extinguishes carelessness and impudence and self-will. It drives one to seek the face of God in humility with a desire to know the will of God, to find God’s will and then to follow and obey His will.
Certainly, the fear of the Lord is pure and enduring forever (Ps. 19). It moves one to depart from evil….to actually hates evil (Prov. 16:6, 8:13). There is absolutely nothing corrupt about it. It is the well-spring of wisdom, the beginning of it (Prov. 9:10).
The fear of the Lord is the gracious work of the Holy Spirit, evident in all those who are filled with Him (Isa. 11:2). No one can be filled with the Holy Spirit and not be filled with the fear of the Lord. When one is walking in obedience to the Lord, in deep reverence and careful obedience to Him, His Spirit comforts them.
Assuredly, in the fear of the Lord, there is comfort. It is the comfort of eternal safety, of strong confidence. It brings the assurance of being grounded on the solid rock, the hope of God’s ultimate purpose being fulfilled in us, the joy of His name being magnified, the fullness of His good pleasure in us.
“….we should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear, because our God is like a fire that burns things up”. Heb. 12:28b-29 NCV
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