Fear God, 211

~ Christian Leaders Who Feared God ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

Christian Leader Examples  ~  The following is not an exhaustive list of leaders who feared God – but rather a list of some of those individuals where we have clear quotes from them indicating the importance of the fear of God (arranged alphabetically).

John Calvin ~ “Without the fear of God, men do not even observe justice and charity among themselves.” 

Oswald Chambers ~ “The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.” 

Sinclair Ferguson ~ “The fear of the Lord tends to take away all other fears.”  

William Gurnall ~ “We fear man so much because we fear God so little.  One fear cures another… when man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to meditate on the wrath of God.                                

Vance Havner ~ “People used to blush when they were ashamed.  Now they are ashamed if they blush.  Modesty has disappeared and a brazen generation with no fear of God before its eyes mocks at sin.  We are so fond of being called tolerant and broadminded that we wink at sin when we ought to weep.” 

R.C. Sproul ~ “Martin Luther made an important distinction concerning the fear of God.  He distinguished between servile fear and filial fear.  He described servile fear as that kind of fear a prisoner has for his torturer.  Filial fear is the fear of a son who loves his father and does not want to offend him or let him down.  It is a fear born of respect.  When the Bible calls us to fear God, it is issuing a call to fear born of reverence, awe, and adoration.  It is a respect of the highest magnitude. …  Ask God to give you filial fear for Him, and attitude of reverence, awe, and adoration.”        

“Trusting God in bad times does not guarantee that you will trust Him in good times.  Only the fear of God in you can guarantee you will trust God in the good times.” 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (“The Prince of Preachers”) ~ “The fear of God is the death of every other fear.  Like a mighty lion, it chases all other fears before it.”

“A godless world is a lawless world.  Anarchy comes in when the fear of God goes out; and all the mischiefs that you can imagine, and much more, rush in like a flood.”             

“As for me, I have braved the sneer of men because I feared the frown of my Lord.”                      

Paul Washer ~ “In the Old Testament, and especially in its wisdom literature, the fear of the Lord is exalted as an absolute essential element in the truly pious or godly life.  So much so, that the godly remnant in Israel was often referred to as ‘they that feared the Lord.’”

This Week’s Passages  ~  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.  His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

Closing Quote  ~ “To be a fool in Biblical terms is not to be dimwitted or lacking intelligence: it is to be immoral.  As the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, so the denial of God is the height of foolishness.” (R.C. Sproul)

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will.  

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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