act 09v31 Walking In The Fear Of The Lord
"WALKING IN
THE FEAR OF THE LORD"
Acts
Believers are men and women who walk in the fear of
the Lord. God's people do not have a slavish dread of God. We are not afraid to
speak to him and about him. We are not afraid that he will become angry with
us, disinherit us, or punish us for sin. Faith in Christ removes that kind of
terrifying fear. Yet, the believer does not think, talk about, or speak to God
carelessly, flippantly, without reverence for his infinite, glorious, righteous
Being. A true, heart knowledge of the Triune God will produce godly fear in a
man's heart.
The fear of the
Lord is simply REVERENCE for him. It is much like the reverence a son
has for his father, involving both love and respect. God has won the admiration
of his children's hearts, causing us to reverence him. We reverence his name,
his Being, his Word, and his works. All that God is, all that has to do with
him, all that he says, and all that he does is held in high esteem by those who
know him. This fear of the Lord shows itself in many ways. To fear God is to HATE
EVIL. The man who knows God hates the evil of his own heart and life, hates
the evil performed by others, hates the evil of false doctrine, which robs God
of his glory, and hates those who perpetrate such evil. "Do not I hate
them, O Lord, that hate thee?...I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them
mine enemies" (Ps. 139:21-22). Those who fear the Lord are CAREFUL NOT
TO OFFEND HIM. We cherish our fellowship with the eternal God, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. And we take care not to grieve and offend him, because we want
nothing to hinder the fellowship we enjoy. The heart that fears the Lord WITHHOLDS
NOTHING FROM HIM, no matter how dear and valuable, when he calls for it. To
fear the Lord is to WORSHIP HIM. It is to worship God, as he is revealed
in Scripture, in our hearts. Such fear of the Lord is PROGRESSIVE.
Believers walk in the fear of the Lord. The more a man knows him, the more he
fears him. God, grant that I may be found "walking in the fear of the
Lord." Amen.