Fear of the Lord III: Faithful Fear
This week we’re continuing our series on the fear of the Lord with Chuck Baggett, co-pastor at Christ Church New Albany.
In this episode, we’re talking about how to respond to current events as believers.
We cultivate fear of the Lord not by looking inward and saying, “Fear Him!” Rather, we cultivate fear of the Lord by looking at God and seeing His majesty, worth, glory, and holiness. Isaiah sees that in chapter 6 and his response is, “Woe is me!”
In Isaiah 8:11-15, the people are gripped by fear. They are shaking in terror. We read:
“For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,
‘You are not to say, “It is a conspiracy!”
In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy,
And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.
It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy.
And He shall be your fear,
And He shall be your dread.
Then He shall become a sanctuary;
But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over,
And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Many will stumble over them,
Then they will fall and be broken;
They will even be snared and caught.’”
There is a warning.
There is a remedy.
No man who fears the Lord would treat others the way we see them treated in these racial acts of hatred and violent protests. What restrains men in power when they have no fear of God?
How do we respond appropriately to these crises in the world? We must view these events with the perspective that there is a God who is sovereign and good and has not abandoned you.
It’s not that what’s happening around us doesn’t matter. However, we’re not to be gripped by the fears that grip an unbeliever, who doesn’t have our King. We are to be in the grip of the greatness and majesty of God. “He shall be your fear.” He is so much bigger than whatever events we see in the world. We ought to be concerned, of course, but there’s a calm depth and immovable solidity to the Christian’s life. For we are rooted in something more significant than the current events of our day.
The only antidote to fret and frivolous fear is that Christ Jesus is Lord.
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).
If you realize that you lack the fear of God, take time this week to seek Him in His Word. Ask Him to reveal His greatness, majesty, and power—and to give you a heart full of reverence and awe of God.
Come near, our Father, come very near to Your children.
Some of us are very weak in body and faint in heart.
Soon, O God, lay Your right hand upon us and say, “Fear not.”
Come near to kill the influence of the world with Your superior power.
Our Father, come and rest Your children now.
Take the helmet from our brow, remove from us the weight of our heavy armor for awhile, and may we just have peace, perfect peace, and be at rest. Amen.— Charles Spurgeon
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