2 Thess 1:3; From Fear to Eternity.

Class Outline:

Wednesday June 21, 2023

 

In both testaments fear of the Lord is linked with obedience. In the church, fear of the Lord is also linked with our salvation, and from this we are commanded to obey.

The fear of the Lord is not our terror of Him nor our shrinking away from Him, but our eternal connection to Him. We wonder, how could we fear when we have an unbreakable covenant with Him? We don’t fear the loss of the covenant, but we do fear not appreciating it and living in it.

Our desire to love with God’s agape love is not a guarantee that we will do so, and we know this. Therefore, we fear the many obstacles that cause us not to love. We fear not loving and, in this way, we fear God in the manner of not pleasing Him. Fear also means that we know that we have to please Him.

Seen in this way, one can see how fear of the Lord leads to strong faith. 

Holiness of life, living God’s love in obedience to all commandments is the only option God gives us. If we do not fear the Lord, we will find ourselves partially committed which will not bring us to maturity. Fortunately for all of us, God is patient and has forgiven us of all sin. If you are alive, you can still achieve it.

We are never alone in the pursuit of faith and love. God is always in us and with us, and when we obey in fear, we are putting all of our faith and hope in Him.

 

Every believer has a lasting covenant relationship with God as Father.

The church age begins the fulfilment of the new covenant which has been established by the blood of Christ. We have been made new, endowed with eternal life and all that comes with it. We are now called to holiness and blamelessness. No other option has God given us.

 

Fear of the Lord in the New Testament.

The fear of the Lord results in peace and being built up (ACT 9:31).

The fear of the Lord gives a desire to have pure hearts before Him (2CO 7:1).

The fear of the Lord motivates our service in love (EPH 5:21).

The fear of the Lord comes from an understanding God’s grace in redemption is the true motivation for eager, fervent, and constant love for one another (1PE 1:17-23).

1PE 1:17-23

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren [philadelphia], fervently [ektenos: rare word that literally means to “stretch out” = eagerly, fervently, constantly] love [agape] one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

 

We see in this passage that, as in the OT, fear is connected with obedience (v. 22). It is also connected with redemption (vv. 18-20). We see Peter’s understanding that a desire to follow Christ is connect to a fear. Fear of the Lord is fear of not obeying, and therefore not being what we were born to be - fervently, eagerly, and constantly loving one another (all of us).

We can easily connect this truth to our desire to please the Lord (fear of not pleasing Him), 2CO 5:9. 2CO 5:9 states that “we have as our ambition to be pleasing to the Lord,” and vs. 10 mentions our standing at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and then vs. 11 “knowing the fear of the Lord”. Paul states in 2CO 5:11 that the fear of the Lord pushes him onward in his ministry (“we persuade men”).

1PE 4:6 (same use of “fervent, eager, constant”)

Above all, keep fervent [ektenes] in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

 

God sovereignly creates our journey in life so as to learn fear of Him with faith, hope, and love.

Exodus journey is a great analogy to the one we all walk. Our time in the wilderness is a time of learning fear, obedience, faith, hope, and love.

DEU 8:1-3.

God’s lets us be hungry in our wilderness walk (longing for things we don’t have) so that we will learn His way, MAT 5:6, 10.

Will we want us or righteousness? Our answer to this question will determine whether we fear our flesh or God.

We find what righteousness is in God’s word, DEU 32:45-47.

Fear of the Lord is the generator for holy living, JER 32:40; Php 2:12.

Fear of the Lord puts the Lord at the center of life, PSA 19:9-11.

 

Application / Things to consider:

How can you see God for who He really is that you may fear Him properly?

What are the obstacles in your life that are preventing agape love?

How do we begin to remove our obstacles so that the love of God is unhindered?

We must not compromise any part of God’s agape love. If we do, we will miss out on an abundance of fruitful living and accomplishment. Is it worth it?