Post 3 – The Fear of the Lord Series
🌿 Introduction: Fear That Bears Fruit
The fear of the Lord is not a passive belief—it is a powerful motivator and a spiritual fertilizer. Where holy fear is present, good things grow. Wisdom takes root. Pride is humbled. Sin is hated. Obedience becomes natural. A life marked by reverence will always show it in visible, tangible ways.
In a world where people fear everything except God—financial collapse, rejection, disease, failure—we must recover what Scripture calls the most fruitful fear of all: the fear of the Lord. And when that fear is properly placed, it produces blessings in every direction of life.
👤 Case Study: Job – Integrity Shaped by Fear
Job 1:1 (ESV):
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.”
The first thing God’s Word tells us about Job isn’t his wealth or family—it’s his fear. And not fear in the worldly sense, but a holy, reverent awe that led him to turn from sin. His fear of the Lord wasn’t just inward—it shaped his entire life. Job didn’t dabble in evil. He distanced himself from it. Why? Because fear that is real always leads to action.
Even in disaster—when he lost everything—Job’s first response was not rage, blame, or denial. It was reverent surrender.
Job 1:20–21 (ESV):
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’”
That is the fruit of fear. When the storms of life hit, Job didn’t curse—he bowed.
Job 28:28 (ESV):
“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Job understood something we often forget: the fear of the Lord isn’t just the beginning of wisdom—it is wisdom. It’s not the starting line—it’s the path itself.
🌾 What the Fear of the Lord Produces
Below are the unmistakable fruits of fearing God, with the full scripture texts that describe them:
- 🧠 Wisdom
Proverbs 9:10 (ESV):
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” - 🚪 Departure from Evil
Proverbs 8:13 (ESV):
“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” - 🛡️ Protection
Proverbs 14:26–27 (ESV):
“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.” - 🤲 Humility and Honor
Proverbs 22:4 (ESV):
“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.” - 🕊️ Righteousness and Joy
Psalm 112:1 (ESV):
“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!”
These aren’t just poetic sentiments. These are spiritual results. The fear of God builds a fortress of protection around your heart and home. It is a fountain that keeps you clean. A light that guides your path. A shield that turns you from deadly traps. The fear of the Lord is not a burden—it’s a blessing.
🔗 New Testament Fulfillment
2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV):
“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”
Paul doesn’t say fear of God disappears under grace. He says it is the completion of holiness. Without fear, our pursuit of godliness stalls. The fear of the Lord fuels the fire of sanctification.
Philippians 2:12–13 (ESV):
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
This fear isn’t anxiety—it’s awe. It’s a trembling rooted in the awareness that God Himself is working inside of us. Reverence doesn’t compete with grace—it partners with it.
🌌 Eternal Continuity – Fear in Glory
Revelation 19:5 (ESV):
“Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”
Even in Heaven, reverence remains. The fear of God doesn’t end with death or fade in eternity—it’s perfected there. The saints around the throne sing with holy awe. The angels hide their faces in His presence (Isaiah 6:2). Glory deepens reverence, not dissolves it.
🧠 Memory Aid: Fear Fuels Fruitfulness
Let this phrase settle deep in your soul: Fear fuels fruitfulness. When fear is present, so is growth.
- Wisdom will rise because reverence gives insight.
- Sin will shrink because fear refuses to flirt with evil.
- Humility will deepen because we remember who God is—and who we are not.
- Faithfulness will follow because fear keeps us loyal, even in loss.
🛠 Life Application
- Examine your obedience. Is it casual or consecrated?
- Ask yourself: Do I hate sin because it’s ugly—or because it offends a holy God?
- Pray for wisdom, but remember: the door to wisdom is marked “Fear of the Lord.”
- Model reverence before your family and your church. Let others see fear—not as fearfulness, but as fruitfulness.
💬 Reflection Question
Is the fruit of reverence growing in your life—or are you rooted in something else?
📣 Shareable Quote
“The fear of the Lord is not a feeling—it’s a force. It moves you to walk in wisdom and stand in awe.” — Barry Coker
Next in the Series: The Face of Fear – Jesus and the Apostles – Featuring Jesus, who delighted in the fear of the Lord.
