Most Christians today view the fear of God as either an inferior motivation, or (worse) an Old Testament concept that was entirely superseded by the love of God under the new covenant. In this sobering message, we challenge those misconceptions. Jesus and the apostles held up a healthy fear of God as still incredibly important
In this encouraging psalm, David reveals the Lord as the One who guards those who fear Him. He alone can shield and protect us when we are being assaulted in this life. This psalm also has one verse that many early Christian writers saw as revealing the mystery of Word of God (Christ) to us
In the second Psalm, the kings of the earth are told to "serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling." If you look for it, you will see a similar theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. This lesson explores how we embrace both the healthy fear and genuine joy God desires,
In Deuteronomy 5, the Lord descends on Mount Sinai, speaking to the people from the midst of fire, completely terrifying them. Was fear a good motivation for God to use? Did Jesus use the fear of God to motivate His followers? This lesson makes the case that the healthy fear of God has always been foundational
Here we encounter Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple who brazenly lie to Peter in connection with a gift they gave to the church. They are each struck dead by God for lying, provoking great fear of God in the church. We take this graphic story as an opportunity to take a good look at
Peter gives a sweeping statement that covers the range of our relationships: "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." In this lesson we explore his call for Christians to fear God. Why not call us to love God, instead? Isn’t loving God a much better motivation than fearing Him? Is the
The Lord fulfills a promise He had made to Moses at the burning bush, leading the Israelites back to Mount Sinai. There, the Lord promises to make His people "a royal priesthood and a holy nation"if they obey His voice. Then He descends on the mountain in terrifying fire and smoke, about to give the Ten
Should fear of God motivate Christians, or should we be motivated purely out of our love for God and His love for us? This lesson examines three men in Scripture who were commended for their fear of God. We dive into the role fear played in their lives, and the relationship of the fear of
John tells us plainly that many failed to follow Jesus not for lack of faith, but because "they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Loving men’s praise (over God’s) is a problem for many of us today as well. In this lesson we look at inspiring Biblical heroes whose commitment
John the Baptist identifies Jesus as "the Lamb of God." Why a lamb, and not some other animal? Does this simply mean that Jesus was meek and harmless, or is there more to it? How would John's hearers have understood this expression? In this lesson we look at what this would have meant to John’s