The Fear of the Lord: Why It Matters More Thank You Think
For many believers, loving God feels natural. We worship, we pray, we read Scripture, and we genuinely desire to walk with Him. But as we’ve shared before, neutrality is a lie — everything we do either builds the Kingdom of God or strengthens the kingdom of darkness. And at the root of why so many Christians drift into neutrality is something deeper, something foundational:
The Fear of the Lord.
This isn’t a topic we originally planned to discuss, but as we finished recording our previous episode titled “Neutrality is a Lie: Every Choice Builds God’s Kingdom or Darkness”, the Lord highlighted that we had missed this critical piece.
Key Point: There’s a difference in loving the Lord and fearing the Lord. And that difference shapes every decision, every conviction, and every part of our walk with Christ.
What the Fear of the Lord Is — and What It Isn’t
It's easy to misunderstand the phrase “fear of the Lord.” We assume it means being scared of God — waiting for punishment, walking on eggshells, or feeling unworthy. But Scripture paints a very different picture.
The fear of the Lord is not terror.
It is reverence.
It is awe.
It is the deep awareness of God’s holiness and the weight of His presence.
It is not being scared of God, but being scared of being away from God.
The fear of the Lord is taking on God’s heart, loving what he loves and hating sin… not disliking sin, but actually hating sin.” It’s working to depart from evil in thought, word, and action and giving God the praise, adoration, and worship he deserves because he and he alone is Holy.
The fear of the Lord is the posture that says, “I never want to be without Your presence.” It’s the heart that trembles at the thought of grieving Him. It’s the awareness that God is not common — He is holy. When we lose reverence, we lose conviction. When we lose conviction, we tolerate sin. And when we tolerate sin, we drift into neutrality.
Why Loving God Isn’t Enough
This is the part that shocks many believers: you can love God deeply and still miss the fullness of his call for your life if you do not fear Him.
John Bevere shares a powerful story in The Awe of God about a world‑renowned televangelist who fell into devastating sin. When John visited him in prison and asked him when he stopped loving God, the man replied: “I never stopped loving God. I didn’t fear God.”
Love draws us close.
The fear of the Lord keeps us aligned.
Love inspires devotion.
The fear of the Lord produces obedience.
Love stirs affection.
The fear of the Lord produces holiness.
Without the fear of the Lord, our faith is incomplete — and our walk becomes vulnerable to compromise.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The fear of the Lord is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion it chases all other fears before it.”
The Danger of Making God “Common”
One of the most sobering realities is how easily we as believers can drift from reverence to comfort. We’ve created environments that attract crowds but lack the presence of God. We can often enter worship distracted and disengaged, treating church like a weekly checkbox.
We forget the weight of what we’re doing and instead worry about service times and parking.
We forget Who we’re approaching and worry about what people will think if we raise our hands in worship.
We forget that the God who spoke the universe into existence is the same God we casually sing to, listen to, and sometimes critique as if He were common.
But He is not common.
He is holy.
And when we treat Him lightly, we lose the fear of the Lord — and with it, the wisdom, discernment, and blessing Scripture promises.
Scripture Is Clear: The Fear of the Lord Is Essential
Both the Old and New Testament emphasize the fear of the Lord. A few examples are:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
“Anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.” (Acts 10:35)
“Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17)
And James 4:4 delivers one of the most sobering warnings:
“If any of you is a friend of the world, he has become an enemy of God.” Friendship with the world comes when we do not walk in the Fear of the Lord.
Neutrality isn’t harmless — it’s dangerous.
Compromise isn’t small — it’s spiritual drift.
Tolerance of sin isn’t loving — it’s destructive.
The fear of the Lord anchors us, protects us, and keeps our hearts aligned with His holiness.
Some have the mindset that the Fear of the Lord is an Old Testament thing. People will often quote 2 Timothy 1:7, where God tells us that he does not give us a spirit of fear, as evidence that the Fear of the Lord is not relevant to the church and is unbiblical.
However, the Greek word for fear in 2 Timothy 1:7 is Deilia, which means timidity, fearfulness, and cowardice. God absolutely does not give us those. But the Greek word used for fear in the New Testament passages referencing the fear of the Lord is Phobos, which means alarm or fright: be afraid, exceedingly, fear, terror, reverence, awe, and respect.
The difference in Greek words used is key because it highlights that the fear of the Lord is extremely important for us as believers today.
Why This Matters for Your Walk
Many believers struggle with cycles of sin and feeling stuck in life, not because they don’t love God, but because they lack the reverential fear that empowers them to resist temptation.
The fear of the Lord awakens us.
It sharpens our conscience.
It strengthens our spirit.
It purifies our motives.
It draws us into deeper intimacy with God.
A Call to Self‑Examination
This message isn’t about condemnation. It’s about invitation — an invitation to evaluate our hearts honestly:
Do I love God?
Do I fear God?
Where have I treated Him lightly?
Where have I tolerated sin?
Where has neutrality crept in?
What needs to change for my life to reflect His holiness?
The fear of the Lord is not a burden — it is a blessing.
It is a fountain of life.
It is the doorway to wisdom, clarity, and intimacy with God.
And it is the foundation for a faith that stands firm in a world that constantly pulls us toward compromise.
Final Encouragement
God has so much in store for each of us, but fulfilling His plans requires the right posture—a heart that loves God deeply and fears Him rightly.
Ask Him to reveal where your reverence has faded.
Ask Him to awaken conviction where neutrality has settled.
Ask Him to restore awe where comfort has crept in.
He will prune, shape, and mold — because He loves you. And because He wants you to walk in the fullness of your calling.
Prayer: Father God, I come to you not only as Heavenly Father but also as my Lord and King. Please forgive me for the times that I have reduced you to being “common” and not given you my entire life and the proper place in my heart. I repent for not walking in the Biblical Fear of the Lord that your word describes. Please show me areas of my life where I am not walking in truth and where the Fear of the Lord is absent. Help me take hold of the strength you have already given me to love you and fear you and to walk in holiness. Amen.
Praying for you all!
Ryan and Julie
