1. Shining as Lights in the World With Fear and Trembling Philippians 2:12

3. Introductory Thoughts Throughout the Bible we are taught to have fear of or for God Psalm 111:10 Proverbs 1:7 Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 What exactly is this fear? Today let's examine true Godly fear

4. Fear Defined Two basic definitions of fear Fear in the negative sense (undesirable) Dread, fright, or terror caused by the expectation of danger Fear in the positive sense (desirable) Reverence or awe toward power and authority

5. Fear Defined The Greek words for fear in the New Testament illustrate these two different meanings Phobos - generic word for fear Sometimes used in the first sense - Mark 9:5-6 Sometimes used in the second sense - Ephesians 6:5 Deilia - timidity, cowardice

6. Fear Defined The Greek words for fear in the New Testament illustrate these two different meanings Eulabeia - Godly fear, piety, devoutness Eulabeia at first meant to be very careful in the handling of some physical object lest it be broken It then came to mean an extreme care in the things of God lest He be offended

7. What the Fear of God Is Not The fear of God which Christians are commanded to have cannot be the first kind of fear Consider the following reasons why this is true The Christian, if he is obedient and faithful to the Lord, is not in danger of being harmed by God - Romans 8:1, 31-39 We are safe in the arms of Jesus only as long as we remain within the safety of Jesus’ arms God loves those who belong to Him in Christ, and love drives the bad kind of fear out of a relationship

8. What the Fear of God Is Characteristics of Godly Fear - Hebrews 12:18-29 Reverence, respect for God Awe, wonder at the power and majesty of God Respect for God’s commandments A healthy fear of God’s punishment Examples of Godly Fear Noah - Hebrews 11:7 Abraham - Genesis 22:12 Christ - Hebrews 5:7

9. What the Fear of God Is Results of Godly fear Knowledge, wisdom - Proverbs 1:7 - Proverbs 9:10 Holiness, purity - 2 Corinthians 7:1 - 1 Peter 1:17 Proper relationships with others - Ephesians 5:21 Interest in teaching others the gospel - 2 Corinthians 5:11 Courage to face persecution or death - John 16:33 Confidence before God - 1 John 4:16-18

10. Concluding Thoughts Our fundamental duty is to fear God obediently This fear of God is not a cowardly dread or terror, but a wholesome, uplifting respect and reverence for God, His will, and His punishment of the disobedient May we correctly understand and apply what it truly does mean to fear God, and may we enjoy the great benefits of that attitude toward Him