1. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

2. God is gracious in all He does! Eph. 1:3-14, James 1:12-18, esp. 1:17. God is gracious in all He does! Eph. 1:3-14, James 1:12-18, esp. 1:17. Even “fearing the LORD” is a blessing! Ps. 112, esp. 112:1, Ps. 128, esp. 128:1, 4, Prov. 28:14 & 31:30, Eccl. 7:18. Even “fearing the LORD” is a blessing! Ps. 112, esp. 112:1, Ps. 128, esp. 128:1, 4, Prov. 28:14 & 31:30, Eccl. 7:18. The LORD commanded His people “for their good always” to observe all Moses’ statues and “to fear the LORD our God” as well as to “walk in His ways” and “to love Him and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, 20. The LORD commanded His people “for their good always” to observe all Moses’ statues and “to fear the LORD our God” as well as to “walk in His ways” and “to love Him and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, 20. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

3. Jesus commands us to fear the LORD as well as to love Him! Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 10:31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7 & Mt. 22:34-40., esp. 22:37/Mk. 12:13-17, esp. 12:30 (= Dt. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18) & Lk. 10:25-37, esp. 10:27-28. Cf. Acts 2:43, 9:31, I Pet. 2:17, II Cor. 4:13-5:10, Phil. 3:23-23, II Thess. 1:5-2:2, Rev. 11:18, 14:7, 15:4, 19:5. Jesus commands us to fear the LORD as well as to love Him! Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 10:31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7 & Mt. 22:34-40., esp. 22:37/Mk. 12:13-17, esp. 12:30 (= Dt. 6:5 & Lev. 19:18) & Lk. 10:25-37, esp. 10:27-28. Cf. Acts 2:43, 9:31, I Pet. 2:17, II Cor. 4:13-5:10, Phil. 3:23-23, II Thess. 1:5-2:2, Rev. 11:18, 14:7, 15:4, 19:5. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

4. Fearing the LORD (Hebrew yare, Greek , or  &  ) means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us – so that we hold Him in awe, wonder and respectful fear. Fearing the LORD (Hebrew yare, Greek , or  &  ) means soberly and humbly recognizing the LORD’s all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving reality in contrast to all creation, including people – especially including us – so that we hold Him in awe, wonder and respectful fear.

5. God’s people were also commanded to “fear” or hold in awe and reverence (1) the LORD in Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, (2) parents in Lev. 19, esp. 19:3, (3) the sanctuary of the LORD in Lev. 19:30 & 26:2. God’s people were also commanded to “fear” or hold in awe and reverence (1) the LORD in Dt. 6:24 & 10:12-13, (2) parents in Lev. 19, esp. 19:3, (3) the sanctuary of the LORD in Lev. 19:30 & 26:2. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

6. God’s people today are commanded to fear the LORD since He controls nature, governments and the afterlife. Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7, Rom. 11:20, II Cor. 5:10-11, 7:1, Phil. 2:12-13, I Pet. 1:17, 3:2 & 15, Jude 1:23, Rom. 13:1, 3-4, Col. 3:22 vs. Rom. 3:9-18, esp. 3:18/Ps. 36:1. Cf. Lk. 1:50. God’s people today are commanded to fear the LORD since He controls nature, governments and the afterlife. Mt. 10, esp. 10:28 & 31/Lk. 12, esp. 12:4-5, 7, Rom. 11:20, II Cor. 5:10-11, 7:1, Phil. 2:12-13, I Pet. 1:17, 3:2 & 15, Jude 1:23, Rom. 13:1, 3-4, Col. 3:22 vs. Rom. 3:9-18, esp. 3:18/Ps. 36:1. Cf. Lk. 1:50. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

7. God’s people today are also commanded to fear or hold in awe and reverence… (1) ruling authorities in Rom. 13:7, (2) husbands in Eph. 5:33, and (3) supervisors (or masters) in Eph. 6:5 & I Pet. 2:18. God’s people today are also commanded to fear or hold in awe and reverence… (1) ruling authorities in Rom. 13:7, (2) husbands in Eph. 5:33, and (3) supervisors (or masters) in Eph. 6:5 & I Pet. 2:18. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

8. Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge, and it starts with an open mind, grows as we listen with other believers to His word, grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes, and produces leaders who are such God-fearing people. Fearing the LORD is the start of all wisdom and knowledge, and it starts with an open mind, grows as we listen with other believers to His word, grows as we use His providence to serve His purposes, and produces leaders who are such God-fearing people. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found joyful fear in Jesus’ resurrection! Mt. 28, esp. 28:8. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary found joyful fear in Jesus’ resurrection! Mt. 28, esp. 28:8. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

9.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of harming people.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of unforgiven sins when we repent so that we walk in the LORD’s light. Are you in awe of Him or anxious about life? The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

10.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  The LORD is righteous (Hebrew tsadoq or zakok = accurate, correct, just, fair & Greek  = self-evident, right, just, fair, innocent). Dt. 32:4, Ps. 11:7, Ps. 119:137, 112:6, 129:4, 145:17, Is. 24:16. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

11.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  The LORD’s laws are righteous – right! – and His Law demands rulers who follow them by judging righteously. Dt. 4:4-8, esp. 4:8, Rom. 1:18-2:16, esp. 1:1:18 24, 26, 28, 2:1-7, 2:26-10, 12-14, Rom. 7, esp. 7:7, 12 (& 3:19-20), I Tim. 1:8-11, Gal. 5:13-6:10, esp. 5:22, Lev. 19:15-16, Dt. 16:18-19, Is. 11:3 & Jn. 7:24, Lk. 17:3-4/Mt. 18:15-17, Gal. 6:1-2. Cf. Titus 1:5-10, esp. 1:7-8. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

12.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  The LORD’s righteousness punishes each person for his/her sins but forgives and spares each person who faithfully repents. Ezek. 18, esp. 18:4, 5-9, 10-13, 14-18, 19-20, 18:21-23, 24-29, 30-32 & Ezek. 33:10-20, esp. 33:11-13, 18, Rom. 3-5, esp. 3:21-26, 4:3/Gen. 15:6, 4:10-13, 23-25, 5:1, Acts 17:30-31, II Cor. 5:10-11. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

13.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  The LORD’s definition of righteous will spare a city of sinners for ten righteous souls, and He taught this to Abraham since his descendants would “keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice.” Gen. 18:16-19:29, esp. 18:17-19, 20-21, 22-32. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

14.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of harming people.  Fearing the LORD can keep us from doing wrong to people. Lev. 25:17, Ps. 111:10, I Thess. 4:1-8, esp. 4:6 & Heb. 13:4, Prov. 22:23-24. Cf. Dt. 28, esp. 28:58, I Kings 8, esp. 8:39-40. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

15.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of harming people.  Fearing the LORD puts us in position for the LORD to help us walk in His paths since this fear leads us to turn away from evil. Prov. 3:5-7, 8:12-14, 16:6, Eph. 5:3-6/Col. 3:5-6, Heb. 10:19-31, esp. 10:26-31. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

16.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of harming people.  Love (Greek  = esteem that values so that we sacrifice self to benefit the beloved) keeps us from harming others by following the LORD’s directions. Mt. 7:12/Lk. 6:31, Mk. 12:28-34, esp. 12:31/Mt. 22:34-40, esp. 39-40 & Lk. 10:25-37, Rom. 13:8-10, Gal. 5:13-14, I Cor. 13, esp. 13:7. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

17.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of unforgiven sins when we repent so that we walk in the LORD’s light.  The LORD is so much higher than we are that His compassion and lovingkindness reach down to us in sin when we still fear Him. Ps. 103, esp. 103:11, 3 & 17, I Jn. 1:5-2:2. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

18.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of unforgiven sins when we repent so that we walk in the LORD’s light.  This blessing is available to all who fear Him and do what is right, beginning with baptism into Christ and continuing as long as we repent and pray. Acts 10-11, esp. 10:34-36, 42-43, 48, Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:14-47, esp. 2:38 & 8:4-24, esp. 8:22. Cf. I Jn. 1:5-2:2, Rom. 8:34. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

19.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of an unrighteous deity and unrighteous laws.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of harming people.  Fearing the LORD provides freedom from fear of unforgiven sins when we repent so that we walk in the LORD’s light. Are you in awe of Him or anxious about life? The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness

20.  Fearing the LORD frees from all other fears.  Choose your fear. The Grace of Fearing the LORD of Righteousness