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Volume. XXXVIII, No. 60 The Fear of God and Revival (Part 2)The Practice - Application of Godly Fear and Revival In Deuteronomy 6:13, it is mentioned above, we must worship God in spirit and in truth in a true revival.
Colossians 3:22-23 says, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
If we fear God, it may affect our personal relationships with others. In the workplace, at home, or at school, we must know that we are not servants of men. We do not serve our boss, teacher, etc. out of fear for them but out of reverence and awe for our God Almighty. In all that we do, we must recognise that God is in control. He gave these people authority over us. So in everything that we do, we must remember that it is for God. We must do everything heartily in the service of God. This may be difficult to apply, but no matter how tough the situation in the office, home, or church, the principle remains unchanged. Two examples of how having this godly fear affected God’s people’s relationships with others are the following:
In Nehemiah 5:9-15, the context is that Nehemiah was leading the Jews in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. There were many poor people who borrowed from the rich nobles. These rich men were acting like loan sharks and they took the poor people’s possessions unjustly. In v. 9, Nehemiah reminded them that everyone must walk in the fear of God. As a result, in v. 12 we see that these possessions were restored to the poor. From v. 15 we also learn that Nehemiah as governor in Judah did not take bread, wine, or silver from the people out of the fear of God. The revival goes hand in hand with the fear of God which in turn keeps us from sin and evil.
In 1 Kings 18:3, 4 and 12, we have the historical context: Obadiah was in charge of the palace when Ahab was king. When Jezebel was killing the prophets, Obadiah (a God-fearing man from his youth) hid 100 prophets in a cave and fed them. This fear of God gave Obadiah great zeal and energy in support of His servants and we must emulate him with reverential awe.
In Malachi 3:16, the prophet says when the people are revived, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” Those who fear God will speak often to one another. What a wonderful definition of God’s people who fear Him and love His name and His people. Do you find joy in Christian fellowship, prayer, worship, and the hearing of His Word? These are the marks of a genuine revival.
2 Corinthians 7:1 says, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Those who fear God will find themselves combatting against the flesh and sin. While the Christian may not be sinless, we must abhor sin and try to ‘sin less’.
The Benefits of Godly Fear and Revival In Ecclesiastes 8:12-13, it says, “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”
In v. 12, the sinner did many evil things, but if he fears God, it is this fear that makes a difference, and enables us to repent of our sins and to be at peace with God and be saved forever. Those without the fear of God are hopeless and will not be well in the end eternally. Are you truly saved and revived today?
Conclusion Finally, revival and fear of God which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10) are related. Let us learn to cultivate this reverence and fear of God in our daily lives and we will be revived in the Lord.
Hebrews 12:28-29 says, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.”
God has given us His Kingdom to receive, let us serve Him with our gifts, talents and time with godly fear and reverence till He comes.
By Rev Jack Sin Sovereign Hope BPC Church, Singapore |
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