I. The Fear of the Lord

Knowing the One Who Calls

The fear of the Lord leads us to take seriously the God who calls us: Who is He? What do His holiness and authority mean for our lives? How should we respond before Him?

If we focus only on tasks, we may interpret God’s call as His endorsement of our abilities, ideals, or plans. Scripture, however, guides us first to know God and to understand ourselves anew before Him.

In the wilderness, Moses saw a bush that was burning without being consumed. God called him by name and told him to remove his sandals because the place where he stood was holy ground. God also made Himself known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:1–6).

Before receiving the commission to go to Pharaoh, Moses first encountered God’s presence and holiness. The place was called holy ground because God appeared to him there. Moses needed to respond as God instructed; his curiosity did not give him permission to approach as he pleased.

In a vision, Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a throne and heard the seraphim proclaim His holiness. He immediately confessed that he had unclean lips and lived among a people of unclean lips. After receiving the declaration that his sin was forgiven, he heard the Lord ask who would accept His commission (Isaiah 6:1–8). Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, excerpt).

These two accounts each have a unique historical setting and cannot be prescribed as experiences that every believer must repeat. Yet both show that calling is closely connected with God’s holiness, revelation, and authority. Before God, we need to acknowledge our place and face the reality of sin and forgiveness.

1. The Fear of the Lord Includes Reverence and a Serious Regard for Sin and Judgement

The fear of the Lord includes respect, trust, and obedience, as well as trembling before His holiness and justice. It is more than anxiety about punishment or ordinary respect: it means taking God’s holiness and judgement seriously.

Hebrews urges believers, since they are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, to give thanks and serve God with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28). It also reminds them, “for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). This warning calls us to take God’s holiness and judgement seriously. Receiving grace does not permit us to treat God lightly. Grace enables us to draw near to Him and also leads us to respond to Him more earnestly.

The same book also teaches believers that, because Jesus is their high priest, they can approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and help (Hebrews 4:14–16). Reverence and closeness to God can therefore coexist. We acknowledge sin and take His judgement seriously, while trusting Him and seeking His help because of Christ’s redemption.

Drawing near to God through Christ while also fearing Him helps us avoid two errors. One is treating sin lightly, as though grace cancelled responsibility. The other is seeing only our own sins and never daring to receive forgiveness. The fear of the Lord leads us to take God seriously and willingly to receive the grace He gives in Christ.

2. The Fear of the Lord Shapes Choices When No One Is Watching

When Joseph refused the advances of Potiphar’s wife, he asked, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9, excerpt). Chapter 1 has already discussed his choice. Here we consider more closely the attitude revealed in his words: he first faced his responsibility before God, rather than basing his decision on whether anyone would find out.

Today, the fear of the Lord can shape how we handle money, speech, our bodies, relationships, and power. Returning money that does not belong to us, carefully correcting an error in a public statement, and remaining honest when an improper gain would be difficult to detect all bring faith into everyday life.

Even when something does not violate an explicit rule, we still need to consider whether we are exploiting someone’s trust, concealing facts they ought to know, or neglecting their dignity and safety in order to protect our own position. The fear of the Lord makes us consider whether our conduct itself is right, rather than merely the risk of being found out.

3. The Fear of the Lord Makes Us Willing to Be Corrected by the Truth

The fear of the Lord also makes us careful in how we use God’s name. When we say, “God told me,” or “This is the mission God has given me,” we need to examine whether we are treating our own desires as His instructions. We must not invoke His name to demand that others stop asking questions or to prevent our own judgements from being examined.

Honouring God makes us willing to examine our understanding in light of His word and accept correction when we discover errors. The section on obedience later in this chapter will explain further how to discern specific choices and respond to what others ask of us.

4. The Fear of the Lord Leads to Gratitude and Responsibility

The fear of the Lord also has a positive expression: we receive His goodness with gratitude, respect the people He has created, use the abilities He has given us diligently, and willingly give Him the glory. Being able to serve is a gift of grace, and we must also give an account to Him for the responsibilities we undertake.

Knowing the God who calls us leads us to take our lives and choices more seriously. Before Him, we acknowledge sin, receive grace, and learn obedience. We also seek direction in the truth He has already revealed. This fear of the Lord lays the foundation for trusting Him when we cannot yet see the way ahead clearly.