Friday, September 18, 2015

Let’s continue our study of the topic of the fear of the Lord as found in Proverbs by amplifying further the third point in our outline: When you fear the Lord your life will change – you’ll be blessed. You will change behaviorally. Listen to Proverbs 14:2, “He whose walk is upright fears the Lord.” If you don’t change behaviorally there would be reason to doubt that you truly fear the Lord. One commentator describes the fear of the Lord as a reverential subordination to the Most Holy One. This is what the apostle Peter had in mind when he wrote in 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” Jesus said the same thing in His sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:16, 20 and 48, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven…For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven…Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Peterson in The Message puts that last verse this way: “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” When you realize what’s at stake once you identify yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ your deepest desire should be to behave in a Christ-like fashion.