The fear of the LORD is to depart from evil. It is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. The fear of God leads a man to leave the evil of self-confidence, self-trust, self-righteousness, self-salvation, self-dependence, and self-conceit. *Proverbs 3:7* The fear of the LORD leads a man to practically depart from his own besetting sins, and not make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. The fear of God is to remember, regard, reverence, respect, and obey God out of gratitude to His dying love. *Proverbs 16:6*
The fear of God is the very highest wisdom a man can attain, and it is a free gift from God. *James 1:5* No man is wise until he fears and appreciates his Crucified Creator. When a man fears God, he is sensitive to what God sees and hears him do; he seeks to not disappoint His forgiving Savior. It is wise to not want to disappoint your parents, spouse, or friends, but the highest wisdom is when a man is truly concerned about not disappointing or grieving his merciful Maker who laid down His life for sinners.
No man fears the LORD by accident, the fear of the LORD is a gift from the Holy Spirit. You may train your child to be civil, but you can never make them spiritual, that is, to fear (love) the LORD. The fear of the LORD only comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, not outward religiousness and convictions. The very thought of sin horrifies the man that fears God. The Holy Spirit gives the saved man a tender heart toward God. The God-fearing man senses God's presence and adjusts his daily and private behavior; the God-fearing man is careful to make decisions that please the LORD. The fear of God makes a man think less and less of himself.
Never depend on your own reasoning and understanding. Let Christ control your thoughts and desires. Departing from your inward evil is the beginning of wisdom. Without the Fear of the Lord, you don't have any true Wisdom. When a man fears his Maker, he will place his faith in Christ, fix his dependence on Him, acknowledge Him, seek Him for direction, and he will be careful not to offend the Holy Ghost.
Fear the LORD and His goodness, and avoid all occasions of sinning against Him. True wisdom brings with it a constant care to depart from inward and outward evil. The fear of God leads a man to cease from false doctrine and superstitious modes of worship. Ask God daily to put His fear in your heart, ask Him to not let you depart from Him. *Jeremiah 32:40* The wise man always prepares for the inevitable; and death, judgment and Eternity are inevitable. Genuine faith in the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ is the only preparation for time and Eternity. There is a holy living God, an Eternal Divine Being, who is greater than you, to whom you are accountable.
Happy is the man that finds Wisdom from God, not money. God's fear leads a man to avoid sinning in thoughts, words, and deeds. *Nehemiah 5:15* The fear of the Lord is to esteem God's Son and His words, to fear to grieve His heart by disobeying Him, to be concerned deeply about what God thinks and feels. The carnal mind cannot bear the thoughts of parting from its lusts. You can never enjoy the sweetness of the things of Christ without departing from your sins. The fear of God shows itself after conversion by an inward conflict with sin, a hatred of your own sins, and this increases as the converted man by the grace of God discovers more of God's goodness and mercy to him. The wisdom from above is first pure. When's the last time you sought wisdom from above? *James 3:17* Christ Jesus is Power of God, and the Wisdom of God. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. *I Corinthians 1:24*
Sense God's presence, be allegiant to His cause, dread anything that would displease Him. You are always under heavenly surveillance. Thou God seest me! Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. Avoid the thoughts, words, and actions that grieve the Spirit of God. The fear of God is directly opposed to pride, conceit, and high-mindedness. The fear of God leads to faith in God, dependence on Him, seeking Him for direction, and carefulness not to offend God. Don't disappoint, ignore, insult, neglect, or slight the LORD. Shun the ways of sin. Care much about what God thinks. Fearing God means to dread the thought of doing that which is wrong, that which would hurt God. By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Lord, please direct me into your love. Don't insult, offend, or demean Christ. Either the fear of God will lead you to depart from your sins, or your sins will lead you to depart from God. *Hebrews 3:12*
Your private and public behavior, your daily routine, and your dealings with others is monitored by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be grieved by your vain and sinful thoughts, and your forgetfulness of Him. Never disregard the advice of the Spirit, make use of His wisdom and leading. The Holy Spirit is God, the author of the new birth, the implanter and applier of all grace, and the finisher of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, helper, strengthener; and constant companion. He dwells in us, and will remain in us, even until death.
Men think they know what they don't know. They shall eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. The carnal mind turns away from God, the author of all Wisdom. The natural man doesn't think about God, he doesn't acknowledge or care about God. The prosperity of a fool destroys him. *Proverbs 1:32* A fool can't have prosperity and God. A wise man makes preparations for Eternity. *Proverbs 14:16* High mentality and low morality is a deadly combination. Don't go on in sin on your way to doom. There's no trouble with the Bible, the trouble is with the smart aleck spirit of human nature that thinks it is smarter than the only wise Creator Savior God. High income and low character is a fatal combination. *Proverbs 22:3*
Faith is striving to please the Lord in all things. Integrity, moral purity, honesty, telling the truth, upright ethical behavior at home, church, on the job, in private and public. Fear God - to stand in awe before Him, to hold God in high esteem, taking Him seriously, to honor who He is, to obey what He says, to have respect and reverence for my Maker. The fear of God is not a fear of His judgments here or hereafter, but a fear of His forgiving love, goodness and grace. This is a fear of offending so good a Being as God is; this is when true wisdom begins; a man only begins to be wise when he fears the Lord, and not until then. Fear God, regard and respect men. *Luke 18:2*
The fear of the LORD is not taking God lightly, to hate your inward and outward evil, to depart from that evil, carefulness to not grieve the Spirit, and to strive to abstain from all appearance of evil for Jesus' sake. The fear of God is a fear of offending so good a Being as He is. You don't have anything to be stuck up about. God gives you the very air you breathe; He gives you everything you have. Live a clean private and public life. *Psalm 19:9* Do not take God for granted; always remember, thank, recognize, and reverence God every day. High education and low scruples is a wretched combination.
The fear of the LORD is not taking God lightly, to hate your inward and outward evil, to depart from that evil, carefulness to not grieve the Spirit, and to strive to abstain from all appearance of evil for Jesus' sake. The fear of God is a fear of offending so good a Being as He is. You don't have anything to be stuck up about. God gives you the very air you breathe; He gives you everything you have. Live a clean private and public life. *Psalm 19:9* Do not take God for granted; always remember, thank, recognize, and reverence God every day. High education and low scruples is a wretched combination.
Be righteous, real, reverent, and be an interceder and reconciler. Be disciplined, and committed to your marriage, keep up a persistent resistance to self and sin. Integrity and honesty, and a tenderness toward God and His things. Cease from thine own wisdom - Seek wisdom from above which is first pure. Resignation to God's will; always trust in God's truthfulness, faithfulness, trustworthiness and goodness. Be sincere and upright in heart and actions, having the glory of God and good of men in view. Care for souls, love for Christ, private prayer, inward purity, outward charity, secret fellowship and communion, public living and witnessing for Jesus. Character is what you are in the dark. You are, what you are, all alone in the sight of God.
