Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

What Is Needed Today Is A Little Fear

The first days of the Lord’s church were remarkable. Three thousand souls were baptized for the remission of sins on Pentecost because they had been convicted in their hearts Jesus was Lord and Christ. As the first citizens of the kingdom of Christ, led by the Holy Spirit, the disciples began to worship under a new covenant with a new purpose. The apostles guided the multitudes in the word of the Lord in the fellowship of Christ, learning about the Lord’s Supper and its significance and spending much time in prayer. When the three thousand realized Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, they were stunned, astonished, and fearful. Responding to the power of the gospel, they were cut to the heart, begging to know what to do to save themselves. Peter, along with the eleven, answered what they must do.

One of the powerful messages of Pentecost was that three thousand souls obeyed the gospel of Christ and that when they began to worship Jesus as Lord and Savior, they were moved with fear. The wonders and signs done through the apostles added to the awesomeness of the moment to see such wonderful things, but deeply rooted in their hearts was a respectful fear for God. There was no division, complaining, or murmuring. The early church was filled with saints who understood the nature and character of God and responded with a fearful respect in worship to the Lord God. They knew they had killed the Son of God. Fueled by this fear, the people worshiped in sincerity to the will of the Father.

Fear can be destructive, but fear can also be the motivation needed to focus the mind and heart on the grace of God. When men stop fearing God, they lose respect for His word. They do not feel the awareness to follow His will. The word of God becomes an optional thing that is useful for some things but is never embraced as a serious part of life. One of the greatest problems in the church today is a lack of fear for the Almighty Lord God of Heaven. The first-century disciples had a fear of God, and it moved them to serve the Lord with a diligent heart. Luke will write later in the Acts about how the early church walked in the fear of the Lord. This is where growth comes from – the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord defines sin for what it is. Sin is not a mistake or a misguided decision. It is a transgression of the law of God and comes with serious consequences that determine eternity. Adultery is a sin. If someone does not fear God, they do not believe adultery is a sin. Fornication is a sin and should be viewed with a dreadful fear of God’s wrath. Forsaking the Lord’s Supper is a sin, and those who trifle with God’s command face the wrath of God – and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Lying is a sin. Pornography is sinful. An unforgiving heart will damn a soul. The answer to sin is to understand the fear of the Lord.

Walking in the fear of the Lord is a healthy exercise of the goodness and severity of God. God is love, but God is also a God of wrath. Fear must be at the center of a person’s life with God. If someone loves God and does not fear Him, they do not love Him. When someone fears God and does not love Him, they do not understand divine fear. Love and fear go hand in hand. The saints of the early church learned about the will of God. Through this knowledge, they learned to walk in the fear of the Lord. The Bible is written to comfort the afflicted, but it also is written to afflict the comfortable. Read the Bible, and you will learn to fear God. Do you fear God? If not, today is a good day to start learning how. Your eternal destiny depends on it.