The Awe of God: The Astounding Way a Healthy Fear of God Transforms Your Life

by John Paul Bevere

God knows not only what we do but the motives and intentions behind our actions.

Do I continually live with awareness that God knows my innermost thoughts, motives, and intentions? How can I increase my awareness of this truth? Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, I ask that my motives and intentions would be as pure as Jesus’ motives and intentions. May I filter all my thoughts, desires, words, and actions through the understanding that You continually examine my ways. May I never diminish this truth in my own perception of You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. Profession: I will live my life knowing God is fully aware of my intentions, thoughts, words, and actions.

“mega fear.”

holy fear

“fear, terror, reverence,

respect, ...

“profound respect and awe for deity—rev...

Our salvation is not worked out with love and kindness, rather with fear and trembling,

trembling.

trembling from fear, terror . . . or profound reverence, respect, dread.”

mega fear, awe, terror, profound respect, trembling, and dread.

These aren’t just words to describe a minor aspect of our life in Christ; rather, they identify how our salvation is worked out—a term that describes how our efforts, in cooperation with and empowered by the Holy Spirit, bring to full maturity what Jesus freely provides for us. From this point forward, we’ll say it like this: our salvation is matured through fear and trembling.

Paul writes that the antichrist cannot be revealed until “the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come]” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 AMPC).

“eternal judgment.”

The fact is, all of us will give an account for the way we lived. What transpires at this judgment will last forever—it’s eternal! For the believer, it is referred to as

how are believers building their lives in Christ without this elementary truth?

foundation.

This could represent a departure from the faith.

One important aspect of their training was to protect them from developing an attitude of entitlement.

We cannot do anything to make God love us more or less, but we are responsible for

how pleased He is with us. This is why Paul says it’s his goal to be “well pleasing.”

For we [believers] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the b...

whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. (2 ...

At this judgment seat we will not be judged for our repented sins—they have already been eradicated by the blood of Jesus. God “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). Again, He says, “I will forgive their wick...

We’ll be examined regarding how we lived as believers, and both good and...

What’s important to our current discussion is that Paul attaches “the terror of the Lord” wi...

You cannot do anything to make God love you more or less than He already does. But you are responsible for how pleased He is with you.

Pleasing God is my first priority in life. He is working in me both to will and to do His good pleasure.

The sin was their motive—the desire to be viewed in a certain light.

This brings up an important question: will only our words and works be examined at the judgment seat, or will our thoughts and motives be included?

First, He seizes the opportunity to impart to them an illustrated message of how not to be controlled by the moment. He warns these future leaders, both by example and teaching, about hypocrisy. It’s the Greek word hupókrisis and is defined as “to give an impression of having certain purposes or motivations, while in reality having quite different ones.”1

The Pharisees were experts in hypocrisy—doing things for show and pretense. Jesus warns not to fall into this trap by remaining pure in motive. In essence, He is communicating, don’t let popularity or mankind’s approval drive you, but be led by the Spirit,

staying firm in truth both in what you...

you ...

Second, Jesus points out how quickly hypocrisy can spread. He compares it to leaven, which is yeast that spreads throughout the dough and causes the entire batch to rise. Jesus’ illustration conveys that hypocrisy is contagiou...

Third, He emphatically states that hypocrisy cannot stay hidden. It’s certain that the intent behind one’s words or actions will eventually be exposed. His next statem...

“to put in fear, terrify, frighten.”

Jesus links being “cast into hell” with ignoring holy fear.

more than reverential worship.

Jesus tells us to fear God, not people. Simply put, the fear of God frees us from the fear of man, and the fear of man enslaves us by removing our ability to fear God.

“fear o...

It’s not necessarily running from people; rather, it gravitates toward pleasing those before us, with the underlying motive of personal satisfaction, protection, or gain. The fear of man ensnares us in the ye...

People can perform actions and speak words that are godly, but without holy fear they commit sin by their intentions.

my motives were self-promoting, self-protecting, and self-rewarding. The real story of my behavior was that of a hypocrite.

It’s easy to do godly, beneficial works before a watching world, all the while concealing a self-seeking motive.

First, not one motive or intention can be hidden from God, and second, it will eventually be revealed.

Is it

hidden from us? The fear of the Lord keeps us in touch with our heart motives, which is critically important, for the lack thereof leaves us v...

This couple’s lack of holy fear blinded them to the wickedness of their own motives. Again, we must ask, is their story a preview of the judgment seat of Christ?

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews