How To Maintain And Increase the Fear of God

Albert N. Martin

The fear of God is one of the most basic themes of Holy Scripture, yet sadly it is one of the most neglected themes of Scripture in our day. One mature and very able student of the word of God has been bold enough to make the statement that, “The fear of God is the very soul of godliness.” In other words, there is no life of godliness unless it is continually animated by the soul of the fear of God. We have seen that Scripture warrants the conclusion that the fear of God is the soil out of which a godly life grows, and the absence of the fear of God is the soil out of which an ungodly life grows. Because this matter is so vital, we need to consider how we are to maintain and increase the fear of God in our hearts.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part VI →

Relationship of the Fear of God to Our Conduct

Albert N. Martin

We saw in the last chapter that whenever the fear of God is present it is because God has applied with power the New Covenant blessings purchased by the blood of Christ. The fear of God is thus a blessing that is inseparably joined with the joy and the realization of the forgiveness of sins. As one author has so beautifully said, “The heart is shy of a condemning God but closeth with and adhereth to a pardoning God.” Until a man knows the forgiveness of God based upon the blood of the everlasting covenant he will never rightly fear God. He may have terror of God; he may have a dread of God; but that terror and dread will drive him away from God. The fear of God couched in the consciousness of forgiveness is a fear that causes us to draw near to God and to cling to Him and to His ways.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part V →

Source of the Fear of God

Albert N. Martin

One eminent commentator on the Bible has said, “It is well known that the fear of God is used to signify not only the whole of His worship but all godly affections whatsoever, and consequently the whole of true religion.” This writer could say that it is commonly understood by anyone who knows his Bible that the fear of God can be used as a synonym for the whole of true religion. I believe that a study of Scripture leads to that conclusion. But that also means that there is this terrible negative implication. If the fear of God is synonymous with the whole of true religion, then the absence of the fear of God is indicative of the absence of true religion.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part IV →

Ingredients of the Fear of God

Albert N. Martin

Suppose someone were to read through his Bible with pen and paper in hand and jot down every explicit, overt reference to the fear of God he came across. In addition, he would record passages that contained, although not the explicit words, yet the thought and illustrations of the reality of the fear of God. I am quite confident that he would be able to fill many pages with references to this great theme. For the fear of God is one of the most dominant themes in Holy Scripture. It is that which the writer of the Proverbs says is the beginning or the chief part of all knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).

We have seen the fear of God illustrated and defined from Scripture. Now, we need to consider what are the essential ingredients of the fear of God. First, there must be correct concepts of the character of God. Second, there must be a pervasive sense of the presence of God. Third, there must be a constant awareness of our obligations to God.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part III →

Definition of the Fear of God

Albert N. Martin

The fear of God is the soul of godliness. As I pointed out, it is obvious to observant Christians that this pervasive and dominant theme of Holy Scripture has well nigh been lost to our own generation. As we endeavor to acquaint ourselves with at least some of the pivotal aspects of the scriptural teaching on this subject, we sought in the last study to do but one thing—to capture and feel something of the predominance of the fear of God in Biblical thought.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part II →

Predominance of the Fear of God in Biblical Thought

Albert N. Martin

The fear of God is one of the great and dominant themes of Holy Scripture. However, it is a subject concerning which there is almost total silence in our day. It is a theme that was very prominent both in the thinking and in the preaching of our forefathers. It is interesting that, when our spiritual forefathers desired to describe someone who was marked by unusual godliness, they would often call him a “God-fearing man.”

The fear of God is the soul of godliness. Take away the soul from the body and all you have left, in a few days, is a stinking carcass. Take away the fear of God from any expression of godliness and all you have left is the stinking carcass of Pharisaism and barren religiosity.

Continue reading The Fear of God Part I →