Awesome God: A God To Be Feared from Fouadadmin's blog
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ByDr. Pierre Coovert
We do have an awesome God, but do we really know what that means? The
word awesome is very popular today, especially with the younger
generation. I doubt seriously that most people who use this word have
any idea of its real meaning. The slang meaning used most often today
means excellent or outstanding. Awesome really means inspiring or
displaying awe. Awe as a noun is fear mingled with admiration or
reverence and as a verb it means to strike with fear and reverence.
Inherent in its meaning is to astonish which means to stun or strike
dumb with sudden fear, terror, surprise or wonder.
The Scriptures tell us often that we are to fear the Lord. From the definitions above you can see that the fear of the Lord is related to His being an awesome God.
The word “awe” is used three times in Scripture.
Psalms 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psalms 119:161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
The first usage of the word shows that if we stand in awe of God it will keep us from sin. When we see who God is we will stand in awe of Him. The fear that is implied in awe causes us to turn from sin to avoid the punishment that comes from God.
The second of these verses tell us the the all the earth should fear the LORD. It further states that all of the inhabitants of the world should stand in awe of Him. You cannot separate the fear of the Lord from standing in awe of Him.
The final verse shows that even in times of unjust persecution a godly heart will stand in awe of the Word of God. When the pressures of the world push the Christian to compromise the fear of God should give us strength and motivation to stay faithful to God's Word.
Another important word used in the definition of the word awe is reverence. This word means fear mingled with respect and esteem. No matter how you try, you can't separate the idea of fear from the words awe and awesome.
Our awesome God is seen in striking manner in Isaiah chapter six. “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:1-5)
Isaiah was already a great man of God for five chapters before we get to chapter six. When king Uzziah died Isaiah saw the power behind the throne was really God. His reaction in verse five is a great picture of the definition of awesome. As he saw the awesome God, he was stricken with fear as he saw himself in the light of the holiness of God. He saw himself and the society in which he lived as unclean. Although he was already a spokesman for God, in verse he volunteers to go further for his God. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
God is indeed an awesome God. What effect does this have on us? Does it give us a fear of God? Does it make us more careful to follow the precepts of His Word?
Romans 3:11-18 explains why we have so many problems in the world today. “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This passage does a good job of describing modern society. Understanding of the things of God is missing in most people. As a result of this lack of understanding none see after God. Everyone is out for themselves. All that our leaders try to solve our problems turn out to be unprofitable. The real problem is “There is not fear of God before their eyes.”
We, as Christians, must live lives that show who our God is and what He is able to do. Our lives should show God's ability to change lives for the better. If we are just like the world, if they can't see a change in us, how do we expect them to believe that God can heal our world?
God's job in getting us to turn back to Him is to show His power in judgment. The blindness of even Christians is astounding. The violence of Islam is nothing new. America's first military conflict was against Islamic pirates. Until recently God has protected our nation against Islam's violence. The attacks on America show that God has removed His hand of protection from our nation.
Until God is seen as an awesome God we will only see more of God's judgment. Author Resource:- Dr. Pierre Coovert has been a missionary, a pastor, and an evangelist for more than thirty years. In those years he has seen a dramatic change in the attitudes and conduct of Christians. His website, Awake to Righteousness is dedicated to encouraging Christians to return to the faith and conduct of the Bible.
Article From Christian Baptist Articles
We do have an awesome God, but do we really know what that means? The
word awesome is very popular today, especially with the younger
generation. I doubt seriously that most people who use this word have
any idea of its real meaning. The slang meaning used most often today
means excellent or outstanding. Awesome really means inspiring or
displaying awe. Awe as a noun is fear mingled with admiration or
reverence and as a verb it means to strike with fear and reverence.
Inherent in its meaning is to astonish which means to stun or strike
dumb with sudden fear, terror, surprise or wonder.
The Scriptures tell us often that we are to fear the Lord. From the definitions above you can see that the fear of the Lord is related to His being an awesome God.
The word “awe” is used three times in Scripture.
Psalms 4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psalms 119:161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word.
The first usage of the word shows that if we stand in awe of God it will keep us from sin. When we see who God is we will stand in awe of Him. The fear that is implied in awe causes us to turn from sin to avoid the punishment that comes from God.
The second of these verses tell us the the all the earth should fear the LORD. It further states that all of the inhabitants of the world should stand in awe of Him. You cannot separate the fear of the Lord from standing in awe of Him.
The final verse shows that even in times of unjust persecution a godly heart will stand in awe of the Word of God. When the pressures of the world push the Christian to compromise the fear of God should give us strength and motivation to stay faithful to God's Word.
Another important word used in the definition of the word awe is reverence. This word means fear mingled with respect and esteem. No matter how you try, you can't separate the idea of fear from the words awe and awesome.
Our awesome God is seen in striking manner in Isaiah chapter six. “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 6:1-5)
Isaiah was already a great man of God for five chapters before we get to chapter six. When king Uzziah died Isaiah saw the power behind the throne was really God. His reaction in verse five is a great picture of the definition of awesome. As he saw the awesome God, he was stricken with fear as he saw himself in the light of the holiness of God. He saw himself and the society in which he lived as unclean. Although he was already a spokesman for God, in verse he volunteers to go further for his God. “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
God is indeed an awesome God. What effect does this have on us? Does it give us a fear of God? Does it make us more careful to follow the precepts of His Word?
Romans 3:11-18 explains why we have so many problems in the world today. “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This passage does a good job of describing modern society. Understanding of the things of God is missing in most people. As a result of this lack of understanding none see after God. Everyone is out for themselves. All that our leaders try to solve our problems turn out to be unprofitable. The real problem is “There is not fear of God before their eyes.”
We, as Christians, must live lives that show who our God is and what He is able to do. Our lives should show God's ability to change lives for the better. If we are just like the world, if they can't see a change in us, how do we expect them to believe that God can heal our world?
God's job in getting us to turn back to Him is to show His power in judgment. The blindness of even Christians is astounding. The violence of Islam is nothing new. America's first military conflict was against Islamic pirates. Until recently God has protected our nation against Islam's violence. The attacks on America show that God has removed His hand of protection from our nation.
Until God is seen as an awesome God we will only see more of God's judgment. Author Resource:- Dr. Pierre Coovert has been a missionary, a pastor, and an evangelist for more than thirty years. In those years he has seen a dramatic change in the attitudes and conduct of Christians. His website, Awake to Righteousness is dedicated to encouraging Christians to return to the faith and conduct of the Bible.
Article From Christian Baptist Articles
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