There’s a profound truth that often gets lost in our modern understanding of faith: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Not the middle. Not something we revisit occasionally. The beginning—the very foundation upon which everything else must be built.
When Familiarity Replaces Reverence
Jim Baker, the televangelist who fell from grace in spectacular fashion, once made a statement that should shake us all: “I never stopped loving Jesus. I just quit fearing Him.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
How many people do we see fall away—not because they stopped loving God, but because they stopped fearing Him? They made Jesus their buddy, their pal, someone they could high-five casually rather than the Holy God who spoke the universe into existence.
We’ve become so comfortable with God that we’ve forgotten who He is. We walk into His presence like we’re meeting a friend at a coffee shop rather than approaching the throne of the Almighty. We’ve replaced reverence with familiarity, and in doing so, we’ve lost something precious and essential.
The Foundation That Holds Everything
Anyone in construction knows this simple truth: if your foundation is wrong, everything built on it will be wrong. You can try to straighten things out as you go, but you’re fighting a losing battle. The foundation must be right from the start.
Jesus taught this principle in the parable of the wise and foolish builders. One built his house on rock; the other on sand. When the storms came, only one house remained standing.
Our spiritual lives work the same way. The fear of the Lord is that rock-solid foundation. Without it, everything else crumbles. You can attend church every Sunday, volunteer for every ministry, and memorize Scripture—but if you don’t fear God, your spiritual house will collapse when the storms come.
Proverbs 1:7 tells us plainly: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Knowledge isn’t just information—it’s applied wisdom. It’s how we actually live our lives. And it all starts with fearing God.
Understanding Holy Fear
But what does it mean to fear God?
It’s not about being terrified that He’ll hurt us. Moses clarified this in Exodus 20:20: “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you so that you will fear Him and will not sin.”
There’s a fear that drives away, and there’s a fear that keeps you right. The fear of the Lord is like a child’s healthy respect for a loving parent—not terror of abuse, but reverence for authority combined with trust in love.
Think about it this way: A good father might be physically incapable of harming you, yet you still reverence him. Why? Because he’s your dad. That position deserves honor, respect, and yes, a certain kind of fear—not fear that he’ll hurt you, but fear (or reverence) because of who he is and the authority he holds.
God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die while we were still His enemies. That’s the depth of His love. Our fear of Him isn’t rooted in thinking He’ll harm us—it’s rooted in knowing He’ll do exactly what He says because He loves us that much.
When Fear Is Missing, Sin Becomes Casual
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: when we lose the fear of the Lord, sin becomes casual.
We start asking questions like:
- “Is it really that bad?”
- “How far is too far?”
- “Does it really matter?”
We negotiate with holiness. We treat God’s commands like suggestions. We convince ourselves that certain sins are “small” or that we can handle just a little compromise.
But there are no small sins in the eyes of a holy God. A “little white lie” is still a lie—and Scripture is clear that liars won’t inherit the kingdom of heaven. That’s not Tony being harsh; that’s what the Bible says.
The first look might be free, but when you go back for the second one, you’ve crossed a line. When comfort becomes stronger than conviction, you’ve lost the fear of the Lord.
The Transformation Power of a Holy View
Your view of God shapes your entire life.
- If you view God as small, your obedience will be small.
- If you view God casually, you’ll live casually.
- If you view God as holy, your life will change.
When someone encounters the holiness of God, transformation is inevitable. They don’t just stop doing wrong things—they start doing everything differently. They treat their spouse better. They change what they watch and listen to. They protect their eyes and guard their hearts. They build their business on different principles.
Why? Because when you truly see God as holy, you can’t continue living the same way.
Building Reverence Into Your Routine
Restoration doesn’t start with trying harder or doing more. It starts with seeing God rightly—with returning to reverence.
Ask yourself these honest questions:
- Do I treat God as holy or as familiar? Have I made Him my buddy instead of my Lord?
- Do my decisions reflect awareness of His presence? Would I make different choices if I remembered that God is always with me, always watching, always present?
- Do I take sin seriously? Or have I categorized certain sins as acceptable or manageable?
- Am I building reverence into my routine? Do I spend time with God daily, reading His Word and praying—not out of obligation but out of love and reverence?
The Question That Changes Everything
Here’s the question that should convict us all: If Jesus walked into your house tonight, what would you change?
Would you change what’s on your TV? What you’re scrolling through on your phone? The way you speak to your family? The habits you’ve justified?
The uncomfortable truth is that Jesus is walking into your house tonight. He’s already there. He sees everything. There are no “oops” moments for God—He’s never surprised by what you do.
So why wait? Why not change it now?
The Path Forward
The beautiful truth is that it doesn’t have to stay this way. You can fix it. Today can be the day you return to the foundation—to the fear of the Lord.
God won’t help you until you take the first step, but once you do, He’ll be right there beside you. His mercies are new every morning. His grace renews daily. He gives us the opportunity to stand back up, dust ourselves off, and continue moving forward.
Return to the beginning. Walk in the fear of the Lord. Honor God in your thoughts, your choices, and your life. Build your foundation on reverence, and let your life reflect His holiness.
The fear of the Lord isn’t a burden—it’s the beginning of everything good, everything true, everything that will last when the storms come. It’s the foundation that holds when everything else shakes.
Are you building on that foundation today?
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 