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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN "THE FEAR OF THE LORD"

There are several practical manifestations of a life lived in "the fear of the lord"

1: OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S COMMANDMENTS.

The lord has given us very specific commandments without regard to circumstances or situations. No matter what other say in offering us an alluring, good-sounding" alternative plan" to gods commandments, we must never choose to follow their advice. Plans or schemes of man's design may seem prudent and wise, but god tells us "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (prov.14:12). Gods word is very clear. The problem most christians have is not that they do not understand god's standards for right or wrong, but that they choose not to obey what he has said.

2: A DESIRE TO BE LIKE JESUS.

Those who truly love jesus as their savior and lord will want to be like him. How did jesus live?Jesus lived in complete obedience to his father. He did only what his father instructed him to do; he spoke only what the father prompted him to say. What jesus did we are to do-not to the "best of our ability" but to the best of the holy spirits ability within us! The holy spirit empowers us to live as jesus lived. It is our responsibility to ask the holy spirit to work in us and through us, the more we gain the ability to live like jesus.

3: A LIFE OF COURAGE.

Those who fear mankind and natural disaster suffer a panic that paralyzes. Those who fear the lord with a holy awe, on the other hand, find a courage that mobilizes them to act. God challenges his people to live in confidence and to respond boldly and couragesouly to life. Such "heroes of the faith" as moses, joshua, and the apostoles peter and paul faced incredible challenges, yet to suceed because of their god driven courage. They learned the same lesson that emboldened Ezra to say "...so i was encouraged, as the hand of the lord my god was upon me..."