Fear of God

We’re moving onward in our series called ‘Stand Firm” where we’ve been doing a deep dive into the Books of 1 & 2 Peter. We just wrapped up the beautiful Doxology found in 1 Peter 1:3-12 and are moving into a section where Peter exhorts his audience to live into their new identity as children of the Heavenly Father. We narrowed in on vv. 17-21 which read:

[17] And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, [18] knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. [20] He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you [21] who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Fear of God is no easy thing to understand. Some teach it incorrectly, some don’t teach it at all, but all Christians are called to fear God. So what does that mean? The BIG IDEA we wanted to walk away with was that Christians can/should live in the [right] fear of God because he is our Heavenly Father who is altogether holy and just and is the one who judges fully and impartially.

Give the sermon a listen and we hope to see you this week at a Family Meal and/or a DNA group to dive even deeper.