The connection of fear and service cannot be missed. Worldly fear brings bondage and hinders Christian service; yet godly fear encourages the believer to serve the Lord in righteousness. In our passage, fear is yoked together with truthful and sincere service. Three different verses in 1 Samuel chapter 12 make the same connection (1 Samuel 12:14, 20, 24). In Psalm 2:11, we are admonished to “serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” According to Hebrews 12:28, we should “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” The fear of the Lord points forward to a time of judgment and reward. A man who refuses to fear God will never serve God with a sincere heart and pure motives.
A cursory read of today’s passage might lead someone to believe that it contains a glaring contradiction. Yet, the passage simply makes a distinction between the two main kinds of fear, the fear of man and the fear of God. God instructs His people not to fear the things of the world so that they might know the fear of the Lord. Each of these fears reflects the level of faith. A fear of the world reflects an absence of faith. It further reveals a lack of trust in God to provide or take care of the believer. The Lord warned His people to overcome the fears of this world based upon His own presence (Genesis 15:1). Yet, the fear of the Lord is founded strictly upon faith. Those who fear the Lord trust in Him (Psalm 115:11).
Learning to fear the Lord yields great results in our daily walk with Him. Some facets of man’s relationship with the Lord change over time and through the seasons. Yet, one thing that has remained constant from the very beginning concerns God’s call upon His people to fear Him. How vital is the fear of God? The Bible refers to it as “the whole duty of man.” Some Bible teachers have tried to lessen the severity of this truth by saying that this fear merely refers to reverencing God, yet Hebrews 12:28 presents the fear of God and reverence as two separate and distinct actions. God’s people are to fear the Lord as the Creator of all things and the One who will one day bring all things into judgment. As saints of God, we will never please the Lord until we first learn to fear Him (Deuteronomy 4:10).
Fear introduced is faith attacked. As such, we should not be partakers of the world’s fears. Instead, we should “sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be” our fear (Isaiah 8:13). Throughout scripture, the Lord admonished His people not to fear the world. Why? The answer is twofold: (1) the Lord was with them (Genesis 26:24) and (2) fear of the world yields bondage (Proverbs 29:25). This worldly bondage never originates with the Lord (Romans 8:15) for He has given Christians a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). We need not fear those who can destroy the body (Matthew 10:28); rather, we ought to say the Lord is our helper, and we will not fear what men will do unto us (Hebrews 13:6).
The Bible refers to both a godly and ungodly fear. The two fears will not and cannot coexist. Godly fear pertains to the healthy fear involving fearing the Lord (Isaiah 8:13); however, ungodly fear pertains to fearing the things of this world (Isaiah 8:12). Ungodly fear opposes faith and can grievously effect a person (Job 4:14; Job 22:10; Psalm 48:6; 1 John 4:18), but the fear of the Lord is founded upon faith and provides confidence and assurance. The fear of this world brings torment upon its victims, yet the fear of the Lord prolongs life (Proverbs 10:27). Not surprisingly, the world thrives on triggering ungodly fears, especially its entertainment and news programs. God’s people should avoid the worldly and major on the fear of the Lord.
The church meetinghouse has historically been viewed as a spiritually safe haven. Unfortunately, the Devil has increasingly been able to turn this haven into a place of abuse by those with impure motives. It all began when “Christian” men allowed themselves to deal with ladies in ways that lead to impure thoughts, resulting in impure actions. In today’s passage, Paul warned Timothy about these dangers and provided wisdom on how to safely deal with these relationships. He told Timothy to treat the elder women as though they were his mother. Concerning the younger ladies, Paul told Timothy to treat them as he would his sister. Christian gentlemen naturally avoid improper thoughts toward their mothers and sisters. Paul was aware that such dangers within a body of believers would exist between men and women so he cautioned Timothy and the church how to behave appropriately.
Timothy was a young man who had been nourished up on the pure words of God since childhood (2 Timothy 3:15). His mother and grandmother invested the necessary time to teach him about good and bad, right and wrong. This early development helped him to understand the importance of purity (2 Timothy 1:5). Because these two women brought him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Timothy had been shielded from much of the wickedness and filth to which others were exposed. With this upbringing in mind, Paul called upon Timothy to be an example in purity. Paul stressed the importance of Timothy maintaining his purity so that other believers might be able to see his life and follow in his example.
Believers should seek to be pure in every facet of life. One might consider limiting this to the places he goes or the things he hears and sees, but purity demands a much greater focus. Believers ought to think on pure things (Philippians 4:8) with pure minds (2 Peter 3:1) and pure consciences (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). In particular, believers should have pure hearts before the Lord (1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22). A pure heart will lead to a pure conscience and a pure mind. A pure heart changes where a man goes, what he looks upon, and the things he allows to enter into his ears. Every Christian should strive to make sure that all things are pure.
Our flesh makes us naturally prone to rebellion and uncleanness. Yet, fewer and fewer people seem willing to accept this Bible truth. Most men would rather continue in uncleanness while pretending to live pure before the Lord. According to our passage, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” It is impossible to be simultaneously pure and filthy. We may understand this from a practical standpoint but refuse to accept it spiritually. True purity is never based on man’s opinion but upon God’s unwavering point of view. The word of God remains the only mechanism for determining truth and error. Instead of repenting and striving to align with God’s viewpoint, the worldly Christian will claim purity while walking in his filthiness. Unfortunately, Christians are moving away from the truth rather than toward it.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). As such, the words that proceed from our mouths provide helpful insights into the condition of our hearts. A man can only deceive with his words for so long; eventually, his speech exposes the reality of his heart's condition. The Bible reinforces this truth when it says, “the words of the pure are pleasant words” (Proverbs 15:26). The Bible also identifies words of praise to God as “pleasant” words (Psalm 135:3; Psalm 147:1). Impure words manifest an unpleasantness. Whereas, a pure heart utters pure words and speaks of the Lord and of His goodness.
