This first verse will completely set the stage for you to be able to receive direct knowledge from the Lord. This first verse is literally telling us that God is wanting us to grow in the knowledge of Him and His Son Jesus.
“… but GROW in the grace and KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
This verse is only one short sentence long, but a lot is being said in it. After we get saved, God expects us to start growing in the knowledge that He wants to transmit to us. And the only way we can spiritually grow is by seeking after the knowledge that will cause this growth to occur in the first place!
This right here is why many Christians are not make much spiritual growth over the course of their lives after they initially get saved – all because they are not seeking after the knowledge of God that will cause this spiritual growth to occur in the first place.
Read more: Seeking After the Knowledge of God
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” Here properly the book begins, and this is the first of the proverbs, and an excellent one. The knowledge of God is of great importance to our personal and private happiness. "The fear of the Lord" is not meant to be a servile fear, a fear of punishment, of hell, wrath, and damnation, which is the effect of the first work of the law upon the conscience; but a Godly fear, and supposes knowledge of God as a father, of his love and grace in Christ, particularly of his forgiving love, from whence it arises, Psalm 130:4 --- it is a holy, humble, a reverential affection and devotion to God; it includes the whole of religious worship, both internal and external; all that is contained in the first table of the law, and the manner of performing it, and principle of acting: this is the first of all sciences to be learned, and it is the principal one; it is the basis and foundation of all the rest, on which they depend; and it is the head, the fountain, the root and source, from where they spring; and unless a man knows God, knows God in Christ, and worships him in his fear, in spirit and in truth, according to his revealed will, he knows nothing as he ought to know; and all his knowledge will be of no avail and profit to him; this is the first and chief thing in spiritual and scriptural knowledge, and without which all natural knowledge will signify nothing.
The phrase “the fear of the Lord” is repeated at least 18 times in the book of Proverbs. So we can almost say that “the fear of the Lord” is the basic principle or the foundation on which we should build a life of knowledge and wisdom. The fear of the Lord is not a fear of punishment. The fear of the Lord is a refusal to participate in evil (Job 28:28). To fear the LORD is to hate evil ;( Proverbs 8:13) The fear of the Lord actually protects us from sinning against God, against others and against ourselves. It also means to seek God and listen to God’s wisdom. We look to the word of God as the source of our wisdom. Psalm 112:1 reads, “Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in his commands.” Psalm 128:1 says, “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who talk in his ways.” Ephesians 5:15-18 reads, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
Being wise is different from being humanly smart and clever. Human cleverness actually has to do with corrupted nature of the human mind. We can be humanly clever by carefully observing nature and human behavior. But only those who have the fear of the Lord can be truly wise because God is the truth and the source of all wisdom. Wisdom that does not come from heaven is earthly, unspiritual and of the devil. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and bears good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:15-17) Therefore, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” In fact, there are so many blessings of the fear of the Lord. And the fear of the Lord is the foundation for gaining God’s wisdom.
The foundation, the origin, the commencement of knowledge begin with the fear of the Lord - Reverence for God; respect for his law, his will, his government, himself; the fear of offending him, which will lead us to do right. This fear is not that of a slave; it is not mere dread; it is not terror. It is consistent with love, and springs from it. It is consistent with calmness of mind, and promotes it. It does not produce terror, but rather delivers from it, and preserves the mind from alarms.
The Bible says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29NIV)
The highest wisdom - the loftiest endowment of man - is that he "May" “Fear” know and honor God. Wisdom is the ability to discern what is edifying from what is harmful, what is safe from what is dangerous. Wisdom is about a right understanding and a right application of the way things really are. The fundamental fact about the way things really are is that God exists and is engaged with the creation. The Bible opens with the words, "In the beginning God created…." This dramatic statement declares God to be the eternal source and foundation of all that is. The Bible proceeds to reveal the person, nature, and character of the triune God who forever is -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The fear of the Lord is to be God-conscious at all times.
King David demonstrated his fear of God and faith seemingly on a daily basis being God conscious in all circumstances which pleased the Lord. Look at what David says “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts God! How vast is the sum of them!(Psalm 139:7-17)
David’s life was a portrait of success and failure, and it highlights the fact that he was far from perfect. But what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart was pointed toward God. David loved God deeply throughout his entire life. David also loved God’s law and he sought to follow it as best he could. He spent many days meditating on it and trying to apply it to his own life. He knew that God’s law had the power to change lives if it was followed to the letter. Another important character trait that David exhibited was that he had the attitude of gratitude and was very thankful for his life. During his life he had all sorts of trouble, but David thanked God every day no matter the circumstances. And, finally, David was truly repentant. Let us not forget that he was a man just like us who too sinned. But, despite his sin, he always feared God and sought to repent of those sins. He is a role model for all of us sinners who need to repent earnestly. David was indeed a man after God’s own heart.
The fear of the Lord does not make us timid or weak. The fear of the Lord actually gives us strength with reverence and awe. When we fear the Lord, we don’t have to fear anything else. The fear of the Lord is a remedy for all other ungodly and unhealthy forms of fear. It’s like the saying “A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This shows who the wise men are, and in what true wisdom lies; no man is wise till he fears the Lord, and he that does so is a wise man, at least then he begins to be one; this is the principal part of wisdom, and it is the beginning of grace; it is the first act of wisdom, which appears as soon as a man is converted and caused to know wisdom in the hidden part; as repentance, faith, and love, quickly show themselves in one act or another, so does the fear of God; for the former are never without the latter; for fear is an awe and reverence of the divine Being, joined with love to him, trust in him, and a desire to serve and worship him in a right manner.
~Bits and Pieces of Sermon shared by Bishop Lalachan Abraham
PRAYER - Dear Lord,
I ask you, today, to fill me with the knowledge of Your will, through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
I pray this in order that I might live a life worthy of You, and that I may please You in every way.
Help me, Lord, to bear fruit in every good work.
Help me to grow in my knowledge of You.
Strengthen me, Lord, with all power, according to Your glorious might, so that I may have endurance and patience.
I joyfully thank you and praise you, Father, that you have qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
Amen.
