“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalm 89:7)
The Christian’s great concern in the above verse is the fear of God in the assembly of the saints. God is not simply to be feared but greatly to be feared. There are two different words used (Psalm 89:7) in the Hebrew text ( עָרַץ and יָרֵא ) for “fear ” to teach us that the Covenant keeping God of all grace, is truly to be feared and revered in the true churches of Christ. The assembly of the Christian saints, is a family but it is a family under the one Headship of Christ where the rule of Christ the King is to be exercised and actually seen. Christ is the Head of His Church. He has purchased her by paying the price with His own Blood. The Church of Christ must never forget that she was not bought by the blood of lambs and goats which could not cleanse the guilty conscience but by the most precious Blood of the Lamb of God. This Lamb of God is the Eternal Son of God. Christ’s Life and Death on the Cross is able to cleanse us from all our sins and iniquities. Thank God! now the Lamb is continually being worshipped in Heaven as the victorious Lamb of God. Before the Psalmist speaks about the fear of God in Psalm 89:7, dear reader, please pay attention to what he says in the following two verses “And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? (Psalm 89:5-6) The Church of Christ here upon earth exists to the praise and glory of her God. The Holy Spirit was given to the church to teach her all things, and to bring all things to her rememberance (John 14:26) about her Lord. The Holy Spirit does this work by and through the Holy Word.
One of the very well known verses to us is Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” The question is, do you fear the LORD? Or are you “one of those fools” who depise Christ & Him Crucified? The writer to the Hebrews writes this for us “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Note from the Pastor
Dated: 14 July 2011
