What is the Cause and Cure of All Problems? (Part 2)
The Fear of the Lord: Our Greatest Need and Greatest Solution
What if I told you that there's one thing—just one—that lies at the root of every problem we see in our world today? And what if that same thing also holds the key to solving those very problems?
It sounds too simple, doesn't it? Yet Scripture presents us with exactly this paradox: the absence of the fear of the Lord is the cause of all our problems, and the presence of the fear of the Lord is the cure.
What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?
Before we go further, we need to understand what "fear of the Lord" actually means. It's not about cowering in terror before an angry deity. Rather, it's a holy and awesome reverence for an awesome God. It's recognizing who God is in His majesty, holiness, and power—and allowing that recognition to shape how we live.
Proverbs 9:10 tells us plainly: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
The fear of the Lord isn't just a mental concept we agree with on Sunday mornings. It's a mode of living, a way we conduct ourselves every single day. It affects our choices, our relationships, our entertainment, our finances, our words—everything.
When the Fear of the Lord Is Absent
So what happens when people don't fear God? What does a world without the fear of the Lord look like?
Psalm 36:1 paints a sobering picture: "Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes."
When there's no fear of God, sin becomes our native tongue. Rebellion isn't something we struggle against—it becomes what we embrace, what we speak, what we think. All things become permissible because there's no higher authority we recognize.
We Fear the Wrong Things
Here's something fascinating: if we don't fear God, we will still fear something. We'll just fear the wrong things.
Jesus addressed this directly in Matthew 10:28: "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
When we don't fear God, we fear man instead. We become people-pleasers. We crave affirmation, likes, approval. We follow the crowd because we desperately want to fit in and be accepted. We compromise our morals and principles just to avoid disapproval.
This is especially dangerous in our social media age, where validation is literally measured in likes and shares. The pressure to conform, to go along, to not stand out as "intolerant" or "judgmental" can be overwhelming.
But Jesus is clear: don't fear those who can only harm your body. Fear the One who holds your eternal destiny in His hands.
A Haunting Biblical Truth
One of the most haunting verses in all of Scripture is found in Judges 21:25: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
Does that sound familiar? It could be written about our generation today.
When there's no fear of God, everyone becomes their own moral authority. Truth becomes subjective. Right and wrong are determined by personal preference rather than divine revelation.
The Consequences Are Real
The book of Deuteronomy lays out in stark detail what happens when people refuse to fear the Lord. Deuteronomy 28:58 serves as a summary: "If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God..."
What follows is a litany of consequences: captivity, bondage, hunger, disease, plague, and even the most horrific of circumstances. These aren't theoretical—they're historical realities that Israel experienced when they abandoned the fear of God.
Two Critical Areas Today
In our contemporary context, the absence of God's fear is perhaps most evident in two areas: sexuality and life.
Sexuality: We've normalized what Scripture calls sin. When over half of lead characters in popular streaming content represent lifestyles contrary to biblical sexuality, we're not just being entertained—we're being discipled. The more we consume this content, the more we accept it. The more our children see these characters portrayed positively, the more they question whether God's design is really best.
Life: The sanctity of human life has been compromised on a massive scale. With the ability to order abortion pills online and end a pregnancy in the privacy of one's home, we've made the destruction of life easier than ordering dinner. The fact that most abortions now happen this way—discreetly, without medical supervision, without counseling—reveals how far we've drifted from valuing the image of God in every human being.
When the Fear of the Lord Is Present
But there's good news—wonderful news, actually. When the fear of the Lord is present, everything changes.
Proverbs 8:13 tells us: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."
We Hate Sin
When we truly fear God, we begin to hate what He hates. Not in a self-righteous, judgmental way, but in a way that recognizes sin's destructiveness. And when we hate evil, we naturally love what is good.
We're Preserved from Sin
Proverbs 16:6 says, "By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil."
The fear of the Lord acts as a preservative against sin. It's what kept Joseph from sleeping with Potiphar's wife. When temptation came, he cried out, "How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?"
We Walk in Holiness
2 Corinthians 7:1 encourages us: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
This is sanctification—the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. None of us will be perfect this side of eternity, but the fear of the Lord compels us to walk closer with Him each day.
We Worship Rightly
Revelation 14:7 commands: "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
When we rightly fear the Lord, worship isn't drudgery—it's delight. We gather not out of obligation but out of overwhelming gratitude and awe for who God is.
A Prayer for Our Hearts
The beautiful thing about the fear of the Lord is that while we can learn it—through Scripture, through godly examples, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit—it's ultimately something God works in us.
Psalm 86:11 gives us the perfect prayer: "Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name."
This is the cry we need today: "Lord, unite my heart to fear Your name."
When we fear the Lord, we have nothing else to fear. We're free from the tyranny of public opinion. We're free from the bondage of sin. We're free to worship, to obey, to love, and to live as God intended.
The fear of the Lord truly is both the cause and the cure. Its absence creates chaos; its presence brings order, peace, and joy.
So the question for each of us today is simple but profound: Do I fear the Lord? Does my life reflect the ways of the world or the ways of God?
May God unite our hearts to fear His name.
In His Service,
What if I told you that there's one thing—just one—that lies at the root of every problem we see in our world today? And what if that same thing also holds the key to solving those very problems?
It sounds too simple, doesn't it? Yet Scripture presents us with exactly this paradox: the absence of the fear of the Lord is the cause of all our problems, and the presence of the fear of the Lord is the cure.
What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?
Before we go further, we need to understand what "fear of the Lord" actually means. It's not about cowering in terror before an angry deity. Rather, it's a holy and awesome reverence for an awesome God. It's recognizing who God is in His majesty, holiness, and power—and allowing that recognition to shape how we live.
Proverbs 9:10 tells us plainly: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
The fear of the Lord isn't just a mental concept we agree with on Sunday mornings. It's a mode of living, a way we conduct ourselves every single day. It affects our choices, our relationships, our entertainment, our finances, our words—everything.
When the Fear of the Lord Is Absent
So what happens when people don't fear God? What does a world without the fear of the Lord look like?
Psalm 36:1 paints a sobering picture: "Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes."
When there's no fear of God, sin becomes our native tongue. Rebellion isn't something we struggle against—it becomes what we embrace, what we speak, what we think. All things become permissible because there's no higher authority we recognize.
We Fear the Wrong Things
Here's something fascinating: if we don't fear God, we will still fear something. We'll just fear the wrong things.
Jesus addressed this directly in Matthew 10:28: "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
When we don't fear God, we fear man instead. We become people-pleasers. We crave affirmation, likes, approval. We follow the crowd because we desperately want to fit in and be accepted. We compromise our morals and principles just to avoid disapproval.
This is especially dangerous in our social media age, where validation is literally measured in likes and shares. The pressure to conform, to go along, to not stand out as "intolerant" or "judgmental" can be overwhelming.
But Jesus is clear: don't fear those who can only harm your body. Fear the One who holds your eternal destiny in His hands.
A Haunting Biblical Truth
One of the most haunting verses in all of Scripture is found in Judges 21:25: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes."
Does that sound familiar? It could be written about our generation today.
When there's no fear of God, everyone becomes their own moral authority. Truth becomes subjective. Right and wrong are determined by personal preference rather than divine revelation.
The Consequences Are Real
The book of Deuteronomy lays out in stark detail what happens when people refuse to fear the Lord. Deuteronomy 28:58 serves as a summary: "If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God..."
What follows is a litany of consequences: captivity, bondage, hunger, disease, plague, and even the most horrific of circumstances. These aren't theoretical—they're historical realities that Israel experienced when they abandoned the fear of God.
Two Critical Areas Today
In our contemporary context, the absence of God's fear is perhaps most evident in two areas: sexuality and life.
Sexuality: We've normalized what Scripture calls sin. When over half of lead characters in popular streaming content represent lifestyles contrary to biblical sexuality, we're not just being entertained—we're being discipled. The more we consume this content, the more we accept it. The more our children see these characters portrayed positively, the more they question whether God's design is really best.
Life: The sanctity of human life has been compromised on a massive scale. With the ability to order abortion pills online and end a pregnancy in the privacy of one's home, we've made the destruction of life easier than ordering dinner. The fact that most abortions now happen this way—discreetly, without medical supervision, without counseling—reveals how far we've drifted from valuing the image of God in every human being.
When the Fear of the Lord Is Present
But there's good news—wonderful news, actually. When the fear of the Lord is present, everything changes.
Proverbs 8:13 tells us: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."
We Hate Sin
When we truly fear God, we begin to hate what He hates. Not in a self-righteous, judgmental way, but in a way that recognizes sin's destructiveness. And when we hate evil, we naturally love what is good.
We're Preserved from Sin
Proverbs 16:6 says, "By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil."
The fear of the Lord acts as a preservative against sin. It's what kept Joseph from sleeping with Potiphar's wife. When temptation came, he cried out, "How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?"
We Walk in Holiness
2 Corinthians 7:1 encourages us: "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
This is sanctification—the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ. None of us will be perfect this side of eternity, but the fear of the Lord compels us to walk closer with Him each day.
We Worship Rightly
Revelation 14:7 commands: "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
When we rightly fear the Lord, worship isn't drudgery—it's delight. We gather not out of obligation but out of overwhelming gratitude and awe for who God is.
A Prayer for Our Hearts
The beautiful thing about the fear of the Lord is that while we can learn it—through Scripture, through godly examples, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit—it's ultimately something God works in us.
Psalm 86:11 gives us the perfect prayer: "Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name."
This is the cry we need today: "Lord, unite my heart to fear Your name."
When we fear the Lord, we have nothing else to fear. We're free from the tyranny of public opinion. We're free from the bondage of sin. We're free to worship, to obey, to love, and to live as God intended.
The fear of the Lord truly is both the cause and the cure. Its absence creates chaos; its presence brings order, peace, and joy.
So the question for each of us today is simple but profound: Do I fear the Lord? Does my life reflect the ways of the world or the ways of God?
May God unite our hearts to fear His name.
In His Service,
Pastor Kirk Flaa
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