Joy of Fearing God

Joy of Fearing God

by Jerry Bridges
Joy of Fearing God

Joy of Fearing God

by Jerry Bridges

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Overview

What Kind of Relationship Can You Have with Someone You Fear?

For most of us, fear is something we try to avoid. And fearing God hardly sounds like an occasion for joy. But Jerry Bridges shows how the fear of the Lord is actually the key that opens the door to a life of true knowledge, wisdom, blessing, and joy.

We all want a deeper, more intimate relationship with God–one that’s characterized by joy. But how does fearing God lead to joy? After all, aren’t we supposed to love Him and live in intimate relationship with Him? Jerry Bridges explores this paradox as he unpacks the biblical promise that God delights in those who fear Him. Join him as he unveils the awesome greatness of God–His incredible holiness, deep wisdom, and especially His inspiring love. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of who God is that will draw you into a truly biblical, and surprisingly delightful, fear of God–a fear that includes your own genuine, heartfelt delight in God.

You’ll make the startling discovery that the fear of the Lord, far from being something to avoid, is the key to joyful, fulfilling, and genuine intimacy with God. It can change your relationship with God and change your life! Discover the surprising Joy of Fearing God!

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780307551948
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Publication date: 02/04/2009
Sold by: Random House
Format: eBook
Pages: 352
Sales rank: 577,871
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Jerry Bridges, former vice president for corporate affairs of the Navigators, is currently a sought-after conference speaker in a national Bible-teaching ministry. He is the author of six books, including I Exalt You, O God and The Pursuit of Holiness which has sold over one million copies.

Read an Excerpt

Glorious Truth

Joy, Wisdom, and the Fear of God


The joy of fearing God? It sounds like a contradiction in terms. One of the first times I used the expression, my listener (a Christian leader) gave a puzzled look and responded, “That’s an interesting combination of words.” I suspect he was being polite as he really thought, “How can anyone enjoy fear? And more to the point, how can you enjoy fearing God? Christianity means a relationship with God—but how can you have a relationship with someone you fear?”

The fact that a Christian leader would respond to this concept with a puzzled look tells us something about the current state of Christianity. There was a time when committed Christians were known as God-fearing people. This was a badge of honor. But somewhere along the way we lost it. Now the idea of fearing God, if thought of at all, seems like a relic from the past. That’s to our detriment. The fear of God is actually as relevant today as it was in bygone generations.

And strange as it may seem, there is joy in fearing God. The Bible says God delights in those who fear Him and holds out to them the promise of blessing. Surely then, this is a subject that deserves our attention.

But what is the fear of God?

When we mention this concept, one proverb from the Bible seems particularly to come to mind: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” I’m not sure why that one sticks in our memory, but it seems to be almost as universally recognized as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Unfortunately, while both statements are widely recognized, few people seek to apply them in their daily lives.

So let’s begin our study by looking at this verse, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). As we do, let’s first consider its corollary, “The fear of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Knowledge and wisdom are not the same, though they’re closely related. We might describe wisdom as the best application and use of the knowledge we have. So we need to consider the beginning of knowledge before we look at the beginning of wisdom.

Table of Contents

From a Fellow Pilgrimix
My Thanksxi
Part IWhat Is This Fear?
1Glorious Truth: Joy, Wisdom, and the Fear of God1
2A Parable of Awe: How the Right Fear Grows13
3Soul of Godliness: Should Christians Fear God?25
Part IIThe God We Fear
4Beyond Measure, Beyond Compare: The Greatness of God45
5Transcendent Majesty: The Holiness of God63
6Skill and Splendor on Display: The Wisdom of God79
7Our Amazing Father: The Love of God97
Part IIIResponding to Our Awesome God
8Fanning the Flames: Growing in the Fear of God117
9He Is Lord: All of Life Under All His Authority135
10The Fruit of the Tree: The Delight of Right Obedience155
11He Is Here: All of Life in His Conscious Presence175
12For Life and Breath and Everything: Depending on God191
13His Excellence Shining Forth: Bringing Glory to God213
14He Is Worthy: Fearing God in Worship231
15Special Blessings, Special Honor: Enjoying Him Now and Forever253
Study Guide269
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