1Peter 1:17: And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence (NET)
Or
1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;(NKJV)
Spiritual Principle: What does this word really mean? In listening to a sermon tonight the Pastor indicated it merely meant “awe”. Is that the true meaning of this word reverence/fear? In the Greek the word is fobov phobos (from a primary phebomai (to be put in fear); alarm or fright:-be afraid, + exceedingly, fear, terror.) To “fear” God is not only to be fearful of who God is, but fearful of His holiness, fear and revere His Name and His character.
What is Peter really saying in this verse? As he penned this book to those believers who were “temporarily residing” abroad it seems that he wanted to grab their attention as to how they were to conduct themselves in this temporary life. It was to be fearful not of the persecutors but of the Holiness of God that they would someday face in eternity. Do we have that fear of God? Do we live our lives daily moment by moment aware of His existence and His power and His Majesty? Do we live in not just “awe” but in fear? The OT Israelites were so fearful of God they told Moses to speak to Him for them. Do we have that fear? That reverence? It appears that we claim this promise from the book of Hebrews: come boldly before the throne of grace but we fail to grasp that we are entering the throne room of the Holy Almighty El Elyon God Most High. So how are we to come? Come with fear and reverence that comes from understanding that God is Holy beyond what our minds can comprehend. Philip Yancey writes in his book: Reaching for the Invisible God that Japanese Christians, unlike American Christians do not have a problem with this concept for they live in a culture of a monarch who has rule over all. Americans come to God with a wish list, the Japanese Christians come to God bowing in reverence. A missionary revealed their mindset: “We know how to come to God as humble servants with boldness, you don’t have to tell Japanese people about hierarchy. When they learn that God is Lord they immediately know all of the implications of that. They know who’s boss and that is never questioned. When they pray they use language that combines the highest forms of speech and the most intimate phrases of love and devotion. When they ask for something they ask with humility, knowing they have no right to what they’re asking except that God give them that very right to ask and promises to answer” Perhaps we might take a lesson from these as to how we are to approach God.
Application: Pro 9:10 The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and acknowledging the Holy One is understanding.
Is 57:15 For this is what the high and exalted one says, the one who rules forever, whose name is holy: “I dwell in an exalted and holy place, but also with the discouraged and humiliated, in order to cheer up the humiliated and to encourage the discouraged.”
