30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
01 Acts 05 01-11 THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH 11 Acts 05 05-06 Holding fast to His word with fear and trembling
📖 Acts 05:01-11
11 – 27Mar2023 – *Holding fast to His word with fear and trembling* - _Acts 05:01-11_ - THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH - Bible reading: _Philippians 02:15-16_
“Lord Jesus, enable us to be lights in our world as we hold on to Your word. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
*_Acts 5:5-6 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (6) And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him._*
Peter was operating in the holiness of God by His Holy Spirit and that was the reason he could administer such a strong judgement on the ways of Ananias and Sapphira.
It is necessary to tremble before God in order to administer the judgment of God. *_Psalms 119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments._*
The Lord looks on those who tremble at His word. _Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? (2) For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist," Says the LORD. *"But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.*
When he heard the words of the book of the law, King Josiah trembled and was afraid before God. _II Chronicles 34:19-21 Thus it happened, *when the king heard the words of the Law, that he tore his clothes*. (20) Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, (21) *"Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book."*_
King Josiah not only trembled when he heard the words of God, but he also took action to repent and set things right before God.
As King Josiah repented before God for all the sins of the nation, the Lord heard his prayer. _II Chronicles 34:27 because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and *you humbled yourself before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD*._
Ezra repented on behalf of the sin of the people of God. *_Ezra 9:13-14 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, (14) should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor?_*
Nehemiah identified himself with the sin of the people and repented. _Nehemiah 1:5-6 And I said: *"I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, (6) please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have sinned.*_
Daniel too prayed in the same manner. _Daniel 9:4-5 And *I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, (5) we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments*._
*Today, when God is confronting us with our sins, we must repent before God, starting with the elders. The elders in our churches must repent first if we expect the younger ones to follow.*
When we seek to obey the Lord, it is the Lord who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure. _Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, *work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (13) for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure*._
It is when we hold fast to God’s word with fear and trembling that we become lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. _Philippians 2:15-16 that *you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (16) holding fast the word of life*, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain._
```God is calling us to be lights in our world as we hold fast to His word.```