Not all Fear is created Equal
The Great Fear Exchange: How Trading Your Anxiety for Awe Sets You Free
1.0 Introduction: The Fear Paradox
The Bible presents a curious paradox about fear. In hundreds of passages, the message is a clear and comforting, "Fear not." Yet, in others, we are told that the "Fear of the Lord" is the very beginning of wisdom. This apparent contradiction can be confusing. How can fear be both something to be cast out and something to be embraced? What is this "good" fear, and how is it different from the anxiety and terror that can so easily consume us?
This apparent conflict isn't a contradiction, but an invitation to a deeper understanding. The Bible speaks of two profoundly different kinds of fear, originating from two completely different sources. This article will explore the critical distinction between the "tormenting fear" that holds us in bondage and the "godly fear" that sets us free. By understanding this difference, we can uncover how embracing one kind of fear is the ultimate key to being delivered from the other.
2.0 Takeaway 1: Not All Fear Is Created Equal—There’s ‘Godly Fear’ and ‘Tormenting Fear’
The foundational concept is that the Bible speaks of two distinct categories of fear. The first is a tormenting fear, which the Apostle Paul clarifies God does not give us. This is a spirit of being afraid, an anxiety born from the moment Adam first believed a lie over God’s truth in the garden. It is a fear that leads to bondage and causes us to shrink away from the presence of God.
The second type is godly fear, which the Bible describes as good, clean, and profitable. This is not a fear of being punished or condemned. Instead, it is a "reverent Awe" for our creator, born out of a deep and secure love for Him. In a beautiful, reciprocal truth, the source material defines this as "standing in reverent Awe of your Father and creator Who loves you, values you and stands in awe of you." It is the posture of a heart that correctly perceives God's majesty and overwhelming love, leading to wisdom and life.
Psalm 19:9: "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether."
3.0 Takeaway 2: The Root of Tormenting Fear is the Fear of Death, Born from a Lie
The origin of tormenting fear is traced directly back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. When he chose to believe the serpent's lie over God's truth, a destructive fear entered his heart for the first time. He became afraid of the very presence of God, who is Love itself. In a profound act of irrationality, Adam ran from the presence of Love. When God came to walk with him, Adam's response revealed this new, internal state of torment.
He said, "I was afraid and hid myself" (Genesis 3:10). This is the fear that causes humanity to hide from God, to shrink back from His love. It is the very bondage that Jesus came to break. The source identifies the ultimate root of all this torment: the fear of death. Jesus entered into humanity to destroy the power of death and release us from the grip of this foundational fear.
Hebrews 2:14-15: "...that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
4.0 Takeaway 3: The Ultimate Antidote to Tormenting Fear is Perfect Love
The solution to tormenting fear is not to try harder or simply "suck it up." The true antidote is receiving the perfect love of God. This truth powerfully refutes the "Gospel of fear"—an image of an angry, fuming God waiting to punish us, captured perfectly by the satirical billboard, "Don’t make me come down there …. God."
Instead, the Bible presents God as a savior who is for us, not against us. He is not a condemner, but the one who loves us enough to come and set us free. Embracing the truth of God's perfect love is what actively expels tormenting fear from our hearts. When we know and believe that we are loved perfectly by God, the fear of punishment and condemnation has no place to reside. This truth is the foundation of our boldness and freedom.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
• 1 John 4:18
5.0 Takeaway 4: The Great Paradox—‘Godly Fear’ is What Delivers You From All Other Fears
Here lies the central, transformative argument: embracing "godly fear" is the exact mechanism that delivers you from all other "tormenting fears." Holding a reverent awe for God is what frees you from the fear of man, the fear of lack, and even the fear of death.
Consider the analogy of David and Goliath. The armies of Israel were paralyzed by tormenting fear, hiding from their enemy. But David, a young shepherd boy, stood in reverent awe of God. This godly fear did not make him timid; it filled him with the boldness to face an impossible giant because his focus was on God's power, not the enemy's threats.
This explains the challenging passage in Luke 12:5, where Jesus says, "Fear Him who... has power to cast into hell." Read in isolation, this can sound terrifying. But in context, Jesus was directly addressing the fear-based religion of the Pharisees, warning his disciples against their "marred image of God and an unhealthy fear." He wasn't commanding them to be terrified of God as a punisher; He was giving them the key to overcome their fear of man.
Jesus tells you who to revere… and in the very next breath, he tells you why this sets you free: because you are of infinite value to the one you revere. He immediately pivots from this strong command to a tender reminder of our immense worth, saying we are of "more value than many sparrows." True fear of the Lord isn't about dreading a punisher; it's about anchoring your heart in the awe of the one who holds all power and values you infinitely. In that awe, all lesser fears dissolve.
6.0 Conclusion: Trading Terror for Awe
The biblical concept of fear is not a contradiction but a profound distinction. The "fear of the Lord" is not about being terrified of God; it is about seeing Him correctly—with a loving, reverent awe that places everything else in its proper perspective. This is not a fear that binds, but one that liberates.
When our awe of God becomes greater than our fear of circumstances, people, or death, we are set free. This shift in perspective is what liberates us from the anxieties and tormenting fears that hold us captive, filling us instead with a peace and boldness that cannot be shaken.
What one "tormenting fear" in your life could be silenced by embracing a reverent awe for a God who loves you and is for you?
1.0 Introduction: The Fear Paradox
The Bible presents a curious paradox about fear. In hundreds of passages, the message is a clear and comforting, "Fear not." Yet, in others, we are told that the "Fear of the Lord" is the very beginning of wisdom. This apparent contradiction can be confusing. How can fear be both something to be cast out and something to be embraced? What is this "good" fear, and how is it different from the anxiety and terror that can so easily consume us?
This apparent conflict isn't a contradiction, but an invitation to a deeper understanding. The Bible speaks of two profoundly different kinds of fear, originating from two completely different sources. This article will explore the critical distinction between the "tormenting fear" that holds us in bondage and the "godly fear" that sets us free. By understanding this difference, we can uncover how embracing one kind of fear is the ultimate key to being delivered from the other.
2.0 Takeaway 1: Not All Fear Is Created Equal—There’s ‘Godly Fear’ and ‘Tormenting Fear’
The foundational concept is that the Bible speaks of two distinct categories of fear. The first is a tormenting fear, which the Apostle Paul clarifies God does not give us. This is a spirit of being afraid, an anxiety born from the moment Adam first believed a lie over God’s truth in the garden. It is a fear that leads to bondage and causes us to shrink away from the presence of God.
The second type is godly fear, which the Bible describes as good, clean, and profitable. This is not a fear of being punished or condemned. Instead, it is a "reverent Awe" for our creator, born out of a deep and secure love for Him. In a beautiful, reciprocal truth, the source material defines this as "standing in reverent Awe of your Father and creator Who loves you, values you and stands in awe of you." It is the posture of a heart that correctly perceives God's majesty and overwhelming love, leading to wisdom and life.
Psalm 19:9: "The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether."
3.0 Takeaway 2: The Root of Tormenting Fear is the Fear of Death, Born from a Lie
The origin of tormenting fear is traced directly back to Adam in the Garden of Eden. When he chose to believe the serpent's lie over God's truth, a destructive fear entered his heart for the first time. He became afraid of the very presence of God, who is Love itself. In a profound act of irrationality, Adam ran from the presence of Love. When God came to walk with him, Adam's response revealed this new, internal state of torment.
He said, "I was afraid and hid myself" (Genesis 3:10). This is the fear that causes humanity to hide from God, to shrink back from His love. It is the very bondage that Jesus came to break. The source identifies the ultimate root of all this torment: the fear of death. Jesus entered into humanity to destroy the power of death and release us from the grip of this foundational fear.
Hebrews 2:14-15: "...that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
4.0 Takeaway 3: The Ultimate Antidote to Tormenting Fear is Perfect Love
The solution to tormenting fear is not to try harder or simply "suck it up." The true antidote is receiving the perfect love of God. This truth powerfully refutes the "Gospel of fear"—an image of an angry, fuming God waiting to punish us, captured perfectly by the satirical billboard, "Don’t make me come down there …. God."
Instead, the Bible presents God as a savior who is for us, not against us. He is not a condemner, but the one who loves us enough to come and set us free. Embracing the truth of God's perfect love is what actively expels tormenting fear from our hearts. When we know and believe that we are loved perfectly by God, the fear of punishment and condemnation has no place to reside. This truth is the foundation of our boldness and freedom.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
• 1 John 4:18
5.0 Takeaway 4: The Great Paradox—‘Godly Fear’ is What Delivers You From All Other Fears
Here lies the central, transformative argument: embracing "godly fear" is the exact mechanism that delivers you from all other "tormenting fears." Holding a reverent awe for God is what frees you from the fear of man, the fear of lack, and even the fear of death.
Consider the analogy of David and Goliath. The armies of Israel were paralyzed by tormenting fear, hiding from their enemy. But David, a young shepherd boy, stood in reverent awe of God. This godly fear did not make him timid; it filled him with the boldness to face an impossible giant because his focus was on God's power, not the enemy's threats.
This explains the challenging passage in Luke 12:5, where Jesus says, "Fear Him who... has power to cast into hell." Read in isolation, this can sound terrifying. But in context, Jesus was directly addressing the fear-based religion of the Pharisees, warning his disciples against their "marred image of God and an unhealthy fear." He wasn't commanding them to be terrified of God as a punisher; He was giving them the key to overcome their fear of man.
Jesus tells you who to revere… and in the very next breath, he tells you why this sets you free: because you are of infinite value to the one you revere. He immediately pivots from this strong command to a tender reminder of our immense worth, saying we are of "more value than many sparrows." True fear of the Lord isn't about dreading a punisher; it's about anchoring your heart in the awe of the one who holds all power and values you infinitely. In that awe, all lesser fears dissolve.
6.0 Conclusion: Trading Terror for Awe
The biblical concept of fear is not a contradiction but a profound distinction. The "fear of the Lord" is not about being terrified of God; it is about seeing Him correctly—with a loving, reverent awe that places everything else in its proper perspective. This is not a fear that binds, but one that liberates.
When our awe of God becomes greater than our fear of circumstances, people, or death, we are set free. This shift in perspective is what liberates us from the anxieties and tormenting fears that hold us captive, filling us instead with a peace and boldness that cannot be shaken.
What one "tormenting fear" in your life could be silenced by embracing a reverent awe for a God who loves you and is for you?
Recent
Archive
2026
Categories
no categories
No Comments