I.) This phrase occurs 30 times in Scripture and ‘fear God’ 101 times. The first occurrence is found in 1 Samuel:

1 Sam 11:7  And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

The Fear of the Lord is both a necessary and desirable thing.

If it wasn’t necessary then we wouldn’t have a holy, perfect, and righteous God whose thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways not our ways. We’d have a false, pagan god of our imagination, which is what every lost person has – they have no real fear because they have no real god.

If it wasn’t a desirable thing we wouldn’t have a glorious God worthy to be worshiped.

I think of the times when men are most fearful. And it is when confronted with the only holy and just God:

Moses – Exo 3:6  Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Isaiah – Isa 6:5  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Peter – Luk 5:8  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Paul – Act 9:6  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

John – Rev 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

And wouldn’t you be fearful in their shoes? Remember your most fearful time? I remember mine – when reading the Gospel of John in my living room alone after the Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin and I realized I was going to hell.

What could my reaction be other than fear? I found out for the first time that I had transgressed God’s Ten Commandments innumerable times and that the wages of sin is death, and I was headed for hell.

And that was good, for by the fear of the Lord men depart from iniquity!  Pr 16:6.

Fear brings warning and seriousness. And that’s what the Holy Spirit does through our conscience when the Law does its work. Conviction falls, our will is broken, our hearts are contrite, and we are humbled from our proud state, from which God can gives grace, mercy, and forgiveness (James 4:6).

We then cry out, “What must I do to be saved?!” (Acts 4:12, 16:30)

Other mentions of the fear of the Lord include:
Mat 10:28  An fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Heb 10:31  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2Co 5:11  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…

Other things the fear of the Lord accomplishes are…

It enables us to depart from evil:
Job 28:28  And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

It gives us wisdom:
Pr 1:7, 1:29, Psa 111:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever

It teaches us what to hate:
Pro 8:13  The fear of the LORD isto hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

It reveals to us our perspective of serving God:
Hebrews 12:28-29  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

It reveals to us our perspective of serving God:

Hebrews 12:28-29  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.

II.) But what about after we are saved? As saints there is now no more condemnation, wrath, guilt, or judgment. Are you still fearful? What kind of fear it is? What situation(s) bring it on?

We see an interesting thing where fear becomes our ally:
Act 9:31  Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Hmm, how can that be? How can fear not be fearful anymore??

Because of the truth of God Himself! Given to us in His Word!

Because he has forgiven us:

Psa 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Because we know there is now no more condemnation, wrath, guilt, or judgment:

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

1Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Because He has already perfected every saint:
Heb 10:14  For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Because He is merciful and gracious towards us saints:
Psa 103:8  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Because He has not remembered our iniquity:
Psa 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

He has not rewarded us according to our iniquity:
Psa 103:10  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

He knows our frame; that we are frail:
Psa 103:14  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

He pities us because of it:
Psa 103:13  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

His mercy is everlasting:
Psa 103:17  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

Therefore we can rightly take rest in our God:
Psa 103:4  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

Moreover, we now do not fear man!
Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

It helps our witness:
1Pe 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

God’s love in us drives out all fear!
2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

III.) How does God help us not have fear after we’re saved?

88 times in Scripture God commands us to ‘fear not’/’be not afraid’!

Fear comes from the flesh, which is imaginations, so we know that whenever we fear, it is from the falsehoods from the flesh:

Psa 53:5  There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

 2Co 10:3-5  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

 2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

My personal favorite is:
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Therefore, we can bless Him from the bottom of our soul!

Psa 103:22  Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Praise God!