Empowered Life: Holy Fear

Empowered Life: Holy Fear | Gareth Nicholson | 22 June 2025

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Empowered Life Series Launch

• Goal: Learn what it means to live an empowered life through the Holy Spirit.

• Big choice: You can live under the fear of man or under the fear of God—there’s no third option.

  
  

1. Two Stages of Following Jesus

Stage	Key Word	Theological Term	Actions
Salvation	Repentance	Regeneration	Faith in Jesus, forgiveness of sins, and baptism as a declaration
Formation	Transformation	Sanctification	Ongoing partnership with the Spirit to become like Jesus

2. Marks of an Empowered Life (Isa 11:2-3)

• Spirit of Wisdom & Understanding

• Spirit of Counsel & Might

• Spirit of Knowledge & Fear (Reverence) of the Lord

• “Delight in the fear of the Lord” = spiritual smell/discernment

  : you can “sense” when something is off.

  
  

3. What Dulls Spiritual Sense of “Smell”?

• Living under the fear of man—valuing opinions of people over God’s.

• Hidden sins: bitterness, sexual compromise, secret addictions, double-life at home, prejudice.

• The longer you permit  sin, the more it becomes permanent.

  
  

4. Acts 5: Ananias & Sapphira

• Tried to appear generous while lying about the gift.

• Problem wasn’t the percentage but the pretense—worshiping popularity.

• Peter discerns (“smells”) deception; sudden judgment brings great fear (reverence) on the church.

• Lesson: Un-dealt-with sin exposed later is far costlier than confession now.

  
  

5. The Church is to be Powerful & Pure

• We long to see miracles (power) but must embrace holiness (purity).

• 1 Pet 1:15-16 — “Be holy, because I am holy.”

  
  

6. Personal Reflection

1. What do I fear most—people’s opinions or God’s?

2. Where am I hiding or excusing sin?

3. Have I lost my sense of smell to attitudes or habits that grieve the Spirit?

   
   

7. Path to Restoration

• Confess & Consecrate (1 Jn 1:9).

• Respond quickly—now rather than then (Prov 1:23: respond to the warning and God pours out His Spirit).

• Cultivate fear-of-the-Lord through Proverbs 1-3 meditation.

  
  

Application

1. Identify one area where you live for people’s approval; submit it to God.

2. Bring any hidden sin into the light—tell a trusted believer, seek prayer.

3. Daily prayer: “Holy Spirit, restore my spiritual sense of smell and fill me with wisdom, counsel, and holy reverence.”