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Fear God
By Grant Phillips
In the last chapter
of Ecclesiastes, the
wisest mortal man
who ever lived,
Solomon, concludes
his examination of
the reason for
living by saying,
“Let us hear the
conclusion of the
whole matter:
Fear
God,
and keep his
commandments: for
this is the whole
duty of man.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
In Genesis 42:18
Joseph said, “I
fear God”. The
Apostle John “fell
at His feet as dead”
when he saw Jesus in
His glory
(Revelation 1:17).
Isaiah said that he
was “a man of
unclean lips”
when he beheld “the
King, the Lord of
hosts” (Isaiah
6:5). In Revelation
14:7 an angel is
proclaiming the
Gospel to the
inhabitants on the
earth during the
Tribulation by
saying,
“…Fear
God,
and give glory to
him; for the hour of
his judgment is
come: and worship
him that made
heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the
fountains of
waters.”
In Revelation 22:9
the angel told John
to “worship God”.
The word for worship
means to show
profound reverence
to one who is
greater; i.e. fear
God.
When we are told to
fear God it means
that we should stand
in awe of Him, honor
Him, respect Him,
fear Him, worship
Him, and reverence
Him. (This list is
non-inclusive.)
Throughout the
remainder of this
article, when I use
the term “fear” in
relationship to God,
reference this
paragraph.
Our God is a loving
God, and has more
love for us than we
can comprehend. It
seems most
Christians
understand
this attribute
of God, but have we
gotten lax in our
understanding of our
need to fear Him?
Even some in the
world recognize
God’s attribute of
“love”, but miss His
attribute of
“justice”. “Love” is
mistakenly thought
of as an emotional
reaction, but that
is totally false.
Love is a mental
attitude. Love does
not react. Love
initiates. It is
true that God is
love, but don’t stop
there. Because He is
love, His love will
be forthcoming with
justice. He will do
what is right. It
may hurt, but it
will be right.
When I think of
“fear God”, the
first thing that
comes to mind is
“respect”. I believe
that if we have a
Godly respect for
Him, it will pretty
much cover most
everything else.
When we lose fear of
God, we have no
respect for
anything.
o
I can remember when
even the most ornery
person in the
community would show
respect to
Christians,
especially the
pastor of a church.
o
I can remember when
children showed
respect to their
parents and other
adults.
o
I can remember when
men showed respect
toward women, and
women demanded that
respect.
I am reminded what
our Lord says in
Romans 3:12-18, “They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable;
there is none that
doeth good, no, not
one. Their throat is
an open sepulcher;
with their tongues
they have used
deceit; the poison
of asps in under
their lips: Whose
mouth is full of
cursing and
bitterness: Their
feet are swift to
shed blood:
Destruction and
misery are in their
ways: And the way of
peace have they not
known: There is no
fear of God before
their eyes.” The
heart of mankind is
already evil
(Jeremiah 17:9), but
when we allow Satan
to remove the fear
of God in our heart,
Christian or not,
the last vestige of
restraint to do evil
is removed.
We currently live in
a society where the
fear of God is
rapidly fading away,
even in church
circles. Our pace
quickens with each
step we take as we
shy away from God.
Our conscience
hardens. The plea of
the cross and
Christian growth is
barely a whisper. We
as a society have
become so brazen in
our sins, we laugh
in the face of God,
and spit at Him as
we turn back to our
own lustful
passions.
The world we live in
could easily rival
and surpass those
decadent societies
of yesteryear. This
world preaches love
and tolerance while
it stands neck deep
in hatred for
anything remotely
related to the one
and only God of this
world. We have lost
our fear of God, and
it is showing in
every area of our
lives.
Even in the
churches, a
nonchalance toward
God is clearly on
display. We zero in
on the love of God,
while totally
ignoring His
commands of
obedience and
warnings of
judgment. We keep
Him wrapped in
swaddling clothes
while hanging on the
cross, but forget to
consider the
revelation of His
deity (Revelation 1)
after His ascension
from the grave. We
ordain and honor
those who pervert
the natural use of
sex that He created
between a husband
and wife (man and
woman). We entertain
and amuse each
other. We are now a
social club. Dribble
and nonsense ooze
from the pulpits,
while Satan laughs
back stage.
Homes have been torn
asunder by loveless
spouses and
rebellious progeny.
Single family “homes”,
without father or
mother, are
producing
generations of total
misfits. Children
are now being placed
in “homes”
with two “dads”
or two “moms”, providing them little to no chance to ever know the one and
only true God and
all that He
commands.
Schools are replete
with subject matter
that they have no
business teaching,
some subjects that
should be taught at
home, and some that
should never be
taught by anyone.
Homosexuality is
crammed down the
innocent throats of
precious children
whose minds are
tender and trusting.
Abortion (the murder
of unborn babies)
has gruesomely taken
the innocent lives
of unborn children.
There are basically
three reasons women
give for an
abortion; (1)
interference with
work, school or
other
responsibilities,
(2) can’t afford the
upkeep of a child,
and (3) don’t want
to be a single
parent, or problems
with a husband or
partner.
Jesus said, “And
whosoever shall
offend one of these
little ones that
believe in me, it is
better for him that
a
millstone
were hanged about
his neck, and he
were cast into the
sea.” (Mark
9:42) (This verse
can refer both to
young children or
young converts to
Christ, who are
babes in Christ.)
Our children are
being attacked by
Satan and his
entourage with a
viciousness that I
have not seen in my
lifetime until now.
God help those who
may be guilty of
this.
All of this brings
us back to one
point, the fear of
God in our lives. If
we have no fear of
punishment, we will
do anything our
wicked heart
contrives.
Many children today
are nothing more
than little spoiled
brats, and it isn’t
their fault. They
have learned that
they can do just
about anything
without being
punished. Oh they
may be warned
continuously, and
that is the problem
… no follow through
after the first
warning. Their
manners in public
are atrocious. They
sass. Nothing is
done. They have
learned to have no
fear (respect) for
their parents.
Therefore, they
become monsters that
society has to deal
with. Children are
always learning, and
these particular
ones are learning
not to fear those in
authority, which
results in no
respect for
authority. Then they
grow up. Now the
police agencies and
courts have to deal
with these grown
children who had no
Godly guidance while
growing up.
A police officer was
explaining the other
day how much more
dangerous his job is
than previously. He
stated that many
offenders of the law
have no hesitation
in attacking a
trained, armed
police officer. Just
think how much more
dangerous it has
become for the
general public.
There was once a
generation
(generally speaking)
who did not
participate in
sexual activities
prior to marriage,
because of fear of
the consequences
from their …
parents. And oh
yes, boys were
interested in girls,
and girls were
interested in boys.
They avoided
circumstances that
might involve an
appearance from the
police or other
authority figure,
because they did not
want to face the
consequences from
their … parents.
They had both mother
and father (married
to each other)
heading up the home.
They showed respect
in the church
building, because
they knew there
would be
consequences. They
showed respect for
school teachers,
because there would
be consequences if
they did not. Their
parents feared God,
and they feared God.
Could it be that
this is our problem
today, that we do
not fear God? I
think the answer is
obvious.
There was a time
that it was unheard
of for people to
live together and
not be married.
There were names for
anyone who would do
that. To be married
to someone of the
same sex wasn’t even
a thought.
We now live in a
society where
nothing is taboo.
Violence is off the
charts. This is what
happens when people
have no fear of God.
Jesus said, “And
as it
was in the
days of Noah, so
shall
it be also in
the days of the Son
of man.” (Luke
17:26) How was it in
the days of Noah? “And God said unto Noah,
The end of all flesh
is come before me;
for the earth is
filled with violence
through them; and,
behold, I will
destroy them with
the earth.”
(Genesis 6:13)
Any daily reading of
the news headlines
screams of the
violence upon the
earth today. People
do not fear God.
Therefore, they fear
no repercussions for
their actions. There
is nothing holding
them back, so they
live out the
depravity within
their souls.
God tells us all in
His Word that, “…it
is
appointed
unto men once to
die, but after this
the judgment:”.
(Hebrews 9:27) If
there is no fear in
your heart toward
God now, there
certainly will be at
the judgment (the
Great White Throne
judgment).
If you do not know
Jesus Christ as your
personal Savior,
come to Him now. Ask
Him to save you and
make you a new
person in Him. Ask
Him to open your
eyes to His love for
you. Then fear Him.
Show Him the respect
He is due by your
life being a living
example of your fear
of God. Otherwise,
all you have to look
forward to is what
He records in the
following verse: “And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and
sky fled from his
presence, but they
found no place to
hide. I saw the
dead, both great and
small, standing
before God’s throne.
And the books were
opened, including
the Book of Life.
And the dead were
judged according to
what they had done,
as recorded in the
books. The sea gave
up its dead, and
death and the grave
gave up their dead.
And all were judged
according to their
deeds. Then death
and the grave were
thrown into the lake
of fire. This lake
of fire is the
second death. And
anyone whose name
was not found
recorded in the Book
of Life was thrown
into the lake of
fire.”
(Revelation 20:11-15
NLT)
If you already are a
child of God by the
death, burial, and
resurrection of
Jesus Christ your
Lord, ask Him to
open your eyes to
any and all
discrepancies that
may be in your life
that do not honor
Him. Then fear God,
and follow Him.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
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