Are We to fear God?
Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov 1:9).
What does it mean to fear God? The word fear in our culture is a negative. For instance, the word of God tells us God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7) So why is fearing God a good thing, a virtue? A healthy fear[1] of God is acknowledging that 1) He exists, that he is real. 2) We need to fear God for his majesty, there is none like him in all the universe. 3) We need to fear God for his power. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. 4) We need to fear God for his provision, that he meets our needs. 5) We need to be afraid of God when we sin for we displease him. We need to run to him and beg forgiveness for he is merciful (1 John 1:9).
Continuing this theme, fearing God is also to be in awe of him to the degree that we submit our lives to him in obedience to his commands. Those who do not fear God, act like he does not exist so therefore they live their entire lives in rebellion, hating God and hating the people of God. This is most of the world. These are the same people that will be literally of afraid of God when his wrath is unleashed on the entire world for its sins. Also, those who do not have a healthy fear of God blame him for the things that are going wrong in the world, and in their personal lives. It is the nature of sinful man to refuse to acknowledge that he is the problem for the way things are, and to shift the blame on someone else. Usually, it is God that is the number one scapegoat and fall guy.
This is what the Bible has to say about those who do not fear God, “There is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God (emphasis added). They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known. Verse 18 of the same chapter says, “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (italics mine, Rom 10:10-18).
This is the woefully one hundred percent perfect description of the fallen adamic condition of mankind. Without God we are a hopeless mess ready to bust hell wide open!!
This aforementioned describes those who do not fear God.
It is not unhealthy to fear God if that fear translates into loving willful obedience. This holy fear speaks of a genuine relationship with God. Jesus said it this way, “If you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15, 21). So the relationship is quite elementary, if we love and fear God, we will do what he says. If one hates God, they will ordinarily do two things; 1) Prove they are a fool by declaring God does not exist (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). Or 2) create a God in their own image which is idolatry. It is hypocritical of anyone to claim to love God and refuse to obey him.
So in the final analysis, we have only two people in the world, those who fear God and those who do not. Those who genuinely fear the Lord love him and not only obey him faithfully but teach others to obey him as well (2 Tim 2:2). These represent the wise.
Those who do not fear the Lord are fools although they think they are wise. The word fool in Hebrew Is Nabal. Means one who is evil, wicked. One who is morally repugnant. It is fair to call someone a fool in this context, not in a malicious way, but rather in loving truth so that they can clearly see their foolishness juxtaposed the word of God in the hope they will repent, believe and receive soul salvation.
[1] One of the words for fear in the Greek is eulabeia. It means caution. It also means a holy reverential
Fear.
Comments