When Paul indicted all under sin, he quotes several passages from the Old Testament to describe the sinful state of man: there is none righteous, there is none who does good, their feet are swift to shed blood, etc. (Romans 3:9-17). At the end he reveals the mindset that leads to all these failings:
“There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18).
When one does not fear God, there is no motivation to listen to God. In both the Old and New Testaments, fearing God is connected with one’s obedience.
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
“But in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:35).
Disobedience is the natural result of a lack of fear of God. If we want to overcome sin, we must develop a healthy fear of God. The Scriptures teach the need to fear Him, while also providing reasons why we are to do so.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
God is the Creator of the universe. His greatness and power demonstrated in this work commands respect. God asked Job the question, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). As we noticed in the previous chapter, the providence of God exercised through His creation is both a sign of His love and a cause for us to love Him. But His work in creation, which is evidence of His great power and might, also gives us cause to fear Him.
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Fearing God should lead to obedience. The reason for this is the fact that He will judge us in the end. Everything we do, whether good or evil, will be brought before Him. Even if we are able to hide our evil deeds from others, we will not hide them from God. He sees our actions, even our thoughts (Hebrews 4:12-13) and will judge us accordingly.
“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Why should we fear God’s judgment? It is because He is able to do what others cannot. Growing up we may have feared bullies or gangs in school. After we have grown, we may fear criminals, terrorists, or wicked governments. The worst that any of these can do is to kill us. Jesus said we are not to fear them. They may be able to kill our bodies, but they cannot kill our souls – the part of us that is eternal, that will continue to exist even after our temporary body is dead. So do not fear them. But we are to fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell. The only one with the power to do this is God. Not only does He have the power to do this, but He has shown throughout the Bible a willingness to destroy those who did not obey Him. We must fear God because He is the only one with power over our eternal souls.
Reverence, Terror, or Both?
What kind of fear should we have of God? Most are quick to answer that this is to be a reverent respect for God. The Hebrew writer spoke of this kind of fear when he said we are to “offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 10:28). Respect for God will cause one to listen to the word of God and seek to do what He says. This type of fear is absolutely necessary.
Yet there is another type of fear that we should not ignore. Fear of God should include respect for Him, but we should remember the terror of God for what He can do to us.
“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).
Yes, God is full of mercy and love. It is these characteristics that are seen in the blessings He has bestowed upon us and in the hope of salvation that He has extended to us. But we must appreciate both the “kindness and severity of God” (Romans 11:22). God is a just God. This characteristic is the reason why He punishes sin, “for the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Throughout the Bible we can see that God is both willing and able to destroy those who are disobedient to Him. Those events serve as examples to us, which reinforce the Hebrew writer’s point: “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
We will each stand before God in judgment. While He is full of mercy and wants us to be saved, He has shown that He will still punish those who are unfaithful. When we stand before Him, we will give an account for the deeds that we have done. Have we faithfully obeyed God, or have we continued to live in sin?
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” (2 Peter 3:10-11).
The judgment can come at any time. While there are many who will try to look at various signs to determine when this day will be, no one knows but the Father (Matthew 24:36). Predictions that people have made have come and gone. The day of Christ’s return will come like a thief. Therefore, we must remain prepared for His judgment.
Knowing that we need to be in a perpetual state of readiness and that God will destroy those who are unfaithful should affect your behavior. It ought to lead you away from sin. Do you really want to jeopardize your soul for the momentary pleasure of sin? Is it really worth it? If you think objectively, you know it is not. God’s reward is far better than Satan’s. No pleasure that may be derived from sin is worth subjecting our soul to an eternal punishment, separated from God. Fear God, keep His commandments, and put away sin from your life.
Summary
Those who do not fear God will not obey Him. If you are to overcome sin, you must develop the proper kind of godly fear – respect for who He is and terror for what He can do. Knowing that you will stand before Him in judgment, prepare for that meeting.
This material is taken from the book, The Root of the Problem: Why We Sin & How We Can Overcome, published by Gospel Armory, © 2010.
