It is very evident, as you view today’s society, that most people do not fear God.. When people laugh about their sin, justify their sin, normalize their sin, and criticize those who speak against their sin, they prove that they do not fear God. Many of these people will say they are not afraid to die. They speak as if their lack of fear is reason to believe they are alright and ready to die. Their actions and their speech only reveal that they do not fear God now. But they will fear God when they leave this world, because the Bible says:
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
To fear God means to stand in reverential awe of His holiness, His power, and His authority. The Scripture clearly teaches us to fear God.
Deuteronomy 6:13 “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him . . .”
Joshua 24:14 “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth . . .”
I Samuel 12:24 “Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”
Psalm 33:8 “Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
Proverbs 3:7 “Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
Revelation 14:7 “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.”
We should fear God because of who He is. He is the all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), everywhere present (omnipresent), and holy God. An understanding of who He is will demand that we stand in awe of Him.
We should also fear God because of what He has done for us. He made us and has provided everything that we have. Because man sinned against Him, He provided a way for man’s forgiveness and salvation through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, for our sins on the cross of Calvary. Jesus then rose victorious over the grave as proof that our sin debt was paid. Such undeserved love should cause us to reverence God and stand in awe of what He has done.
Finally, we should fear God because of what He can do. Some people say that God would not send anyone to hell, but that people send themselves to hell by their unbelief. It is true that people qualify themselves for hell, but it is not true that they send themselves to hell. There is only one who can send a person to hell, and that is God.
Jesus made this clear in Luke 12:4,5:
‘Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forwarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
The person who lives their life without fearing God is a foolish person, indeed!
Pastor Earl