Fear God?

Fear God - what does that mean? It was a little disturbing when I first heard the term and didn't really make sense. But it was explained that 'fear' wasn't really referring to actual fear, but rather a healthy respect, such as you might have for your parents. That made sense to me and was pretty much what I believed that it must mean, and this was backed up and even taught by pastors.

I really would expect more from trained and schooled men of God than the silly thoughts of a child or new believer. Fear really means FEAR, that's why the word is used! Why? Why should you fear the Lord? Well, let's look into that.
God is holy, He is righteous and He is just. There is not the slightest hint of any darkness within Him, He is unapproachable light, purity, and perfection, by His very nature. There is no wickedness or evil thought within Him. So, why should we fear? Because, as a perfect, righteous God who actually defines justice, He must hate all that is contrary to His nature.
If you love children, how could you not hate abortion? If you love the Jewish people, could you possibly not abhor the Holocaust? If you love justice, what are your thoughts towards thieves, murderers and rapists?

It only makes sense that God would hate all those things even more than we would. And here's where it gets scary. We are NOT good. The Bible says there are none found good, not even one. We are wicked and evil and He cannot even stand to look upon iniquity, which we drink down like water. If we were ever in His presence, we would be destroyed instantly by His purity. Who can stand before Him? He has a perfect and holy standard, and we cannot even begin to come close.

Once we understand that we are the embodiment of everything that He hates, we should most certainly fear Him. He created everything in the universe, our planet, the sun, stars ten times the size of our sun – everything! Beings more powerful than we can even imagine, tremble it the very mention of His name, yet we arrogantly use His name as a curse word to express disgust.
We should most certainly fear, being enemies of the Creator by our wicked works.

But He is also loving, and forgiving, and has provided a way for us. We should fear because we are unrighteous and unworthy, and can do nothing to earn our salvation. We surely deserve eternal hell, and are saved only by the grace and mercy of an all powerful and loving God, and by His grace alone.

This fear does not outweigh the love that He has for us in providing a sacrifice on our behalf, that we might repent and trust in Him alone for salvation. Do that today, for now is the time for salvation.

Consider Today

My dad was a bit older than my mother, and thus I have a few half-brothers. My sister called me a few days ago to let me know that Richard had died. They said that he was up in the middle of the night and someone went to check on him, and that he looked more scared than they'd ever seen him. Now, my half-brothers are tough guys from Montana, they don't scare easily. They called an ambulance, but he died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital.

This gives us time to consider the fact that every one of us will face death one day. We will face it alone, no matter who may be physically around us at the time. We will all kneel before the Lord one day and give an account for our life. How will you do when that time comes for you? Keep in mind that 150,000 people die every single day. We never know if we will have another day or not. What will you say to the Lord on the day that you face Him?

I'm not certain of Richard’s fate, but he has passed over to the other side where the judgment is final. The all-powerful God of the universe will judge every single person by His Holy standard which was given to us in the Ten Commandments. How will you hold up to His standard when your time comes?

If you've ever told a lie (9th Commandment), stolen anything, regardless of value (8th Commandment), or used the Lord's name in vain (3rd Commandment), you've broken His Law (Ex 20:1-17). If you've ever hated someone without just cause, He sees it as murder in your heart (Matt 5:21-22), because the heart is where the sinful action begins. If you've looked at someone with lust, Jesus says that you've committed adultery with that person in your heart (Matt 5:28). You don't have to break all of God's Laws, just one will condemn you. And the simple fact of it is, we have all broken God's Law, and in doing so, every one of us actually deserves to go to hell. If we stand before Him on our own merit, that is exactly where we will go, and rightfully so.

However, in addition to being a holy and just God, He is also a loving God and has provided us one way to keep us from the eternal punishment that we all deserve. He came down Himself as a Man in Jesus Christ, as a hand fits into a glove, fully man and yet fully God at the same time. And He lived a perfect life, keeping all of those laws that we couldn't keep. Then He suffered and died, crucified on a cross, taking on the punishment that you and I deserve. But death couldn't hold Him, and on the third day, He rose again, defeating death forever, as a sacrifice for all our sins. We committed the crimes, with no hope of ever being able to atone for them, but He paid the fine in full for us. Now, all we must do is repent of our sins, turning away from them, and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.

If we do that, we will not be judged for what we have done in this life, but will be forgiven through Jesus Christ. Our lives will be different as evidence of this change in us (2 Cor 5:17). If your life is not changed, then you must consider that maybe you've never truly received salvation (Heb 10:26-27). And if that is true, then you will face the wrath of God as He judges you against His Moral Law (Rom 2:5), which we've already shown that none of us have kept.

I do not know if my half-brother was saved or not. But I do know that people had spoken to him about eternal things, and if he called upon the name of the Lord, even at the last minute like the thief on the cross, then he was saved.

But you never know when your time will come, two people die every second, many without the opportunity to consider such things. Don't put it off until tomorrow, TODAY is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). You're not guaranteed another day, repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ today.

And if you are a born-again Christian, fully assured of your salvation, then go forth in obedience to the Great Commission to proclaim the Word to every creature. There are those who are sure within themselves that they are saved, but will one day stand before the Lord, only to be told, "Away from Me, I never knew you." Check it out in Matthew 7:21-23. Look at the context of this verse, read before and after it for a full understanding. Jesus says that many will profess His name but not enter heaven. Only those who do the will of the Father will actually get into heaven. He's given us His will in the Bible, and has given the mandate to all Christians, commonly known as the Great Commission. It is not God's will that any perish (Eze 18:32), shouldn't we have the same mindset? He's told us what to do, and told us we'll be held accountable (Eze 33:8-9, Acts 20:26-27).
Are you doing that?
Or will you be one of those who hears those fearful words at the end of time, "Away from Me, you worker of iniquity, I never knew you!"

Is Repentance Necessary?

The first recorded words of Jesus in ministry were the same as John the Baptist. They both started their ministry with "Repent."

We are accused of being judgmental, but we are simply asking people to judge themselves before they are judged by God.

We ask questions so people can compare themselves to God's standard and see where they stand before the Day of Judgment. People need to first be made aware of their NEED for a Savior in order for the Gospel to make sense.

Does that mean some people might be offended? How many are saved by this method of evangelism?

Both questions have the same answer. It simply doesn't matter, because it's Biblical. We are to be obedient to preach the Gospel, and anyone who preaches a different Gospel is to be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8). The Gospel is ALWAYS Law to the proud, grace to the humble. So often these days, the Gospel is watered down with love and grace preached, but no mention of God's holiness, His righteousness, and His wrath against disobedient sinners.

But, aren't we all children of God? That's not what the Bible says (1 John 3:10)

So, let's see if the message was sugar-coated in the Bible.

John the Baptist called the prideful Pharisees and Scribes "you brood of vipers" in Matt 3:7. He didn't say, "we're all God's children" or "Jesus loves you." He spoke the Truth and sometimes that was a hard truth. He was eventually beheaded.

Jesus said it in Matt 12:34, and also tells them "you who are evil." In verse 39 He called them a "wicked and adulterous generation" for seeking a miraculous sign.

In Matt 23, Jesus called people "hypocrites", "sons of hell", "blind", "full of greed and self-indulgence", "full of hypocrisy and wickedness", and asks them "how will you escape being condemned to hell?"

He also said there are none found good, and yet so many people, professed Christians and unbelievers alike claim that they are "good" people, just like the Bible says they will in Prov 20:6.

Paul was beaten and whipped with many attempts to kill him because of what he preached. I don't think it was the warm fuzzy "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life."

Jesus said that if the world hated Him, they would also hate us. The world killed Him, and there have been many Christian martyrs since, and it continues to this day. But He rose from the dead, defeating death forever. We trust in Him alone, so preach His Gospel and no other, following His example. Law to the proud, grace to the humble (Prov 3:34, 1Pet 5:5, James 4:6).

How can you determine if someone is proud or humble? Simply ask them this question, whether they are a professed Christian or unbeliever: Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Then take them through the Good Person Test to see if they truly are good by God's standard.

Only then can one see their need for a Savior, and then repent and trust in Him alone for their salvation. There is no other way (John 14:6, Acts 4:12), and as a believer, you will be held accountable (Eze 33:8-9, Acts 20:26-27).