Should People Fear God?

     The fear of the Lord is a very important ingredient in biblical Christianity. There is no hope of being a Christian without it. Nevertheless, the fear of the Lord is one of the most commonly neglected or minimized concepts in contemporary Christianity. The main reason for this is because it is severely misunderstood. What does it mean to fear God? How is this important in your walk with the Lord?

     I borrowed my dad’s ten speed bike to go visit a friend. I remember coming home that summer afternoon flying down the hill in my neighborhood. There was a house at an intersection less than a quarter of a mile from home which had a driveway that sloped off the far end. My friends and I often tried to see how far we could make it down the hill in the air after jumping off this driveway. I was about to set a record! I remember the rush of excitement that erupted when I saw how high and how far I was flying through the air on my dad’s ten-speed bike. The joy turned to serious concern when I landed on the ground. Having my seat higher than my shoulders didn’t make sense but I couldn’t really worry about that because I was fighting to keep the handlebars straight. I lost that fight when they jerked to a sudden and complete 90 degree position which sent me flipping end over end. I was so tense I couldn’t let go of the handle bars until they were ripped out of my hands by the sudden impact on the ground. My dad’s bike and I went tumbling down the hill. I stopped first flat on my face. The ten-speed stopped second with a vindictively driven pedal on my lower back. I remember not feeling pain. I did feel a sudden sense of fear. I jumped up, stood the bike up and noticed that I had bent the front fork! I frantically began trying to fix it. I pushed on it, pulled on it, I even kicked it to no avail. I ran home to get a mallet the whole time thinking “My dad is going to kill me!!!” My brother followed me up the hill to where the bike was laying crooked with its tires in the air laughing the entire way. The mallet was equally ineffective. I had no resources or ability to correct the consequences of my actions. So I did what came natural. I took the bike to the garage, hung it up in its place, and kept silent about the incident. I was going to get it from my dad so I put off talking about it as long as possible.

     I share this story to illustrate the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a relational term that describes the human perspective of what it means to be rightly related to God. It describes the nature of the governing influence of love toward God. If I had maintained a conscious respect and love for my father, I would have chosen not to careen off the edge of a driveway with his ten-speed fearing the effect the consequences would have on my relationship with my dad. This type of loving reverence and respect is complemented by the fear of his ability to express his anger however he chose to. I imagined the worst!

     The Bible teaches that the fear of the Lord is a moral response to the gospel (Proverbs 1:29). It is the necessary moral position a person must be committed to before they begin to understand anything about God and his ways (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10).  The fear of the Lord informs a Christian’s values (Psalm 19:9; Proverbs 8:13, 15:16).  It also informs the Christian when life decisions need to be made (2Chronicles 19:9; Proverbs 14:27, 16:6, 23:17). Most importantly, we are commanded to fear the Lord (Ecclesiastes 12:13; Matthew 10:28; 1Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7).  Failing to have this type of relationship with God is fatal. Failing to nurture this kind of relationship with God is foolish. God is the ultimate authority in the entire universe. None can stand against him nor frustrate his will. He has chosen to love us and to make us aware of his love through the Holy Scriptures. Rejecting the message of the gospel is to willfully reject God’s love. It is the way to escape the judgment to come through a restored relationship with him.

     As an adult, reflecting on the previously mentioned incident, the fear that my dad was going to kill me seems irrational. Realistically, my dad never gave me any reason to believe he would commit murder. However, my immature perspective gave me every reason to believe that he could and would come close to it! I see that in my children sometimes. It grieves me that they do not understand my love for them. Their conscience augments a sense of fear when the reality of the consequence of disobedience, disrespect, or deceitfulness comes home to roost. The fear of the Lord is unique in that it describes a relationship with God. He alone has the right and the power to judge all men. His judgment has eternal consequences. Denying God his rightful rule over your life is to reject the benefits of communion with him. The result of a broken relationship with God is eternal suffering due to the separation of your soul from the source of life itself. People who disregard the concept of eternal judgment do not understand the love of God. His wrath is real. He is all powerful and irresistible. The offer of salvation through Jesus Christ is a demonstration of God’s love for you. If you recognize that your sins have offended a holy and powerful God be assured that Jesus Christ is the answer. Fear the Lord! Trust Christ and his sacrifice alone for salvation. Restore your relationship with God by humbling yourself before him and letting his word be the authority in your life.