What is the Fear of God?

Have you ever asked yourself that question before?  I certainly have, but before becoming a believer in Jesus Christ I took little time to think about having a genuine reverence for God.  In fact, that attitude describes the vast majority of people who do not claim to be Christ followers.  The fear of God is the farthest thing from their minds.  The Scripture tells us that 

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.  (Heb 10:31)

This is not to suggest that as believers in Christ we are to be in constant fear of dying and appearing before God's presence.  A believer has nothing to fear about their heavenly Father.  Our sins are judged in Jesus's death on the cross and once anyone has repented of their sin and believed on Christ, their sin is "as far as the east is from the west."  However the same cannot be said of the persistent unbeliever who has chosen to live in sin and ignore the claims of the Son of God.

In describing the lost condition of the world when writing his letter to the Roman Christians, Paul declared, 

There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Rom 3:18)

Now that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't ever think about their life and what God is going to say to them after they die.  Many may give it some thought, but if they don't allow those those thoughts to change their direction or stop them from their self-governed life, their eternity is in jeopardy.

Furthermore, many unbelievers do not worry about judgement because they believe that in the end the only thing that matters will be whether their good works outweigh their bad works.  The weigh scale view of salvation is held by millions in their hope for heaven.  They simply believe it is all going to work out ok.  It won't, but that is why the Word of God is so important in arresting our attention about the importance of getting ready for eternity.  I've noticed after several decades of ministering to dying people that most of us give more attention to packing a suitcase for a two-day trip than we do about our eternal souls.  

The wisdom writer of Proverbs said,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10)

This means precisely what it says.  Wisdom for living life meaningfully and successfully in God's eyes begins with fearing God, and that's because it allows us to gain wisdom.   The contemporary slogan "No fear" can also be interpreted, "No wisdom".  

But what does it actually mean to fear God?  Does it just mean to reverentially respect God?  Well no, not quite.  That isn't all it means.  When you read what Paul the Apostle said in 2 Cor. 5:10, you will find that the fear of God is rooted in the fact that one day each of us will have to stand before God to be personally judged.  In this case, Paul is focusing on the believer's life, but judgment should be a key motivator in every Christian living a Godly life.   Paul says,

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one
may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.  Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. 

Ok, so let's cut to the chase.  What in the believer's life motivates the fear of God?  Is it abject fear, like the cowardly lion standing before the Great Oz?   Is it reverential respect?    I believe the fear of God involves two simple things.  It is really the same two things that motivate a son who highly regards his earthly father: the fear of disappointing him and secondly, being disciplined by Him.  Let me show you why I say that.  Look back at the text in 2 Cor. 5:9.  This is the verse that precedes the verse about the judgment seat of Christ.  Paul said,

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  Did you catch that?  Paul says our aim as Christians is to please the Lord!  Let me just say this.  When a child wants to please his mother or father, it's normally because he or she does not want to disappoint the one who has poured into him/her, sacrificed for him/her, and provided an exemplary life for him/her to follow.  But there is also the fact that he or she does not want to experience the temporary yet painful loss of fellowship.    .

I trust that your motivation as a believer is to please the one who loved you enough to personally die and pay for your sin debt.  More than that, keep in mind that each of us will stand before our Heavenly Father and give an account of our earthly service to Him!  

If you are not yet a believer in Christ, remember He Himself said, 

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes unto the Father except through Me.  (Jn 14:6)

Make preparation for the most important meeting of your life, you will be forever thankful!