This post is a continuation of the previous one so if you’re yet to, be sure to read that one first. In that post, I make the case that the most effective way to teach our children (and wards/disciples) to have the fear of the Lord is simply by possessing it ourselves. After all, we cannot give what we ourselves don’t have.
The Fear of the Lord Gives Life
“The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.” -Proverbs 14:27
In ‘PART 1: IS THERE A BETTER GIFT?’, I concluded by stating that the fear of the Lord is life-giving per scriptures such as Proverbs 14:27 as well as 10:27; 19:23. The wisdom that accompanies the fear of the Lord is able to prolong our mortal lives by keeping us out of danger. However no matter how long we live, this world is fleeting and will eventually pass away but “the one who does God’s will remains forever.” (1 John 2:17) Thankfully, the fear of the Lord doesn’t only offer us physical protection but most importantly spiritual one. The fear of the Lord should cause us to follow the Lord and submit wholly to His Lordship, which in turn leads to eternal life.
Perhaps today more than ever, it’s easy to have a reputation of being a Christian while not even being known by Jesus. (Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 25:11-13) Many have cheapened true repentance and Jesus’ call to self-denial and picking up our crosses to follow Him. It has been reduced to a mere repetition of a prayer after which these lives are marked by nothing beyond religious activities and accolades. They never counted the cost of following Christ nor are they willing to pay the high price.
If you’re perceiving a change in the seriousness of my tone, that is because this IS a serious matter with eternal ramifications. Later in this post, I share a few prompts to help you reflect on whether you truly do fear God and if He truly is your Lord or if you are just a nominal Christian deceived either by religious performance or flesh. I plead with you to not mindlessly gloss over that part but to approach it soberly and prayerfully.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. What will it benefit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?”-Matthew 16:24-26
You can have everything Lord, except..
Like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23), many may even boast an incredibly impressive religious profile and reputation, but then there’s inevitably something that Jesus demands of them and sadly they are unable to submit to His Lordship in that area. Whether it be reputation or security or worldly glories or our dreams or desires or a person or a relationship or money, whatever it is, we have to be honest with our own selves.
See when the rich young ruler approached Jesus and inquired about eternal life, Jesus referred Him back to what God had already decreed. The young ruler immediately replies that he has in fact kept all the laws! Outwardly, he checked all the boxes. But the one who looks at the heart and not outward appearances knew better. (1 Samuel 16:7)
“He is not impressed by the strength of a horse; He does not value the power of a man. The Lord values those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His faithful love.” Psalms 147:10-11
We cannot impress God with a religious resume. Ultimately, He’s after one thing only- our heart’s allegiance to Him and what flows from it. The young ruler thought he had been keeping all the commandments, not realizing that they all pointed to two things- love God with all your heart, soul, strength, mind AND second to that love your neighbor as yourself. And if he truly loved God more than anything else, he would have been able to take Jesus up on his offer and denied everything else, even his great riches.
Unlike the rich young ruler, let us not be so quick to jump to conclusions about our spiritual standing. But let us approach the Lord and sincerely ask, “what’s left?” And He will reveal it to us. (Psalm 139: 23-34; Proverbs 3:7; Psalm 25:12-14)
A Time for Serious Reflection
If you removed the roles you play in your church (if any) out of the picture, if you strip away your religious performances, routines and rituals, who are you?
- Does your life reflect a person that is a slave to Christ and who only lives according to the convictions of the Holy Spirit?
- What are the things that you hold on to tightly- what’s the one thing that God has been tugging on your heart to give up and follow Him but you keep making excuses about?
- What informs your decisions and life choices- is it your own dreams and desires, the traditions of men, cultural and societal norms, religious expectations? Or is it truly the Lord of Lords who reigns supreme in your heart, mind, soul, and home?
The fear of God isn’t as popular a topic in modern times as His love is. But the reality is that God has other attributes besides His unfathomable love. As the writer of Hebrews says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!” (Hebrews 10:31)
That brings us full circle to part 1 where we learned that wisdom and thereby the fear of God protects us. If we are wise, we will be protected from falling into the fury and wrath of God. We will not trample over His provision for our salvation. We will not be irreverent like Esau who sold his birthright for a meal. (Hebrews 12:16-17)
It has become commonplace for people to make decisions for God and plaster His name on it as though it were His idea. All the while neglecting or worse, disobeying the instructions that He has made plain. In the fourth and final part of this series, we’ll delve more into this.
For now, my prayer is that we endeavor to not let anything, no matter how tempting, stand between us and our full submission to the Lord and His will. When we walk in complete submission to the Lord, not only is it a gift for our own souls but all who know us, especially our impressionable children.
“When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
In His love and light,
Ivy
