The Two Fears: Part Two: Fear God

 

MATTHEW 10:28

"Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

    Luke 12:4, 5

"I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you Whom you should fear: Fear The One Who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!"

Hebrews 10:31

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of The Living God."

    Ecclesiastes 8:12, 13

Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. 

    Though God originally created hell for the fallen angel Lucifer and the angels who joined him in rebellion against God, people who have rebelled against God and died in their sins, will also be sent there. Matthew 25:41 "Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." 

    From the beginning of the written Word we learn that it is better to fear (reverence) God and be obedient to His Word, and learn to walk in His Way in our lifetime on this side of eternity. For after we die, there will be no more opportunities to do so. Hebrews 10:26,  27 "If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries." 

    Hebrews 9:27 tells us that we all have an appointment with death. Yet, not all who die will see Jesus and live with Him evermore. 

    You may think this study to be hateful, but you are mistaken. This is a study in the love of God. For God made a Way to avoid eternal punishment and damnation and that Way is JESUS CHRIST. John 3:16 "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  

    It takes a small amount of faith to believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son. It takes another measure of faith to believe that God's Holy Way is True and Faithful. As our faith in Christ grows, and we walk our our faith daily, with Christ living in us, we become stronger in our faith: and Christ, through the power of God's Holy Spirit, becomes stronger in us. He is God's Love extended to the world through the power of the cross and the empty tomb. 

    God is Love and in His great Love for us, He sent His Word, wrapping It in lowly flesh and placing It, through the power of His Spirit, in a young virgin's womb. As Christians, it is our privilege to carry the gospel of salvation, the power of God's Redeeming Love, to every corner of the world until the whole world hears just how much God loves each and every person. 

    It is up to the hearer to listen, repent and receive God's grace and forgiveness, thereby turning away God's wrath from their souls and being brought into God's kingdom: through the blood of Christ, God's perfect Lamb, Which takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). 

    Now is the time to give your hearts to The Lord Jesus Christ. Now is the time to repent of your sins and receive God's forgiveness and Christ into your hearts. Now, today, is the day to begin to walk in God's Way and follow God's Spirit. A good place to start your walk is in The Book of John, then meander over to The Book of Romans. After which, perhaps, your fingers may find their way into the Epistles which Paul wrote to the various churches scattered throughout Asia, Rome and the middle East. 

    And never stop bringing God into your daily lives, for He wants to be with you always. If you let Him, He will show you Himself and what His Word means. 

The Two Fears - Part One: Fear Not

 

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I Am with you; Be not dismayed, for I Am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness.' 

    The first time we see God saying to one of His chosen servants to not fear is in Genesis 15:1, when God tells Abram, "After these things The Word of The LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I Am thy Shield, and thy Exceeding Great Reward." 

    The last time The Lord speaks these words, "Fear Not", is in Revelation 1:17, when The First and The Last speaks to John in his vision: "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I Am The First and The Last." 

    In this day and age, we who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and that The Word of God is Truth, are daily bombarded with unChristlike behaviors and attitudes. We are attacked on every side and must be able to hold onto the cross (the place of saving grace) and the empty tomb (the place of eternal life revealed), when we go about our day to day lives. 

    Everybody has a story, and in our stories are chapters: the situations we find ourselves in, whether through our own decisions or the result of someone else's decision(s) which impacted us in some way. But in every chapter God is there. Sometimes we see Him working in our lives, sometimes we are completely unaware that He is there. 

    I say all this to remind you (and myself) that God Is Present: He is The Omnipresent God -- everywhere at the same time. If you are a born again Christian, then God is with you: leading us, guiding us: revealing to us His purpose for our lives. If we would just listen to Him and follow His lead, He will work everything out for our good. He said so. Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." His purpose, His will, for our lives. We just have to wake up and pay attention. 

    There may or may not be 365 verses pertaining to not being afraid. I don't know, I've only just started this study. But I'm expressly searching out the two-word phrase "fear not". The rest can wait for another day. 

    When God gives the instruction to "fear not", He is preparing each person He speaks this to for a mighty move of God. God spoke to Abram and promised him that his seed, his heirs, would be in the multitudes, just as the stars that covered the night sky. God also informed Abram that his heirs would be enslaved by a people whom God was to judge at a later time (four hundred years). In all this Abram is to "fear not", for God is his Shield (his protector, his defense) and his exceeding great reward (not just Abram's Rewarder, but Abram's Reward). 

    Because of what took place in Genesis 14, God found favor with Abram and chose to visit him, speak with him, promise him many things and form a covenant with him. This great honor may be given to each of God's people when they obey God and believe His Word, as Abram did. Following God faithfully, we, too, may find ourselves in situations He places us in. Not for our comfort, but for our spiritual growth. God wants to speak to us. Are we listening for His voice? Are we in a place where we can hear Him clearly? and know which decision is the right decision? Only you and I and God know the answer to these questions. For He knows our hearts and our thoughts. 

    Let us "fear not" as we prepare to take the next step in our journey on The Way of Holiness in which we walk.