FEARING MAN OR FEARING GOD?

The God we serve is a holy and righteous God. He has not changed. He hates sin and will not tolerate disobedience. Those who walk in disobedience are living under the wrath of God which will be poured out upon the disobedient when Christ returns.

Our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24). Sin cannot remain in His presence because it is consumed. God’s dealings with the nation of Israel — their unbelief, rebellion, disobedience, His pleading, long suffering, wrath, and judgment that came upon them — have been given to us as examples and warnings.

The children of Israel did not fear God. Their hearts were hardened against Him. God told Moses:

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! (Deuteronomy 5:29)

Without this fear, they could not obey God.

Under the New Covenant God made with us, He has placed His fear in our hearts and has promised us:

They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. (Jeremiah 32:38-40, NIV)

God has circumcised our hearts (Romans 2:29). He has removed hearts that were once hardened and rebellious against Him, given us a new heart, and placed His fear in it so that we have a desire and a will to walk in obedience to Him. He has placed His Spirit within us giving us the power to obey. It is this holy fear of God that must now motivate our lives to walk holy before Him.

As Jesus commissioned and sent the twelve disciples out, He commanded them: “…do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28, NAS). We are commanded to fear God rather than man.

Examine your own heart today. Do you fear man more than you fear God? Is the favor of man more important than that of God?