Monday: Fear God
Fear God and give glory to Him
(Rev. 14:7, NKJV) is the first of the three angels’ messages, so central to Seventh-day Adventists’ life and faith. Fearing God is not being afraid, as it is often thought to be. It is realizing just who God is and what His claims on us are.
Image © Providence Collection from GoodSalt.com
It is an act of faith that involves total allegiance to Him. God becomes the sole definer and arbiter of our life-our thoughts, actions, relationships, and destiny. Discipleship based on that kind of fear
stands on unshakable ground.
Read Luke 12:4-12. What is Jesus saying to us here about fear?
The passage shows us whom to fear and whom not to fear. We need not fear forces that can affect only our body in the present world. Instead, we must fear and obey God because in His hands is our eternal destiny. But our God-whose eyes are on the sparrow (Luke 12:6) and who has numbered the hairs on our heads (vs. 7)-is loving and caring; hence, each one of us is infinitely precious in His sight. If we truly believed that, how many earthly fears would vanish?
Read Luke 12:13-21. What is Jesus warning us about here?
While Jesus refuses to intervene between two brothers quarreling over the division of property, He does emphasize the relevance of the tenth commandment (Exod. 20:17) against the evil of covetousness and points out a significant truth for all time: life is not made up of things (Luke 12:15). The rich foolish man lived in a little world restricted to himself. Nothing else mattered to him. How careful we need to be not to fall into this same trap; this is especially crucial for those who have been blessed with an abundance of material goods.
Though we all enjoy material things, think how little ultimate satisfaction they can really give you, especially in light of eternity. Why, then, is it still so easy to make the mistake that Jesus warned about in Luke 12:16-21?
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There are several things I would like to say here. The business of fearing God has caused a lot of trouble especially when it is taken to extremes. There is such a thing as healthy fear which I have commented on many times in the past. There is also a dangerous fear that will do an immense amount of damage. The trick is to find that balance between the two where we have the healthy fear that cautions us without getting into the dangerous fear that can form a sort of paralysis.
Another thing that I have thought about a lot is exactly who we are to fear. I have wondered why after saying we should fear the one that can put us in hell does Jesus go to lengths to say that we are not to fear God. To me the answer seems to be that maybe the one we are to fear is the devil who can put us in hell if we listen to him. On the other hand the ones who can only kill the body seem to be humans unless we follow them, a kind of the blind leading the blind.
Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. No one is going to listen carefully, intentively unless you believe he has some authority over you. We have no authority over God. What he says goes. He is God. We are subject to his authority. We are the clay he is the potter. He will do has he pleases. Of course God is love and he is King as well. What is handed down to us comes from a God of love, but what he asks is also a command. He is in charge. I'm certainly don't have the wisdom or insite to guide my own life let alone others. Jesus yielded to the will of his father in the garden even though it was not going to be a pleasant thing to go through. We hear so little about responsibility and respect in our western culture to our own demise.Does God have the right to cut us up into pieces and throw us out with the unfaithful? Luck 12:46 Wow, I believe he has my attention. The fear of God is the beginning.
It may be casually suggested that mortals honor God because of His character. Surely a noble thought, but it is really a secondary reason, especially in the context of much misrepresentation and misunderstanding of God’s character, even among well-meaning brethren who claim to know. Plain statements in the Bible, and supported by spirit of prophecy offer much insight.
Still some insist Jehovah is too loving to punish, to kill, to burn any in hell (Luke 12:5), or to burn anyone longer than another (proportional justice – Luke 12:47, 48). Some intimate the Lord is too just to terminate the penalty of sinners; hence eternal torment. Some offer other ideas.
Absolute reverence is due to the Creator primarily because of His position and His peculiar claim. The Sovereign of the universe owns us. It is He who made us (Psalm 100:3). Satan and his angels lost sight of that and inveigled mankind in the rebellion against the supreme authority of the Life Originator. The first angel (of Revelation 14:6, 7) places the Creator’s authority front and center in the message to the end time generation. Nothing else matters if this is disregarded. Fear and worship God alone.
The Supreme Potentate and Arbiter will make the point again as sin and sinners are about to be eradicated by requiring every knee, of righteous and unrighteous, to bow and acknowledge God (Romans 14:11).
That God is love makes the fear or absolute reverence required a joyful experience. So unlike the devils who are afraid and tremble (James 2:19), the redeemed of the Lord fear Him and rejoice evermore. They exhibit joyful and total allegiance (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20).
In my opinion, Hugh, you have a very hard view of God even to the point of a tyrant. I don't love God because He is the king. I, "love Him because He first loved" (1 Jn. 4:19 NKJV) me. It is His character that draws me not His sovereignty.
Those that bow the knee to God in the end won't be doing it because they are forced to but because they will finally acknowledge that God was right after all. As they look back on what their lives have done there will be little argument over who was right and as they become aware of all that God had done for them even in their rebellion there simply will be no argument left at all.
Tyler,
The very strong language of scripture and spirit of prophecy applied to Jehovah is not intended to portray God as a tyrant, although one may interpret it that way.
Fear and worship are not equal to love. Love is greater. The saints have love for, but do not worship the angel Gabriel who has a perfect character or a loving grandparent who is the nicest person in the world. Something else determines worship and requires it to be exclusive. It is unacceptable to worship anyone else for any reason.
At the end of the world the unrighteous do not merely acknowledge, they worship (knees bow) according to both scripture and spirit of prophecy (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10, 11).
In any case why are the unrighteous who are already condemned to final punishment and have no love for God brought back from the dead and given an opportunity to say something good about the Creator?
Why are the seven last plagues poured out upon those who rebel against God’s authority after probation is closed? Why is Uzzah’s story in the Bible, especially considering how it might be viewed? Certainly these are not arbitrary occurrences.
Are reverence and worship optional for those who love but for some reason do not feel up to it? Love necessarily includes respect for authority which arises from position or rightful claim. The Creator reserves the highest claim.
Hugh, concerning the last two sentences you will find no argument from me, on those points I think you are right on except I don't think we love someone just because he or she has power, there has to be more to it than that. The question, however, is not about authority as such but about how one uses that authority, how the one in authority relates to those under him. That is the question Jesus was dealing with in Mat 20:25-28 and I believe is the real difference between God's character and that of Satan's.
You appear to me as one who feels that God exercises the authority He has in a authoritarian dictatorial way so that He forces people to bow down to Him against their will. On that point I will most strongly disagree. That kind of a thing is what Ellen White spoke against, "Christ is ready to set us free from sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we will not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by our determined rejection of His love" (Steps to Christ, p 34). "The work of 'breaking the will' is contrary to the principles of Christ" (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p 116). What she says here to me is fully consistent with Christ's ministry and teaching and something that He demonstrated on the cross with respect to His persecutors. He also said much the same when His disciples thought it right to destroy a village after they rejected Him (Lk 9:54-55).
As far as the rest of the questions you raise I think the answers lie mostly in answering the charges of Satan in the great controversy except for Uzzah which to me is about the same as the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 and with Nadab and Abihu in Lev. 10. To me those kinds of things is something that can be discussed at length because they are not the norm, it isn't what we experience in our lives on a daily basis. Who of us hasn't rebelled against God at some point in our lives and yet we are still very much alive and are even greatly blessed by God (Mat 5:44-46). When dealing with these issues we may be very much like Job who couldn't understand why bad things were happening to him and because of that he basically was wrongfully charging God with unfairness or like Habakkuk who thought God was totally impotent in His dealing with evil but couldn't see the overall plan.
Tyler,
If it will help the few who are still bearing with us please permit your brother one more attempt at clarification:
Free will with consequences is not equal to absolute freedom. Absolute freedom can only rightly apply to the Self-Existent One. We get to make choices, not to do as we please. Those who choose not to serve God will be beaten/punished/condemned/eradicated (consequence – Mark 16:16).
Whether we consider what is required/mandatory to be love, respect, or both, or something else the bottom line is we cannot exercise free will to do as we please and expect to live forever because we are not responsible for our own existence. We do not make the law and we are not entitled to anything except by the will of the Lord.
Created beings have limited freedom, but that does not in any way make the Creator a dictator, except from an entitlement perspective. The Creator grants the right to life on a conditional basis, and failing same it is withdrawn. The forbidden tree test in Eden was an issue of loyalty. A second probation was granted and with it another test of loyalty, in the end symbolized by the Sabbath.
That God is love is a settled matter at the cross. He owed us nothing even before that. On the question of how much we owe Him there may be some indecision. Any who has a problem with authority will have a problem in Heaven.
I believe that perfect freedom means to have the freedom to do anything we want to do. Freedom to do something we don't want to do seems to me to be irrelevant.
That's why I believe the redeemed will have absolute perfect freedom: They are free to do anything they want to do, because their will is perfectly aligned with the will of God. The Psalmist expressed this concept when he wrote, "And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts." (Psalm 119:45)
They have been tested in the environment of sin, and they will not change in the pure atmosphere of heaven.
Hugh wrote:
I believe they are brought back to life to demonstrate by their behavior that they are incurable rebels, and thus God's justice is validated. They themselves are forced to acknowledge His justice in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Again, I believe that their reaction to the plagues demonstrates that they are incurable rebels, and thus God's justice is validated.
Well said. 🙂 I also particularly appreciate this:
I believe that fear in relationship to God means to have reverence for Him. Not to be afraid of Him because He's loving and cares for us. If we have reverence for Him we will not do the things that would cause us to deserve hell. God is an awesome person and we should always give Him reverence even while we are comforted in the knowledge that He loves us.
Yvonne, what you have said here is what I believe most Advents believe and is something I won't disagree with much. I do however think that if Satan had a little bit of healthy fear concerning God he probably would not have dared to oppose Him.
There are many things in our lives that give us a sense of fear such as warning labels on things and that little light on the top of a car that tells us to be mindful of what speed we are traveling at. All of those things form a healthy fear but when fear gets to the point that we lose our sense of judgment then it becomes dangerous. I think quite often of the rabbit that comes face to face with a polecat. Under those circumstances the rabbit freezes in fear and gets eaten even though it could have easily gotten away. Often fear will cause us to do very dumb things and that is the kind of fear that we are not to have.
We may call it respect or reverence or the many other words that can be used but when we get to the bottom of it all it basically boils down to a little bit of healthy fear. After the controversy is over the universe will abide by the principles of Heaven because they will have seen what happens when people deviate from them. They see the damage that is done and because of that they will have a certain amount of fear to ever go in that direction again. To me that is the reason why it is said that, "Affliction will not rise up a second time" (Nah. 1:9 NKJV); it isn't because God forces it but because the universe will have learned the lessons of the past and choose not to repeat what has happened on earth again. As far as I am concerned that is one of the main purposes for God allowing Satan to live for more than 6000 years after he was kicked out of Heaven - to demonstrate the principles of the two governments and what happens under them.
I knows there are many who have little or know idea of what a father's love is, having never experienced or seen it. My heart goes out to those who were orphaned as youngsters, or whose father was a brute and entitled to no respect.It must be in some ways difficult to understand God's love as a Father, particularly in light of the misconceptions that abound regarding his character.
My earthly father owned a small business in a moderately sized city. He specialized in a product and service which was unique in town, for there was no-one else offering anything similar. Before he died when I was but a youngster of twelve, I well remember the pride I had in being his son.I loved him to bits, not because of anything intrinsic within me, but purely on what I knew of his nature and character. He was highly respected in the community for his trade, his service, and character. I was proud, not because of anything I was or had done, but solely because of mine and other’s estimation of my father. How much more pride then ought we to have if we are the children of the Creator of the universe? Simply because of who He is, and what He has done.
I think that if we are askew in our regard for God...if we are extreme in our fear...afraid on one hand or too casual on the other... it is because we do not really know Him. In this we need to encourage people to study Jesus...."if you have seen Me you have seen the Father". There is a balance in fear...and it is bound up in love. And we just can't help but love Him the more we draw closer to Him, and the more we get to know Him.
Hellow! I do still have an unfilled gap on last week's lesson that say ' how can u be sure dat when we say , God led me to do this,he realy did"
Perhaps we should be a little more hesitant to put the responsibility on God for our choices?
When we do our best to understand God's will and make choices accordingly, we need to trust Him with the results. Sometimes our choices may not be the best, in spit of our good intentions, but we can still trust God to teach us in our current circumstances.
We *can* be sure that God loves us and cares for us. Beyond that, we need to trust Him.
"Fear" - an experience most of us avoid, a term we sometimes redefine to make more comfortable. In the Greek New Testament, there are six root words (twelve words if you count parts of speech separately) which are translated into fear in the NKJ, KJV and/or NAS. The most frequently used is found in this lesson in Luke 12:4-5,7.
The same root word, as used in Matthew 28:4, describes the reaction of the guards at the resurrection of Jesus when they fainted, and then again, in Matthew 28:8, the joyful response of the women who saw the angel and ran to announce His resurrection.
My point: this word, like many, reflects a range of feelings. We do well to examine the context before tightly narrowing the definition. Again, as an example of complex feelings, note Peter's reaction to Jesus' power in Luke 5:1-10, as he worshiped at Jesus' feet while saying, "depart from me..." In that context, Jesus said not to fear. Yet we are commanded to fear God (with the same Greek word) in Romans 11:20-21 and 2 Corinthians 7:1. Could it be that we ought to have "mixed feelings" as we approach the presence of Him who is the ultimate "consuming fire"? (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Thank you John for presenting a biblical perspective. I think it adds quite a bit to the discussion.
A minor correction: thanks to this discussion, a little more research has found a thirteenth word by parts of speech.
I believe we have feared him because we love Him, not that we have to love Him because of fear... I have that feeling towards my father when I was a kid, then I realize why I am afraid of him so much, Especially if I know I did something wrong, and that it all goes down to one main reason And that is LOVE... Loving someone means trusting and respecting, Love is the answer to all the Goodness and greatness that our Heavenly Father has given us. Give all the glory to him no hesitations, no pretense, no expectation love and complete surrender and trust to His loving mercy and goodness and He will direct our paths.He has the only power to save.
In see there has been a discussion on what it means to "fear God." It has been enlightening because it has allowed us to view the subject from various angles.
I particularly appreciate the contributions of John Gilmore and Brendan James because they demonstrate that the "fear God" may not be what we usually understand by "fear," demonstrating that the way Yvonne Wright defines it (as "reverence") may be more fitting.
Historically, it seems to me that "the fear of God" has had more of the meaning of awe and reverence than the kind of fear that we have of criminals, dangerous animals or dangerous natural events. Tyler Cluthe explained it it as a "healthy fear" that falls short of immobilizing our brain and our senses.
That the "fear God" does not mean the same kind of fear that we usually think of is indicated by the fact that "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18) I believe that the redeemed will have such perfect love and trust in God that fear doesn't begin to enter their attitude towards Him. Brendan's comment regarding his own father illustrates this.
The universe will ultimately be secure against sin because of this perfect love and trust which simply excludes any thought of doing acting contrary to His will.
Interesting discussion, but nobody has brought up 1 John 4:18. Is there a solution to the fear question here?
I think that here you have the classic illustration of the multiple meanings that this word "fear" has inherited. We all know that fear has several meanings and the particular meaning in a passage is defined by the context in which it used. I suggest that the "fear" spoken of in this verse is the one that means "to be afraid of".
I am not an expert in ancient languages, but even if we appeal to the original manuscript language we also need to recognise the multiplicity of meanings that are inherent in a single word. Hope that helps.
Gary, as Maurice indicated, context is key. In John 4:18, we read that the fear of which the apostle writes "involves torment." This is consistent with Paul's statement that "if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries." (Hebrews 10:26-27). "Fearful" in this passage has the same root as "fear" in John 4:18, and is translated "terrifying" in the NASB. On the other hand, loving God is inseparably entwined with keeping his commandments (John 14:15 and John 15:10) and gives the loving commandment-keeper confidence in His presence (1 John 3:21). This is an experience that those who continue in sin cannot know.
I will always remember the awesome power I felt as I rode on a boat that took us close to Niagra Falls. The waters roared as they came cascading down. You couldn't help but be impacted by its force and grandeur. At the same time, you knew you didn't dare come right up to the waterfall lest you be swallowed up in its churning waters.
In Luke 12, Jesus reminds us to think of God in similar terms--to realize His power. In His hands, He holds the destiny of all. In His hands is the power of life and death. We, on the other hand, are infinitely small, weak, and sinful. If we see God for who He truly is, we will always sense how much bigger, holier, and mightier He truly is. He will always be above us, Someone to reach up to, but also Someone to bow before in worship.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My Ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts"--Isaiah 55:9.
As we look up to Him as Isaiah once did in vision, we ought to be overwhelmed with the glory of His presence and all it embraces. As Isaiah once was when He saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. He did not stride forward, in bold confidence, but cried, "Woe is me, for I am undone!" He knew He was in the presence of One who was perfect purity and holiness. Likewise, when the apostle John saw the glorified Jesus in vision, standing in the midst of seven lampstands with hair as white as snow and His eyes like flames of fire (Revelation 1:12-14), he felt his own smallness in God's presence. The Bible says when He saw Christ, he "fell at His feet as dead" (vs. 17).
Both men had a reverential fear in God's presence because they saw God for who He is. They saw Him as GOD. Not in the same way John had once seen Jesus--but clothed with all power and holiness--with nothing to obscure His divinity.
I think Jesus is calling us to see God in all His glory as well. We tend to focus on His forgiveness and compassion--as we should. But we shouldn't be afraid to present Him in His absolute power and might or in His sterling purity and righteousness.
Sue, to me what you have said is a wonderful way of looking at the problem of fear. There will always be the two sides of the problem, the tension in seeing God as both the greatest of the great, the king of the universe, and yet at the same time our friend and benefactor.
And yet He dwells within us by His Holy Spirit!!! The disciples were in a churning mass of water one night when Peter asked Jesus if he could walk on the water as well. Another instant was when Jesus was asleep on the boat in the midst of a storm that threatened to engulf the disciples, and Jesus intimated that they could have all been as fast asleep as He was and been perfectly safe.
Remember also, although I can't find the reference, that despite the tempestuous fires and the glory of the second coming, we will stand in the midst of it. While awe and respect are due the Almighty, I believe we can be confident no matter how close we get. Just not yet.
Please Mr. Tyler Cluthe, so from your view expressed, what happens to satan at the end of the world?
Secondly, how do you understand this Bible verse; "So shall it be in the end of this world. the Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a FURNACE OF FIRE" Matthew 13:40-42.
Does this means GOD is not LOVE?
Jacqueline, I trust that you will consider my comment even if I'm not Tyler. 😉 Your comment reminds me that we need to look at the call to "Fear God" also from the perspective of those who will ultimately be lost because they refuse to recognize what Hugh Dalhouse shared:
There is a real sense in which it is necessary to have a healthy fear of "Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt 10:28) This fear leads to paying attention to God and becoming acquainted with Him. Then as sinners get to know God, that fear turns to love, and perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) Those who live in obedience to God have no need to fear Him. (Compare with Ro 13:3)
In order to ensure the harmony of the universe, God must ultimately do the "strange work" (Isa 28:21 KJV) of destroying sin and sinners completely. It is an act of justice that is the other side of the coin of love. It would be torture for sinners to live in the presence of One whose character they despise. So God does the most merciful thing He can do - He annihilates them. And He does more than that - He burns up not only sinners, but also the surface of the planet to cleanse it (2 Peter 3:10-12), so that He may create it anew. (Isa 65:17 and Rev 21:1)
"Fear God and give glory to Him"(Rev.14:7,NKJV) is the first of the three angels messages. Fearing God is not being afraid, as it is often thought to be. It is just realizing who God is and what His claims on us are. It is an act of faith that involves total allegiance to Him. God becomes the sole definer and arbiter of our life-our thoughts, actions, relationships, and destiny. Faith based on that kind of "fear" stands on unshakable ground.
I hope this comments will enshrine some lights into that scripture.
I think to fear God is addressed to the nonbelievers. Because of unbelief God will punish them at the end when His wrath is implemented. He will revence and will punish them that have the mark of the beast.
I always enjoy reading your insightful counsel!
What awonderful discussion!, alot has been said already. The contribution of each one of you has made me understand it better than I could have on my own. Let's do the same next time