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The celebration of Halloween a few days away is the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is supposed to be a night of scary fun for children of all ages to be followed the next day by veneration of the relatively small number of persons forms of Christianity the religion of men have traditionally determined meets their criteria for what a saint is. Never mind Holy Scripture clearly defines the saints as all of those God declares righteous by faith (not works) and sets apart to Himself (Psalm 34:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:2). Be that as it may, the idea of a night engaged in cultivating fear, fright and terror that precedes a day supposedly devoted to religious solemnity is diabolically bizarre.1
Fear, fright and terror from demonic and manmade sources are all too real in this world and not fun. Maladies from fear dominate the mental health profession and are a boon to pharmaceutical companies. Whole nations such as Israel must live under the constant duress of terror violence in and from outside of it. But since mankind in these latter days loves fear, fright and terror so much, the Lord in warning judgments is about to take them to never before known proportions complete with hideous looking creatures in hope some might repent (Revelation 8-9)! There is only one righteous and eternally beneficial fear; the fear of the Lord as He leads me to write in this edited 2012 repost.
Originally Posted November 18, 2012
Some men now foolishly teach God’s people not to fear Him. They say the cross of Jesus once and for all delivers believers from any concern about judgment from God. While this is true as it concerns the faithful and Hell (John 5:24), the unfaithful will stand in terror among all before Christ to receive for their deeds (Luke 12:35-48; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9-11)! The fear of the Lord is an important component of our walk with Him. Yes, we fear God in reverence and awe of His majestic greatness (Psalm 33:8-9)! But we also fear Him in the many painful ways He as our Father has to chasten His disobedient, sinning children (Deuteronomy 28:58-59; 1 Corinthians 11:27-32).
Finally, there is too, the fear of the Lord in the consequences the Bible teaches awaits any unfaithful, stubbornly rebellious, unrepentant professed Christian and the apostate (Ezekiel 18:24-26; Hebrews 10:26-39). Since Scripture teaches the latter scenario, we are not to come along lately and arrogantly to refute it through sinful human systems of thinking (Proverbs 14:12, 16:25). The apostle John teaches it is a complete love for God involving obedience and faithfulness alone that cancels out the fear of judgment in chastening or eternal condemnation, not simply knowledge of what Christ accomplished on the cross. Such knowledge should inspire loving obedience (1 John 4:7-19)!
This same principle of obedience to keep away fear of consequences holds true whether it is the rules of our parents or life in a world of laws. Obedience under normal circumstances cancels out the fear of consequences (Romans 13:1-4)! Some say, “You cannot both love and fear God at the same time.” We feared our earthly parents without any diminishment of our love for them. In fact, in a strange way, our love for our parents that loved us enough to set boundaries and consequences for crossing them intensified our love for them. How much more then, God our Father who even disciplines us as sons for our eternal good as the writer of Hebrews points out (Hebrews 12:3-11)?
The aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ operates and delights in the fear of the Lord as He does (Isaiah 11:1-3a)!2 The fear of the Lord is wisdom and knowledge (Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). The fear of the Lord is without spot and endures forever (Psalm 19:9). The fear of the Lord is “strong confidence” in Him (Proverbs 14:26, NKJV). The fear of the Lord is health and long life (Psalm 34:11-14; Proverbs 3:7-8, 10:27, 14:27). The fear of the Lord is eternal life satisfying the soul (Proverbs 19:23). The Lord Jesus taught we ought to fear God above all (Matthew 10:27-31) and the early Church experienced it both as a warning and blessing (Acts 5:1-11, 9:31).
Of the many things I am grateful to the Lord for it is the fear of Him that has taught me humble submission to Him, kept me in the way of obedience and when I have failed, led me to quickly confess and repent to obtain His forgiveness (1 John 1:9). I love and fear my God in all of the ways the Bible teaches and reap the harvest of benefits and blessings it promises! Do not listen to sinful men no matter how well intended who teach God should not be feared. Fear of the Lord is your salvation according to His written Word which trumps anything men may think or say (Proverbs 16:6)! The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Google All Saints Day to learn more about its history and practice.
2 Get my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics to learn more. It is available at all major internet booksellers, by order at your favorite brick and mortar bookstore
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