Fear of God
By Kyle Blackwell
The world is not as fearful of God as it used to be. We use God’s name in vain like we use toilet paper. We talk about God as if His ways and laws are only a mere suggestion. There is no longer a true respect for God’s wrath in churches. I say churches but what I really mean is the church as in what can be touched and seen, not the real church.You see, there are so many preachers out there who seem to think that once you say a little prayer… and mean it, that you are saved. God today is more of a jolly grandfather than the God seen in the Old Testament. But guess what… The God of yesterday is still the God of today and will still be the God of all future.
I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy and I just had to stop and highlight all the times Moses wrote God is a jealous God. I lost count but it was enough to make me want to continue writing this message as I had stopped doing so months before. This is the verse that made me stop and think of what a great God I serve:
Deuteronomy 6:15
For the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God— lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
All God wants is exclusive devotion to Him from His people. In fact, Jesus also mentioned the same thing when he said:
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
For it is through Christ, and Christ alone, that we are able to follow His commandments. Back up a few verses and you find another mention of this:
John 14:12
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
Oh my, there is that word, works. “Christians” these days hate that word. In reality, it is not hard to understand the true reason for works. Let me break it down for you: Works are not the root of Salvation, but they are the fruit of Salvation.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Earlier, I mentioned that the God of the Old Testament is still the same God as today and all time to come. Listen carefully! This next verse is from Deuteronomy which was written by Moses. If this is not exactly the same message Jesus proclaimed when He walked this land I do not know what to tell you.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.
As you can see, the God we serve now is the same God the Israelites served 3,000 years ago. Also, I always hear people make fun of the Israelites because they saw God’s glory yet continually rejected and turned away from Him throughout the history of the Bible. Kind of sounds like my life if I am going to be honest. The problem is that westernized christianity is one thing within the four walls called a church; totally different outside those walls. Thankfully, God redirected my life and let me know that I was not on the narrow path to the narrow gate, the great Pearly Gates. I am definitely not perfect, ask my wife, but I am trying each and every day to grow closer to God and know more about His loving kindness.
Let me sum this message up with words directly from the Bible:
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:25) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17) Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5) Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-11) Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge -Hosea 4:6
