~ The Key Second Decision ~
God does not want His children living in fear. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3). However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him. We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”
The First Critical Decision ~ In the spiritual realm the all important crucial decision is to put your eternal fate in the hands of Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to him [Nicodemus], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
After a Christian has made the most important decision of their life—accepting the free gift of salvation they face the second most important decision of their life—to follow Christ as an obedient disciple.
The Second Key Decision ~ The fear of the Lord will result in obedience. One of the most repeated commands of our Lord to His disciples was “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19 and others). Jesus also said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The Result ~ “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. We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19).
The Bottom Line ~ If we love God we will obey God. If we obey God we will have no fear.
Fearing God Results in Salvation ~ “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16). This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will.
Fearing God Results in Fearlessness ~ “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). The answer is: only God. With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.
Fearing God Results in Witnessing ~ “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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