The Bible is clear:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
We see the sad consequences of people not living in fear of the LORD all through history:
– In Genesis 20 Abraham recognised the danger he and Sarai were in from people who didn’t fear the LORD.
– In Psalm 36 David describes the wicked in graphic terms because they don’t fear the LORD.
– Writing to Christians in Rome, Paul describes humanity in general with these words quoted from all over the Old Testament:
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:14 – 18)
Yet what does it mean to ‘fear the LORD’? As someone who has put my faith in the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross, I know God as my loving heavenly Father!
But that’s the point:
Unless you come to recognise that you will one day answer to your creator, you feel free to live as you want, however that affects others. We see that around us all the time, and especially right now with politics and military might seemingly the only guide to whether people live or die.
Yet the Bible is clear that one day EVERYONE will have to face their maker, answer for what they have done, and take His consequences!
Only a fear of Him will drive us to His mercy in Christ ahead of time – and the great news is that He IS merciful, as the cross demonstrated!
“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”(Mark 1:15)
Spencer Shaw