A Reason to FEAR
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
A Reason to FEAR
Romans 3:18, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Matthew 10:28, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
On the day called "Halloween", I am reminded of things that cause fear. When I was an unregenerate boy, I sometimes had horrid nightmares -- greatly induced by "thriller" type, scary, monster movies. Certainly, the Devil has many things to offer that cause fear.
Then again, I think of those who have as a motto "NO FEAR". I consider that such a thought is likely an expression of the reckless and rebellious spirit of today's sinful society. It is a false front that attempts to show bravado and confidence in the absence of God's life-giving Spirit.
With the help of Bible software, I found the word fear in its various forms (i.e. "fear", "fearful", and etc.) quite a number of times throughout the Bible -- 98 times in the New Testament and 346 times in the Old Testament.
Without going into all the different meanings of the words that are translated as "fear" in English, I just want to make a few observations of the use of the word.
A. Fear as it Relates to God
1. Intended Fear of God -- This type of fear will hold Him in awe! Loving God is synonymous with this type of fear of God. This fear will honor Him and obey Him. It is more a fear of displeasing Him, because it is the heart's utmost, loving desire to have His smile of approval.
2. Improper Fear of God -- God doesn't want us to be afraid of Him with a cowering, run-away-and-hide type of fear. This kind of fear of God was brought in by sin. Christians, washed white in the blood of the Lamb, need not fear God as though He were a great bully or a mean policeman that might revel in the punishment of our every mistake.
3. Inevitable Fear of God -- "Every knee shall bow" -- Hell is fired with the heat of God's holy wrath! When Jonathan Edwards preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", He preached truth. All who refuse to properly fear God in this life will have ample reason indeed to fear Him at the Judgment and in their just, eternal torments.
B. Fear as it Relates to Satan
1. Fear: Satan's Weapon -- His kingdom is built upon fear. He drives and lashes with it like a whip tormenting his followers. He also tries to use an unhealthy fear as a weapon against God's own children.
2. The Fear of Satan
A Formidable Foe -- Christians should fear Satan in a certain sense: a healthy respect for the reality of who he is and the potential evil he could cause in our lives and the lives of others. We should remember that we alone cannot take on Satan. He was one of the highest, most powerful and intelligent of God's created beings. He is shrewd above any human and has connections -- one third of the angels of Heaven fell with him in rebellion against God. Another of his great tools is that of deception. We should fear lest we be deceived by the Satan's "Angel of light" costume. The Christian should have a healthy respect/fear of being beguiled as Eve was in the garden.
3. Satan's Fear -- "The devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). Satan knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). After all, Hell was prepared for the Devil and his angels (fallen angels) (Matthew 25:41). Satan and all his troops fear and quake at the mention of the name of Jesus.
A Defeated Foe -- We should not fear him at all in the same sense that we should fear God. We should not be unduly afraid of Satan, because He has already been defeated at Calvary. Jesus has the keys of death and of hell. Any time that Satan and his minions come around to make us afraid, like Goliath challenged and taunted Israel, we should flee to our Savior and trust in the Lord to deliver us.
C. The Superiority of Godly Fear over Satanic Fear
1 John 4:18: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
As the rod of Aaron became a serpent and swallowed up all the rods of the Egyptian sorcerers that had become serpents, even so shall the true, proper fear/love of God swallow up and obliterate the unhealthy fears of Satan and the forces of this fallen world.
True it is that many of the forces of evil in this world are of the dark supernatural realm. However, let us always remember that "greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." (I John 4:4)
Let us remember what Jesus said: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33); "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32); and finally, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Revelation 1:17, 18).
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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