Imanuel Christian
October 2012
Last month we talked about the disciple and the fear of
God and saw that the concept of God in Christianity is of a loving Father who,
like any other good father, longs to have an intimate relationship with His
children. But because of that, the danger is that the familiarity, or perceived
familiarity, breeds disrespect. Our God is an awesome God and cannot be taken
too lightly as we often do in our corporate worship services or in our casual
attitude in life.
This month we want to see how the
fear of God is evidenced in our daily life. For a disciple it is necessary to
have a sound theology and an accurate concept of God. But that would be
meaningless if that does not have a practical effect on daily life. How do
others see the fear of God in my life
that kind of God would they think I worship? Here are some thoughts, although
not an exhaustive list.
First of all, the fear of God will
be seen in our disciplined and holy life. Those who fear God will live by the
moral standard that He has set in His Word. As Peter, quoting from the Old
Testament says, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you
had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be
holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy.’ Since you
call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your life as
strangers in reverent fear” (1 Pet. 1:14-17). Peter here presents God both as a
loving Father as well as an impartial Judge. We have, in our modern Christian
culture, emphasized the idea of God as the loving Father, but have largely
forgotten Him as an impartial Judge to whom one day we will have to give
account of everything we do.
Job provides the best example of
this idea: “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil”
(Job 1:1). This was the commendation that God Himself gave him twice (1:8;
2:3). Moses told the people of Israel, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD
your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God and to walk in all His
ways…” (Deut. 10:12).
Secondly, the fear of God is
evidenced in our daily life through our loving God with all our heart and with
all our soul and with all our might (Deut. 6:5). As Moses, in the rest of the
verse quoted above, said, “What does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD
God… and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul” (Deut. 10:12). Love for God is seen in rejecting anything and everything
that competes for our attention and draws us away from our relationship with
God. The disciple’s relationship with God is his first and foremost priority;
everything else, and anybody else, takes a secondary place. Oswald Chambers in
his well-known book, My Utmost for His
Highest, writes, “There is only one relationship that matters, and that is
your personal relationship to a personal Redeemer and Lord. Let everything else
go, but maintain that at all costs, and God will fulfill His purpose through
your life” (November 30).
We may attain material abundance and
great social respect and everything else this world offers, but without the
relationship with God, nothing is worthwhile. That is why the Psalmist cried
out in his anguish, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I
desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you
destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near
God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your
deeds” (Ps. 73:25-28).
When Abraham put God first and not
any material gain (Genesis Chapter 14), God came to him and said, “Do not be
afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward” (Gen. 15:1). More than
any other blessing, the greatest blessing of the disciple’s life is God
Himself, the privilege and joy of having the personal relationship with Him.
The Levites, as the servants of God, did not receive any inheritance in the
land, because, God said to them, “I am their inheritance; and you shall give
them no possession in Israel—I am their possession” (Ezek. 44:28, NASB; also
see Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; 18:1, 2; Josh. 13:33). For a disciple there is no
greater possession, no greater blessing than to have the personal relationship
with God Himself. What do I desire more, God’s blessings or God Himself?
Thirdly, the fear of God is
evidenced in our daily life as we make God a most important part of our decision
making process. Our financial, social or other decisions should be made in the
context of how would it help me to serve God better, how would it help me to
show God’s love to others better, and not primarily based on how would it help
me financially or in social relationships. For making right decisions we need
wisdom that can only come through our disciplined time in the Word of God. The
Word of God helps us, “for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding
and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair” (Prov. 1:3, 4). Paul
too said that the Word of God “is useful for teaching, rebuking, correction and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16). Actually, the Word of God is the chief
basis of our relationship with God and everything else will naturally flow from
that.
Fourthly, the fear of God is
evidenced in our daily life through resting secure in His loving care in any
and every situation. When we recognize God not only as the sovereign Creator,
but also as the One who lovingly controls everything that happens in our life,
we will be free from worry and will rest secure in His loving care. David
proclaimed in one of his psalms, “How great is your goodness, which you have
stored up for those who fear you!” (Ps. 31:19). Also, in another psalm, “But
the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those
whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them
alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In
him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (Ps. 33:18-21). Fear of
the Lord is such a freeing thing!
Fifthly and finally, the fear of the
Lord is evidenced in our daily life by how much we are eagerly waiting for Him.
The second coming of Christ is one of the cornerstones of Christian theology
and nothing else would matter if we take that out. As surely as He has come, He
will come again, and we will stand before Him and, “each of us will give an
account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). All other things mentioned above—
moral character, utmost desire to have a relationship with God, putting God
first in every decision of life and resting secure in His care — would not be
possible unless we are living with the one goal of standing before Him one day
and being able to say, like Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).
Today what we need the most in the
Christian culture, in the believer’s life, is the fear of God and of His Word
that is evidenced in every aspect of our life. We would then be joyfully
looking forward to standing before Him one day to receive His commendation.
Again as the author of the book of Hebrews said, “Therefore, since we are receiving
a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God
acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.
12:28-29).
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