IS THE FEAR OF GOD OLD-FASHIONED?

I have heard several times that God doesn't want us to fear him. A number of persons have a view that seems unhealthy about this subject.

Outrightly, some have said we are commanded only to love the Lord but never to fear because we are sons.

They hold to what Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind"( Mt 22:37).

While this is what Jesus said, saying we are excluded from fearing God is a gross misinterpretation and application of scriptures.

Often, they allude to the fact that "fear of God" is an old testament thing. People in this category still don't see the bible as a whole book with a whole truth that is consistently fitted together.

In defense for this all important subject, I will restrict myself to new testament scriptures that enjoins we fear God. What is the fear of God anyway?

When we talk about the fear of God, we are simply talking about reverence for the Lord. Reverence for His holiness. That's it. Loving God is also the same as having reverence for God.

This reverence is what makes us to honour him in our conduct. The fear of the Lord in us is what makes us abstain from what is sinful.

We live in a generation that is playing with sin because of the provisions of grace. Pollution everywhere, from the pulpit to the pew. So sad!

The fear of God doesn't mean to be afraid. That's unhealthy fear. That crippling fear won't make us relate with God as a father that he is to us.

I am sure that's not what the tenor of scriptures refer to. Everywhere the fear of God is mentioned, it is connected to proper conduct or holy living.

Libertinism is making holy living old-fashioned but I tell you this sincerely from my heart, "Be ye holy as I am holy" still stands even in this dispensation. It is a trans- dispensational command.

Behind holiness is that reverential fear of God. Paul says, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, PERFECTING HOLINESS IN THE FEAR OF GOD" (2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV).

This is Paul talking about the fear of God here. The man that wrote about half of the new testament. The fear of God is tightly linked with holy living. They're inseparable.

In Matthew 10:28, Jesus said, "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".

This is another way of saying fear God, the one who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. Jesus said this. God is the one that has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell. It couldn't have been Satan Christ was referring to in that verse.

I am surprised to read in the book of Acts of Apostles( 9:31) that the early church walked in the fear of the Lord: "Then had the CHURCHES rest throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and WALKING IN THE FEAR OF THE LORD, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied".

The early church walked in the reverential fear of the Lord. Why should the modern day church preach against the fear of the Lord? Doing that is a betrayal of the message handed down to us.

Listen to Apostle Peter on the same subject when preaching in the house of Cornelius: "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that FEARETH HIM(referring to God), and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him"(Acts 10:34‭-‬35 KJV, Emphasis mine)

If the fear of God is old- fashioned, I subscribe to it. If preaching about it will make me look "old school", I'll let it remain as my theme.

I'll rather lose invitations to preach than to compromise the truth of God's word for acceptance. It may not be a popular truth but I'm convinced about it.

The undoing of many preachers today is that they abandoned the raw truth of scriptures to preach what suits the public who have itching ears for error. The drive to be accepted makes one compromise the truth.

Let me close with this popular Pauline scripture that enjoins we handle our salvation with fear.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with FEAR(of God) and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure(Emphasis mine, Philippians 2:12-13).

I love this old-fashioned Gospel. It saves.