We Need to Fear God Phil. 2:12-13 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Paul said, “… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” We need to fear God after we are saved. The fear of God is good for us. It gives us wisdom, it keeps us clean, it gives us confidence, it keeps us from evil, it directs us into the love of God, it prolongs our lives, and by it we find the mercy of God. We need to fear God because of:
His Enormity – he fills the universe – as big as the universe is, God is bigger – he is all in all – he was here before there was anything and he will be here for eternity even when this heaven and earth are gone – he is from everlasting to everlasting – you and I cannot comprehend his eternity – heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool – we cannot comprehend his enormity – to him the nations are as a drop of a bucket – imagine then how insignificant we are by comparison – don’t mess around with a God that big – we need to fear God!
His Power – he has the power to create this universe and to keep it all going – he also has the power to destroy it all in a second [and he will] – he has the power to give life even though many scientists won’t admit it – he also has the power to end life – he destroyed more living and breathing creatures in Noah’s flood than all the people that men have destroyed with all of the wars that have ever been fought – he had the power to spawn a storm that can destroy the world and he has the power to instantly calm the wind – you do not want to contend with a God like that – he sent one of his angels who destroyed 185,000 elite soldiers in one night – he determined that his own Son should die and rise from the dead that we might have eternal life – don’t you dare belittle and blaspheme a God like that – we need to fear God!!
His Holiness – there is not one blemish in God – there is no unrighteousness in him – there is no sin and nothing that defiles in his presence – his own Son lived 33 ½ years on this earth and never sinned one time – he is perfect – you have never seen anyone so holy in your life and you never will until you see him – our God who never made one mistake, who never made one wrong move, who has always done the right thing and who always will is a God that needs to be feared when you consider the impurity of our thoughts, our motives, our desires, our actions and our words – he is holy – don’t ever charge a God like that with wrongdoing – we need to fear God, instead!!
His Wisdom – God knows everything – there is not a thought in any mind that God doesn’t already know – he knows what you are going to do, when you are going to do it, how you are going to do it, and why you are going to do it – he knows the thoughts and intents of your heart – the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth beholding the evil and the good – he has the very hairs of your head all numbered – he knows everything there is to know about everything and then he conceals his knowledge until he is ready to reveal it – his thoughts are not our thoughts – by comparison to the wisdom of God you know absolutely nothing – we need to fear God!
His Judgment – God judges righteous judgment – no one will ever even attempt to stand before him and accuse him of wrongdoing once they see him face to face – when he decides to judge a sinful nation, he can topple it in a day – when he judges a city for sin he can annihilate it in fire and brimstone in a minute – when he sends a soul to hell it is for eternity because he has already made all of the provisions for salvation through the propitiation of his Son – he charged our sins to his Son that he might charge us with his righteousness – and when a man rejects that gift God sends him straight to hell the instant he dies and he never looks back – imagine a God like that – don’t you ever curse God or despise his judgments – we need to fear God!!
His Mercy – all of us have tried the patience and longsuffering of God – we sinned against him and he forbear to punish us – he let us off the hook when he could have justly destroyed us – he has let you off the hook, too – and his mercy was not extended to you because you are such a good person but because he is such a good and merciful God – while he is so holy and just that sin and sinners cannot survive in his presence, he is also such a merciful God that he made a way we could be made righteous and live with him for eternity – there is no God in the imagination of men so just and yet so merciful as he.
Conclusion: We need to fear God – he has the power to save you and keep you saved for all eternity and he has to power to destroy you for all eternity, as well – and he leaves the choice to you which it will be – if you fear God the choice will be easy – you will accept Jesus Christ so that God will accept you!!