Fear Limits Your Full Potential. When we weigh our words and actions on the scales of godly fear, then we gain wisdom and understanding and virtue, because then we learn and do God’s will. All rights reserved. These preachers today are the reason for the massive false conversions that are going on in the church today. You can find satisfying answers to life’s important questions. God assures us of his saving power: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. After she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, she faced fierce opposition from her family members and religious leaders. But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4. Fear the One who has the right to send you to hell forever. As someone reading a site called Personal Excellence, I trust that you believe in personal growth, becoming a becoming a better person and living your best life. “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” (2 Kings 6:16) God’s army is with us. His discussion with two of Jehovah’s Witnesses had been an eye-opener. If a creature knows God as He is revealed, he cannot help but fear Him. How can we believe that God loves us, and at the same time, that we should fear Him? Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. Jehovah is far more powerful than any human. There’s a good reason for that: serotonin, in particular, helps your brain to work more efficiently. 10/08/2015 10:28 am ET Updated Oct 08, 2016 Fearful girl peeking through her fingers. 2 God will help and protect us. It empowers obedience (Pro 16:6). Consider Jesus’ relatives. To fear God is absolute reverence and awe for an Almighty God, the Creator of all things. You may be interested in further reading in our topic page about our relationship to God, or in the article below: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, unless otherwise specified. For example, Aberash, a woman in Africa, had been praying to find the truth. Why not? If we truly fear God, this brings us into a deep personal love relationship with God. Rather than caving in to the fear of man, you can choose to respond to God’s exhortation: “Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice, that I may make a reply to him that is taunting me.” (Proverbs 27:11) What a grand privilege that is! (Isaiah 54:17) And since he will determine who is worthy to receive everlasting life, we are wise to let nothing stop us from learning about him and doing his will.​—Revelation 14:6, 7. Indeed, he is the Source of every good gift. Terms of Use: Apart from personal use, reproduction or redistribution of material from the ActiveChristianity website for use elsewhere is not permitted without prior written permission. Do not gaze about, for I am your God. We fear God for what we have done or what we are contemplating doing. To fear God means to dwell upon his beautiful, glorious holiness which is the very opposite of sin and evil, and to revere God and know that he loves us so much that he desires us to hate and turn away from sin. (Acts 8:1) In fact, throughout the Roman Empire, the Christians faced adversity. It means that you act out of reverence for Him. There are a whole host of reasons why you should overcome fear. Yet, 1 John 4:18 clearly tells us that: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. 10.10; 14.6). Fearing God means to have respect for Him and to obey Him. Bear in mind the word I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. 3 Reasons To Fear God – John MacArthur Video. A lack of godly fear leads to us doing our own will. Jehovah is our Creator, the one who has made life possible. Prominent men in Rome told the apostle Paul: “As regards this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” (Acts 28:22) Yes, genuine Christians were widely opposed. The Fear of God (6) The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. Why is it important to fear God? You can gain practical wisdom to deal with life’s challenges. Manoah also thought he would die after encountering God (Judges 13:22). 1 – Fear God – Intro. However, the second type of fear mentioned in the Bible is not beneficial at all. Even today, Satan still uses the fear of man as a weapon to hinder many from becoming Christ’s genuine followers. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27) But we also face a type of judgment while on earth, especially those who are the children of God, and that is the law of sowing and reaping. In fact, this is the very reason we fear and love God: “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? Pastors are sending the most people to Hell. But to use that as an excuse for sin would show a lack of godly fear; a lack of love for God. “I know who they are,” she yelled, “and if you receive them again, you can move out and look for a room elsewhere!”, Christ’s True Followers Expect Opposition. He observed: “They hated me without cause.” (John 15:25) On the night before his death, he prepared his followers with these words: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. . I’ve condensed them into 4 key ones: 1. (James 1:14-15) ... against Him, because we want nothing else in this world than to be pleasing to Him, and to bring honor to His name. And you can approach the almighty God at any time in prayer. We don’t need to fear His anger, unless we fear punishment due to a bad conscience and impenitent heart because of sin. Bible verses about fearing God We have lost the fear of God in the church. . The fear of the Lord releases grace to serve a God who is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-29). Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. ActiveChristianity® by Brunstad Christian Church aims to show how God’s word challenges and empowers followers of Jesus to live 100% according to God’s will, so we no longer need to fall in sin, but can come to a life of victory. In the Bible we get a few glimpses into heaven, and we see the heavenly creatures worship Him around His throne continually, crying out “Holy, holy, holy!” and covering … What a privilege! It says: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalm 111:10) This fear is, not a morbid dread, but a healthy concern over displeasing our Life-Giver. (Laughter.) He can also create something completely new in us! But where is He in the difficult times? ... Don’t fear man; fear God. On this account, many hesitated to take a stand for true worship. We have good reason to fear God because of the future judgment we face. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.” The fear of God is the basis for our walking in His ways, serving Him, and, yes, loving Him. To fear to misrepresent Him or His Word in the world. When anyone experiences the Majesty of the Lord, he naturally is humbled and the awesome greatness of God automatically produces a normal and healthy fear. 11 Trillion Reasons To Fear Joe Biden's Presidency The former vice president's vision of an all-powerful government goes far beyond massive spending and … Those who think that fear of God exists only because of judgment have a very distorted, truncated concept of fear. Why, though, should we fear God and not man? A healthy fear of God includes the fear of the consequences of disobedience. 4 We appreciate all that God has done for us. The Bible urges us to fear God, not man. But, I don't anymore. Eight of her relatives took courage, resumed their Bible studies, and are making good spiritual progress. They become sensitive to sensory signals, which accompanied past painful events. What can man do to me?” Do not forget the reasons why fearing God rather than man is the right and wise thing to do. The apostle John wrote: “The world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.” (1 John 2:17) Now is the time to stand firm and walk in the fear of God. (James 1:17) David, a faithful man who appreciated God’s loving-kindness, wrote: “Many things you yourself have done, O Jehovah my God, even your wonderful works and your thoughts toward us . 3 Reasons Why Fear Is Actually a Good Thing. It’s not a fear from being struck dead by God, but rather a fear that He is holy and we must reverence and respect Him and His name. You can do this by studying the Bible and meditating on such texts as Hebrews 13:6, which says: “Jehovah is my helper; I will not be afraid. When you are teaching people in the fear of the Lord, you are engaged in one of the highest privileges available to God’s servants. To know that we don’t give account to anyone but God for our actions. As true Christians, we need not fear the devil, the future, death or any of the other things mankind commonly fears. (Galatians 6:7-8) It is true that God is immeasurably full of grace and long-suffering for us, and that Jesus died for our salvation, so that our sins are forgiven when we repent of them. To fear God is absolute reverence and awe for an Almighty God, the Creator of all things. There was also the fanatic persecutor Saul, who became the apostle Paul. Let us consider five reasons. The principle for us as God’s people is this: If you would grow in the fear of God, then you must feed your soul on the majestic greatness of God. I will really help you. So it's clear from these passages, that fearing God is good because it saves us from caving into our own sinful nature. No one preachers … Isn’t God love? We fear to cause Him sorrow or grief, knowing how incredibly wretched sin is, how much God hates it, and how much it hurts Him when we sin. This is not a message like that of the prosperity gospel, but a message of hope that we have no reason to fear. To fear to dishonour Him with our actions. Even Jesus Christ, who did so much good and committed no sin, was ridiculed and persecuted. During the early beginnings of life, nature developed the amygdalae as special purpose organs in the brain to remember and respond to danger signals. If you have never turned to God by faith in Jesus Christ and repented of your rebellion and the violation of God’s law—you have a reason to fear God. Sincere people who are studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses face opposition or ridicule in school, at work, in the neighborhood, or in social circles. This should cause an inexpressible love and gratitude and reverence to grow and increase in my heart! One reason why God inspired fear in the Israelites at Mount Sinai was so that they might learn to avoid and reject sin and to obey his law . Later, after Christianity had been established, we read of “great persecution” against the congregation in Jerusalem. Some who now cause us trouble may come to see that we have the truth from the Bible because of our courageous stand.​—1 Timothy 1:13. Why, though, should we fear God and not man? Why God Tells Us Not to Fear. 2. At the basic level fear guides our fight or flight responses and helps to keep us safe and alive. The apostle Paul wrote these touching words: “I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor governments nor things now here nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creation will be able to separate us from God’s love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39) If we learn to trust in and obey God, we can enjoy the unbreakable love of the Universal Sovereign. They may fear losing respect, friends, or material support. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”, Godly fear isn’t the same as fear of a tyrant, or a dictator. To fear to take the weight and importance of what God has called us to, and the ministry He has given us lightly. Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Before sin entered the world, fear was still the proper response to God. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also.”​—John 15:18, 20. 5) Seek to cultivate an awareness of God’s presence. Comfort in Remembering God's Judgments of Old in the Midst of Trial. Proverbs 19.23. The question of why God permits suffering had bothered him for years, but now it had been clearly answered from the Bible. This disregard for God makes us foolish and does not lead to any kind of spiritual growth. 1 Jehovah is the Supreme One. 5. Jehovah is far more powerful than any human. “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” Proverbs 8:13. Christians know that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction”(Prov 1:7), and this is taught throughout the Bible, but what kind of fear is it? We should love and worship Him alone! God’s Word, the Bible, explains: “All those desiring to live with godly devotion in association with Christ Jesus will also be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) True Christians generally are not popular and never have been. “Fear Not!” 12 Good Reasons Why You Can Live Free of Fear Summary: When you’re in fearful circumstances, someone just telling you to “fear not” may not be much help. Not only is adrenaline released when you feel fear but other chemicals as well, such as dopamine, endorphins, oxytocin and serotonin. And we certainly need this, as sanctification and freedom from sin are a process that we are in. At first, they did not put faith in him, but they said: “He has gone out of his mind.” (Mark 3:21; John 7:5) Later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, many of them became believers. Come see 12 reasons God gives us to be freed from our fears. What this young man experienced is not unusual. (Romans 2:5-9). This Almighty God has called me by name to serve Him, and He is working in me so that I can be saved to be with Him for eternity. - We usually do the opposite: we spend our lives consumed with the fear of people and we hardly give a thought to the power that God has over our lives. There may be times of temptation or trial when we may forget some of the better reasons for obeying God, and that is when we had better think of the consequences (Exodus 20:20). If we don’t fear God, we will not take sin seriously enough. This will make sure that we act righteously and with love and goodness to our fellow man. Keep in mind, too, the many blessings that result from applying what you learn from the Bible. Fear God. 3 God loves those who draw close to him. Such sensitivity in the amygdalae of animals has been extensively verified. Some of her relatives, who had also begun studying, gave in to the fear of man. What had just happened was totally unexpected. The consequences of sin are enormous. God says, “ even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more”(Isaiah 43:25). That's What God Ask Me To Do, To Teacher People How To Fear God. On the other hand, we do not need to fear God regarding judgment. Consider the fact that the very Creator of the entire universe—the sovereign ruler of the entire world has given us specific demands, yet as a rebel of his law you will be judged by him. Despite such fears, however, millions have resolved to trust in God and to live according to God’s Word, in imitation of Jesus Christ. This causes us to fear to sinTo commit sin is to consciously do something that you know goes against God’s will. You can enjoy a wonderful hope despite today’s perplexing conditions. In addition, he has provided not just the necessities of life but also the things that make life enjoyable and interesting. It is a term that is closely related to love. God’s desire for us God’s desire for His people is that they should know full and abundant life in Jesus Christ (Jn. The fear of man is a snare because it can cause us to shrink back from professing faith in God. Fear is good if it is the RIGHT KIND of fear and exercised for the right reasons. (James 1:14-15), To have the proper reverence and awe for Him, so we do whatever is required of us to serve Him. We are not fear man but we are to fear God. There are many reasons to fear God; and some people might be surprised to learn that the majority of those reasons have nothing to do with being judged by him! Fear is energy. Thanks for the vivid illustration. The apostle John told his fellow Christians: “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” Satan the Devil is also portrayed as “a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.” (1 John 5:19; 1 Peter 5:8) Fear of man is one of Satan’s most effective weapons. A few minutes after the visitors left, his landlady stormed into his room and asked angrily, “Who were those people?”. 1 talking about this. But she implored God for strength and courage and was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. THE young man was pleasantly surprised. By fearing God, we take a stand on the side of the Almighty, to whom “the nations are as a drop from a bucket.” (Isaiah 40:15) Because God is almighty, he has the power to defeat “any weapon whatever that will be formed against” those who are loyal to him. Taken by surprise, the young man could offer no answer. By fearing God, we take a stand on the side of the Almighty, to whom “the nations are as a drop from a bucket.” (Isaiah 40:15) Because God is almighty, he has the power to defeat “any weapon whatever that will be formed against” those who are loyal to him. © bcc.media foundation, To commit sin is to consciously do something that you know goes against God’s will. I will really keep fast hold of you with my right hand of righteousness.”​—Isaiah 41:10. We take great precautions today, security precautions so somebody doesn’t come into our world, into our room, into our house and take our life--we understand all of that. Well, first of all, I want to commend Rick on such incredible planning, perfect planning to come to Palm Springs and have a conference on hell. The result? But when it’s God Almighty who says “Do not fear,” that’s an entirely different and very encouraging situation. Let us consider five reasons. (Psalm 89:7; Hebrews 12:28-29), To stand before His face in all we do in order to be pleasing to Him, without allowing ourselves to be influenced by wanting the good opinion of people. We have no reason to fear God for what He has forgiven or for being obedient. This can be in word, deed, or even thought. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT). It is written: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.” Luke 4:8. Rather, we are to learn and practice the fear of God—with God stating that the Feast is the best place to do this: Video: Hell – Three Reasons to Fear God – John MacArthur . They have become more numerous than I can recount.”​—Psalm 40:5. I will fortify you. Perhaps this is why God mentions “do not fear” 365 times in the Bible. This relationship we have with Him will be carried on into eternity. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Jesus’ half brothers James and Jude even shared in the writing of the Scriptures. You can help those who oppose you by not compromising but holding fast to your fear of God and love for him. This can be in word, deed, or even thought. We are deeply concerned for so many who are not ready for the soon return of Jesus. “Trembling at men is what lays a snare, but he that is trusting in Jehovah will be protected,” says the Bible at Proverbs 29:25. Reverence of God helps us to take Him and His beneficial laws seriously. It means that you acknowledge Him to be your Creator and thus to have the right to be your Lord. Of those who were looking for Jesus on one occasion, the Bible says: “No one, of course, would speak about him publicly because of the fear of the Jews.” (John 7:13; 12:42) The religious leaders of the day threatened to ostracize any who put faith in Christ. (1 Peter 1:24-25). To fear the Lord is to stand in awe of his majesty, power, wisdom, justice, and mercy, especially in Christ – in his life, death and resurrection – that is, to have an exalted view of God. Because God would be with him, and tells Joshua that God “will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). An Encouragement to be Valiant in a Time of Persecution and Martyrdom But why should we fear God? 1 Jehovah is the Supreme One. Jehovah has blessed them for doing so. In some rural areas, farmers fear that neighbors might refuse to help with the harvest or to protect their livestock. In God’s righteousness, even when we have been forgiven for our sins, we still have to reap the results of having committed sin. Theoretically we know that God loves us. 5 Some who oppose us may change. This message is delivered in much love. God said “Let there be!” and created all things. I used to. Fear gives you a natural high and a sense of empowerment. Used by permission. So when do we fear God? He had no idea that the Bible contains so much valuable and heartwarming information. Thus, fear of man prevented many from becoming Christians.​—Acts 5:13. In typical experiments, a rat is exposed to a painful foot shock accompanied by a sound. In the Bible we get a few glimpses into heaven, and we see the heavenly creatures worship Him around His throne continually, crying out “Holy, holy, holy!” and covering their faces. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Matthew 22:36-38). A hatred for sin; a seriousness about how enormously sinful it is. - Our story in Jeremiah 36 is a poignant picture of a man with no fear of God. The negative side of fear is when it holds you back from doing something positive. Purchase or download Christian literature at Christian BookShop, the online bookstore for Hidden Treasures Foundation Publishers (HTFP)/Stiftelsen Skjulte Skatter Forlag (SSSF). God knew fear has a stronghold on many of us, and God doesn’t want us to be caught up in the snares of it. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” Hebrews 12:28. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Ecclesiastes 12:13. Three Reasons To Fear God. This is the “spirit of fear” mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). Thus, one can see how fearing God should be encouraged. He tells secrets to those who fear Him (Ps 25:14). Because of her courage, eight of Aberash’s relatives continue to enjoy personal Bible studies, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1989, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—2001, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1987, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1995, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—2009. Fear is hardwired in your brain, and for good reason: Neuroscientists have identified distinct networks that run from the depths of the limbic system all the way to the prefrontal cortex and back. Contrary to the popular belief, I don't embrace fearlessness. Fear heightens your senses and awareness; it keeps you alert and helps in better preparation. (Romans 7:13), To love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength, and to keep His commandments. To avoid falling prey to the fear of man, do all you can to strengthen your love for God. Sorry, there was an error loading the video. We fear getting speeding tickets so we slow down, so in a similar fashion, we fear God because we reap what we sow, ev… God chooses to remember their sin no more. Over and over in the Bible we are exhorted to fear God, to have the fear of the Lord, to live in godly fear. Remember, no human can give you what God will give to those who fear him: “The result of humility and the fear of Jehovah is riches and glory and life.”​—Proverbs 22:4.