Do you fear God?

One sentence that is often found in the Bible is about the fear of God. It’s often mentioned and refers to submission to God, and the fear of judgement and punishment and going to hell. A fear of God’s omnipotence and power. But is that really what fear of God should mean? Fearing punishment.

Let me give you a test.

Can you search in the Bible anywhere where Jesus says I have come to punish you for your sins.

Don’t bother looking for it. You will not find it because Jesus never said that He has come in order for us to be punished.

In fact in the Gospel of John Chapter 12 Verse 47 He says “anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him, for I have not come to judge the world but to save the world”.

Jesus came on earth to forgive our sins and to bring us back towards God because our sin moved us away from God.

In the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 7, after an argument with the Pharisees, He says to them, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”. Jesus has mercy on us and realises that as humans we are liable to sin. And He came to forgive sins.

In fact not just to forgive sins. But, in the Gospel of John Chapter 10 Verse 10 He says, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full”.

God wants us to enjoy this life, not to endure it and to see Him as a punishing God Who expects us to obey Him or else.

He has given us the freedom to do as we wish.

God love us and He invites us to love Him back and to obey Him. Or indeed, not to love Him, and not to obey Him, and to deny Him even.

If we are to fear God, it should not be a fear born out of retribution or punishment that may come. It should be because we fear hurting Him. We fear disappointing Him by our behaviour and by our failures.

Our fear – if fear is the word – should be a fear born out of love and respect for Him, and for what He has done for us and continues to do for us.

Our obedience should be freely given as an act of love and not the result of fear.