Chapter 19Fear of God
Click image above to watch video
PLEASE SHARE
THE SALVATION EQUATION
We now KNOW — from the true meaning (revealed in chapters 9 & 10) behind God’s creation of an “Israelite Bondage-to-Promise-Land” story — the Biblical path to salvation (or obtaining eternal life in the Kingdom of God) is an A + B = C equation:
(A) Mankind’s Repentance
+ (B) God’s Forgiveness of Sin
= (C) Eternal Life
In other words, for a soul to obtain eternal life it MUST REPENT of SIN — which is totally and completely defined by a soul making a choice to turn from willful disobedience to willful obedience of God’s 10 Love Commandments. When a soul chooses to live its daily life on Earth in this manner, God will choose (on the Day of Atonement) to apply Christ’s “sinless sacrificial spiritual death” as full payment (or ransom) for the sins that soul committed on Earth. And when THIS happens, it means that soul has officially been “forgiven of its sin”, because the “spiritual death penalty” for the “wages of sin” no longer applies to it, which automatically returns the soul to perfect spiritual union with God, which means eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
Now, please understand term “B” in the salvation equation is a fact for EVERY single soul on planet Earth, no matter when or where they lived, or if they ever heard about the story of Jesus or not! In other words, “forgiveness for sins” is available to ALL mankind because Jesus died for EVERYONE! Do you understand? See, millions of people have lived and died on Earth having never heard of him or his story, but did that matter towards the eternal destiny of their soul? NO!!! Nor do your thoughts on the matter. Truth is truth! It cannot be changed. No matter what you think (or don’t think) about the “earthly story of Jesus”, it will not change the fact that “B” still sits there available to you.
“He (Jesus Christ) died for ALL so that all who live … might live no longer for themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and rose again for them” (II Corinthians 5:15, Living Bible).
Many people today (mostly in Churchianity) think ALL they have to DO to obtain eternal life is hear the story of Jesus (born of a virgin, died on a cross, rose again, etc.) and then make a mental acknowledgment that that story is true (meaning he did those things for them). Then, they sit and foolishly wonder what happens to all the people who never hear the story of Jesus? Friend, this is ALL a satanic LIE!!! Again, your thoughts (or lack of thoughts) concerning “B” in the salvation equation will NOT change the fact that God’s “forgiveness of sin” (through Jesus) is available to you, nor will they obtain your soul eternal life. The ONLY thing that will is YOUR REPENTANCE.
So, knowing all of this, it is profitable that we take a long look at ALL the Bible has to say about REPENTANCE. And there is a lot! This chapter will focus on the “Fear of God” and how it relates to “repentance”.
FEAR OF GOD
In chapter 16 we learned the “love of money (dirt)” embedded in a person’s heart (thoughts, desires, & emotions) is the root reason they will DO EVIL (willingly disobey the 10 Love Commandments). Well, in this chapter I am informing you a healthy “fear of God” embedded in a person’s heart is the root reason they will DO GOOD (willingly obey the 10 Love Commandments)!
Jesus instructed:
“And fear not them (mankind) which kill the body, but are NOT able to kill the soul: but rather FEAR HIM (GOD) which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
Friend, THIS is the reason you should fear God! Because He is the ONLY “being” in the entire universe (or anywhere else) who holds the power to DESTROY (KILL) your priceless soul. Never forget that! And what is the only reason He would ever do that? Because that soul willingly refused to LOVE (obey the 10 Love Commandments) while they lived on planet Earth; in other words, they refused to REPENT.
Therefore, I humbly urge you (as did Jesus!) to always Fear God and seek to obey His 10 Love Commandments, if you want to obtain eternal life with pleasures everymore for your soul. Do you see now how “repentance” and a healthy “fear of God” are intrinsically linked
Click image above to watch video
BEGINNING OF WISDOM
The Bible states:
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).
See, that is because a "fear of God" will drive you to DO GOOD, which in the end will win your soul eternal life! Over and over again the Bible relates a “fear of God” to “doing good”. Listen to these verses:
“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident” (Proverbs 14:16).
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13).
“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him” (Psalms 147:11).
“Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a PERFECT and UPRIGHT man, one that feareth God, and escheweth (to turn away, depart from) evil?” (Job 1:8).
In the 10th century BC, King Solomon was known as the world’s wisest man. In all his sagacity, listen to him sum up in a few wise words ALL that a soul truly needs to DO (or accomplish) during their brief Earthly existence to be a raving success in God’s eyes:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the WHOLE matter: FEAR GOD, and KEEP HIS (10 LOVE) COMMANDMENTS: for this is the WHOLE DUTY of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Wow, friend it does not get any simpler or wiser than that! In other words, fear God and repent (turn from) your wicked ways and all will go well for your soul on the Day of Judgment.
FEAR AT MOUNT SINAI
In the wilderness at the base of Mount Sinai, God once again perfectly controlled the details of the Israelite’s story to proclaim His truths. Simply put, God struck FEAR in the Israelite’s hearts while audibly speaking the 10 Love Commandments to them by descending on the mountain in fire, smoke, lightening, and thundering. The whole event terrified the Israelites and they fell back from the mountain. Listen to Moses confirm why God did this:
“God is come to prove you, and that his FEAR may be before your faces, THAT YE SIN NOT” (Exodus 20:20).
Wow, do you see? Everything about the Israelite’s bondage-to-Promise-Land story was meant to teach mankind EVERYTHING involved in a soul’s journey back to Him. And God knew a healthy “fear of Him” was the correct mindset a soul should possess to help them always want to obey His Way of Love (the 10 Love Commandments)! Isn’t that incredible?
Maybe now you can understand why Paul wrote:
“WORK OUT your own salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING” (Philippians 2:12).
See, Paul’s words here put the focus clearly on what Mankind MUST DO (or mankind’s part "A" in the salvation equation) to obtain eternal life, which is to lead a repentant lifestyle by fearing God and always seeking to obey His 10 Love Commandments. DO this my friend, and your soul will live forever!
“But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that FEAR Him … To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his (10 Love) Commandments TO DO THEM” (Psalms 103:17-18).
Click Book
To Read Chapter 19
