“FEAR NOT?”: Does the Bible contradict itself on whether we are to fear?
- Matthew 10:28.
- There are places in the Bible where believers are instructed to “fear not.” There are also places in the Bible where it’s clear that the people should have had fear. So which is it? Are we to fear or to fear not? Is the Bible contradicting itself?
- Even within Matthew 10:28 we see both instructions: first we are told “do not be afraid” and then we are told to “fear.” Which is it?
MAKING SENSE OF IT: When I have the right fear, the wrong fears fade.
- Jeremiah 36:24.
- The important thing to understand lies in that same Matthew 10:28 verse. We are not fear man but we are to fear God.
- 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.
- Our story in Jeremiah 36 is a poignant picture of a man with no fear of God. Here Jehoiakim, king of Judah, burns the scroll from Jeremiah. This scroll was not “Bible” but was the words that God had told Jeremiah (v. 2), so they were words from God. The king is not impressed, cutting a little off as it’s read and feeding it to the fire. He has no fear of the Lord.
- Another detail adds an extra layer to this situation: this same king had declared a fast for all the people (v. 9). Interestingly, though, when the words of God are read to all the people, the king is not there (cf. v. 10 and v. 20). Apparently even though he’s signed off on the royal edict he can’t be bothered to be there himself. It’s an interesting picture of a society that gives some lip service to God’s place but doesn’t have any actual passion for it. Indeed, when you get over to the king cutting up the scroll from Jeremiah, it’s clear that the real words from God will receive a harsh response. Again, a picture of a king who wants to have some public religion but nothing that will actually rebuke or convict him.
- When we have the right fear, the wrong fears fade.
- The wrong fears are the ones that most of us feel regularly:
a. I’m scared of getting laid off.
b. I’m scare to die.
c. I’m uncertain of the road ahead.
- When we get the right fear first, though, things start to fall into place. Our right fear needs to be the fear of God. We need to understand His power, His justice, and His integrity.
- What would this look like? Let’s look at those three examples:
a. A person is scared of getting laid off. They are consumed with fear. “How will I pay my bills?” “Will I lose my house?” If the person has their right fear in place, though, things look different. If I have arranged my life with the fear of the Lord in place, I am a follower of Jesus. Because of that, I have the promise from Matthew 6:33 to give me comfort that my financial needs will be taken care of.
b. A person facing a serious sickness is scared to die. After all, we don’t know what’s beyond this life and it’s saying goodbye to loved ones. It’s one of the most common fears there is. If the person has their right fear in place, though, things look different. Knowing that Jesus has conquered death and that there is eternal life for the follower of Christ, there is excitement at what is ahead. Certainly there will be sadness at saying goodbye to those I’ve loved in this life, but that is eased by the confidence that I will get to see those in Christ again when they pass over to the other side.
c. A person has big decisions to make and is unsure of the path to choose. They want to make the right choice but there is so much they don’t know about the future. They don’t know what to do. If the person has their right fear in place, though, things look different. While they don’t know the future, they have a promise from God in James 1:5 to guide and direct if they will only ask Him.
In all three, having the fear of the Lord puts them in a position where the other problems don’t look so big by comparison.
WHY DON'T PEOPLE FEAR GOD?
1. People presume that a lack of immediate consequences means they’re getting away with it.
- Galatians 6:7.
- It’s an age-old problem: the person who does what is wrong and yet seems to be getting away with it. The Psalms have many references to just that issue.
- In our day as well, there are many people who do what is not right and yet there does not seem to be any punishment befalling them. Does that mean they’re getting away with it.
- No, Galatians 6:7 teaches us to the contrary.
2. Our society doesn’t believe in a judging God.
- Matthew 7:1; John 7:24.
- More and more Americans don’t believe in God at all. That, of course, is a substantial problem. An equally important problem is the “god” that many Americans do believe in. They often presume that God is a grandfather who just wants everyone to enjoy themselves. He’s not one to condemn or judge. Of course, this is more a representation of what they wish God was like that what God is actually like.
- Our society would like to take Matthew 7:1 out of context and say that no one should ever judge. That ignores John 7:24 (and a multitude of other passages), but they don’t give it a second thought.
- This sort of God is not one that you would have any concern about judging you.
3. Our society doesn’t believe in absolute truth.
- John 14:6.
- Our culture believes that you can have your truth and I can have my truth and they can contradict each other and still both be true. That is an intellectually lazy idea, but it’s widespread today.
- That idea touches on an important point: our culture does not believe in absolute truth. Absolute truth is the idea that there is something that is true beyond any particular person’s opinion about it. Specifically, that what God has said is true is actually true no matter what public opinion polls show.
- Because this idea is in disrepute today because the majority opinion is that each person can have their own truth.
- This clearly plays into the idea of fearing God. Fearing God presumes that He has authority over us. Fearing God presumes that His opinion counts more than mine. Fearing God presumes that His thoughts are true whether I like them or not.
4. The church talks too much about love and grace.
- John 1:17.
- Love is a centerpiece of the gospel. Grace is the means by which God saves us. They both are of crucial importance.
- Some might say that you can’t overemphasize those two things, but that’s not true. The problem arises when the church talks about love and grace all the time, but fails to talk about judgment and truth. We have to preach the whole gospel, not just the parts that we like.
- The good news of the gospel is awesome and important (you can be saved!), but the bad news of the gospel is also essential (you are a sinner). In Romans, Paul goes to great lengths early on to establish our sinful nature.
- This focus on only the positive reflects the fact that even within the church there is a lot of the same issues as what we’ve been talking about the society at large. The church has come to reflect the culture rather than influencing it.
5. The church has lost the awe of God.
- Psalm 65:8.
- We slap God on the back like a buddy from out of town. We treat Him casually and even flippantly sometimes. And I’m talking about the church when I say that.
- We certainly should rejoice that God has said that we can call Him “Father,” but we shouldn’t allow that to cause us to lose our sense of awe at who He is.
- Not every parent feels this way, but I find it disrespectful for my children to call me by my first name. I expect them to call me “Dad.” It is a name of affection, but it’s also a sign of respect because for them to call me by my first name would be disrespectful. Yes, I am their father and I love them greatly, but I also expect them to respect me because I am their father.
