Does No One Fear God Anymore?
Churches are being filled every week, Christian Conferences are put on all the time, and yet, somehow, Christianity in America is worse off than ever before. What is the missing ingredient, the X-Factor?
Proverbs 1:28-31
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
(emphasis mine)
The missing X-Factor is a Christian principle that largely goes ignored in most Christian churches across the American landscape. In fact, this principle, if you believe it, live it, and preach it, will get you labeled a legalist and a Pharisee. If not outright cussed out by so-called Christians. Yet, this principle that God Himself says is so important that without it, we cannot live a holy Christian life, and without it, God Himself will reject us.
Psalm 25:14
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
We can’t even be in a relationship with the Lord if we don’t fear Him. The word covenant in the Hebrews means this:
1) covenant, alliance, pledge 1b) between God and man
If we’re not in covenant with God, then we are not in a relationship with Him. Many people are perishing today and don’t even know it because they think by saying some words after a pastor/preacher magically saves them, but they have no fear of God.
When was the last time you heard the fear of the Lord preached at an altar call? During a sermon? In a Bible study?
When was the last time you studied the fear of the Lord in your Bible? When was the last time you prayed to have more of the fear of the Lord in your life?
Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.
Even though the fear of the Lord is a very constant topic in the Bible, many constantly reject this most invaluable treasure. We can see this in the fruit displayed in churches alone.
By the attire or lack thereof, allowed in God’s house.
The me-centric worship.
Not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead worship.
People’s focus on their phones instead of Jesus.
Church being a focal point of social gathering.
Quenching the Holy Spirit by not allowing the operation of spiritual gifts.
Preaching a dead message that does nothing to equip the saints when they leave the church service.
The several points listed above are in no particular order and are most certainly not an exhaustive list. They are there to point out some of the more obvious places in our churches, and I believe many of the finer points stem from those points.
If I were to point out things in our personal lives, the list would grow exponentially. Let’s list some anyway:
No prayer life
No Bible study life
Porn addiction
Watching horror movies
Celebrating Halloween or some form of it (this unfortunately applies to many churches). For more on this, watch here:
Yet again, this is not an exhaustive list, nor is it in order. I do believe that most of our problems in our Christian walk and churches stem from a lack of numbers one and two.
We wouldn’t have issues with prayer time and Bible study if we didn’t have issues with the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 16:6
By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
(emphasis mine)
If we really want to see our lives, churches, cities, states, and nations turned around, we must pursue the fear of the Lord once again. It isn’t optional.
The above statement may seem redundant to you; however, I see irreverence play out before my eyes daily. I see many Christians excusing all kinds of sin. Everything from women being allowed to dress however they want in church to antisemitism. From people chatting it up during worship to participating in satanic activities. While excuses may vary, I assure you that they fly in the face of God and His call for us to fear Him.
Let me say this: there is a difference between sinning and despising it and sinning and making excuses for it. One will get us the mercy of God, and one will get us the judgment of God.
The deciding factor on which we will live out is how we fear the Lord. If we don’t fear God or think the fear of the Lord is an outdated notion in this new covenant we are in, then we will incur God’s judgment and wrath (John 3:36).
Psalm 19:9
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
(emphasis mine)
However, if we decide that fearing the Lord is not an option, then we will draw close to the Lord. The fear of the Lord will drive us from sin and into the arms of God, where we will receive the mercy and grace of God and see us to victory.
Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Those words fear and trembling mean precisely that. However, this type of fear and trembling isn’t the worldly kind that traps us (Proverbs 29:25); this is the fear and trembling that causes us to flee temptation instead of giving in to it. This is the fear that drives us to God, not away.
This fear of the Lord isn’t a legalistic form of living, where it’s all about a list of do’s and don’ts to curry favor from God or where we try to prove how Christian we are.
This fear encourages us to obey the commandments of Jesus because we love Him more than anything and anyone else. We seek to be His closest friends (John 14:15). You see, loving God and revering/fearing God are inseparable. We can’t claim to have one without the other.
1 Peter 4:17a
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God;
We certainly don’t allow sin to flourish in the house of God. God commands us to be holy as He is holy, and that certainly applies to the church. If we refuse to do that, we are begging for God’s judgment.
For more on who church is for:
Church is a place where saints come together to proclaim Jesus as Lord. That is the fundamental premise for church.
The word church in Greek is ekklesia, meaning:
an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting 1d4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth 1d5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
If we get this wrong, then, of course, we will get the fear of the Lord in our churches wrong. And we cannot afford to get this wrong any longer.
We now have Christian conferences without the cross, preaching without power, worship without reverence, conversions without crucifixion, and our nations are paying the price.
I’ve said it for years, and I will say it again: How goes the church is how goes the nation. The church in America, at least, has lost reverence for God, and now we see how America easily casts God aside. We saw this at a rally Kamala Harris held when some people in the crowd yelled out, “Jesus is Lord,” Kamala replied without blinking, “You’re at the wrong rally!”
Yes, we now have a presidential candidate who wants no part in Jesus, and let us know it! Such a thing would have been shameful not too long ago.
We now have all sorts of garbage in churches now, from homosexuals in pulpits to prayers to plants.
Let’s pause and make some comparisons for the sake of enlightenment. Mosques would never allow irreverence inside. You dress, wash, and conduct yourself as they demand or else. If you go to a Buddhist temple or holy site, reverence is demanded. If not, you aren’t allowed in or will be thrown out if you are irreverent.
How is it, then, that in the place where Jesus is supposed to be Lord, the fear of the Lord is largely absent? Either we see churches slide to liberalism or legalism.
Liberal in a vain attempt to show the love of God (remember Jesus saying if we love Him, we will obey His commandments), and making people complacent and comfortable in their sin.
Legalism of the sorts that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for in Matthew 23. Where a laundry list of manmade rules quench the Holy Spirit and push people away from God.
It doesn’t have to be one or the other. There is a solution to the systemic problems in our churches and nations. The fear of the Lord must be emphasized again.
We must teach it from the pulpits and in our homes, and we must practice it privately before we can begin to practice it publicly.
Let me end with this warning.
Going back to Matthew 23, we see where Jesus despises hypocrites—those who claim to be one thing and teach others to live so but don’t personally. This also includes those who put on a show for the public to prove how holy or pious they are.
Matthew 23:13, 14, 27-28
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The last thing anyone needs is another hypocrite. We’ve seen more than enough of them this past year, from Mike Bickle to Steve Lawson. The only that hypocrites accomplish is keeping people out of the kingdom of heaven.