The Fear Factor

At a recent poker tournament, we talked about how everyone should fear God.  That brought a good question from another player: "Why should I fear my Savior?"

Let's start with the simple answer: the Bible indicates we should....

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.... - II Corinthians 5:11

OK, you may admit, the apostle Paul knew about it.  But why fear the Lord?  Back up one verse:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. - II Corinthians 5:10

If people are operating an illegal cash game in their home, there's a reason why they don't put a large ad in the newspaper promoting it.  They fear getting caught.  They fear police arriving, breaking up the game, sending people to jail and bringing those people eventually before a judge.  The thought of Jesus's final judgment should be even more concerning:

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life.  The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.... If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown in the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:12, 15

This judgment is a matter of life and death - eternal life and death.

We've become persuaded in recent years that everyone's name originally is in that "book of life" - but then something happens:

The Lord replied to Moses," Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book." - Exodus 32:33

Since we all sin (Romans 3:23), we've all had our name removed.  We need to get back in -- and that takes more than a strong finish in a "qualifier" somewhere.

He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white.  I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge is name before my Father and his angels. - Revelation 3:5

We need to overcome our sinful nature - and we can't do that by ourselves.  Our next post will explain the way to do that.