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The Bible declares that, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13); “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding” (Psalm 111:10); “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:27); “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him” (Psalm 33:8); “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name” (Psalm 86:11); “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge” (Proverbs 14:26); “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him” (Psalm 34:9); “The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14); “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm” (Psalm 19:23); “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (Luke 1:50); “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Hallelujah!

Ladies and gentlemen, let me emphatically state that the above scriptures have made known to us that the whole duty of man here on earth is to fear God and keep his commandments. Those treading on the path of death are rebels who have decided not to fear or obey God’s command (Isaiah 1:19-20). What does it mean to fear God? To fear God means to reverence him, acknowledge his sovereignty over your life, obey his commands, and do what is right and pleasing in his sight. The fear of God in this context differs from fear of punishment, danger or harm. The fear we are talking about is a more profound sense of awe and respect for God’s power, holiness, wisdom, and his personality. If I may ask: Going by your relationship with God and your fellow men at the moment, can you truly say you have the fear of God in your life? Are there things you do in secret that if revealed in the open you will be embarrassed? Listen, one of the greatest things lacking today in the world, especially in the body of Christ is the fear of the Lord. Today, people take God for granted, acting and behaving as though God does not exist. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Hear me, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God” (1 Peters 4:17).

Beloved, the fear of the Lord in our life is not static. Rather, we grow in the fear of God. As we fellowship and connect deeper with God, we experience a series of dealings and encounters with him that reveals some dimensions of his nature that causes us to worship and fear him more. Apostle Paul declares in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out.” God is so deep; and our little mind can’t fathom or think him out. Really, when you see God for who he is, you’ll marvel and become speechless. Prophet Isaiah saw the Lord and said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah’s ministry moved to another dimension after his encounter with God. Earlier before now, he was shouting woe, woe, to everyone before him. But when God opened his eyes to see his frailties, he said woe to himself. Listen, the reason why many live anyhow today without fear of God is because they don’t know him. “The fool said in his heart, there’s no God” (Psalm 14:1). Why? It’s because the fool has no knowledge or glimpse of who God is. If he does, his foolishness will disappear instantly.

As a young believer in Christ, I learnt the fear of God the moment I gave my life to Jesus. It is that fear that has kept me nearly 30 years running in my relationship with God. Right now, I have gone too far to turn my back on God. I remember the kind of immoral lifestyle I lived before surrendering my life to Christ. When Jesus took over my life, the taste for immoral living died a natural death. The fear of God gripped my soul and consumed me like a tornado. Listen, when leaders, families, and individuals lack the fear of God in their lives, the devil takes over them, driving them to do unimaginable things that wreak havoc in the society. “For we’re not ignorant of the devices of the devil, lest he should take advantage of us” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Apostle Paul declares, “For we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). Hallelujah! I pray nothing will prevent you from reverencing God and obeying his commands in Jesus Mighty Name. We will continue from here next week. Have a Blessed and Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!