I live in New Zealand—earthquakes are a reality. But they do not keep me up at night. It’s not that I do not fear them, it is because I am assured that the buildings around me are designed to withstand at least those at the lower end of the Richter scale.
You would think that the same real fear that inspires earthquake proofing, would demand that all homes be built to withstand all obvious dangers. Tragically, this fear has often been suppressed by the naïve and the greedy, to the peril of many.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he concludes his discourse with wisdom from the construction site. The wise, he states, will build his house upon a rock-solid foundation, but a fool will build his house upon shifting sand. The same storms will assail both, but only one will remain standing amidst the debris.
Jesus, of course, was talking about himself as being that foundation on which a wise person will choose to build their lives without fear.
The last thing some Christians want is to be told that anyone should “Fear God.” Some reject the notion, stating that they grew up in families and churches where fear and guilt were used as instruments of manipulation. Others are just not willing to tolerate any talk of a sinner’s need to fear the wrath of God. But still, others stress that the subject is redundant. They pose that fear of God is better translated ‘respect’ or ‘awe,’ and no one need to fear anything.
So, why is it considered wisdom for an engineer to tell a potential house buyer that he needs to fear a hurricane path, but it is considered foolishness for a preacher to tell a sinner that he needs to fear God? The Bible is clear, the sinner is on the direct path to hell by his own choosing.
Surely love demands that we call sinners to Christ—the only One who has paid the price of sin and averted the righteous judgement of God. Praise God!
Only Jesus’ perfect love casts out fear! (1Jn.4:18).
John Staiger
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