Another Practical Guide to the Logic, Philosophy, and Thoughts of Christianity

Section 1 - Article 20

Article 20 - The Fear of God

The fear of God is something that has often been slighted in the teachings of many modern day churches. Many churches focus on the loving and merciful nature of the post-resurrection era, where all sins have already been paid for, and that the redemption of all creation has already been paid. Many preachers claim we are in the era of grace, of redemption, and therefore God no longer deals out harsh punishments as He did in the Old Testament and also in the early days of New Testament (where the disciples struck people dead (Acts 5:1-11), and blind (Acts 13:10-11).

Instead, many believers actually move their fear to Satan, his minions, and their mischief in the world. Personally, I remembered being frightened out of my wits when I first watched William Blatty's "The Exorcist". And while God made use of that unholy fear in me to seek answers and grow in knowledge of the Lord God (good out of evil), I continued to use such horror movies to scare myself back into dependence on God whenever I felt that my relationship with God needed a jolt. God had gracefully and mercifully allowed my many foolish attempts of utilizing the tools of the Enemy to lead back to Him. In fact, I have brought many an atheist or a backslidden Christian back in the same foolish manner.

Yet, in my foolishness, God revealed a fact that I had forgotten. He is greater than the Enemy. He is more fearsome than the Enemy. So let us analyze the fear we have that of the Enemy.

To many, the scary scenes of horror movies are often that when the demonic apparition refuse to submit to the laws of Nature but displaying horrifying supernatural abilities such as levitation, passing through weapons hurled at them, mutilating and dismembering the "good" people that try to stop them. From this, our fear can be surmised into a few aspects.

1) Fear of death

2) Fear of physical damage, and or pain

3) Fear of the unknown

4) Fear of the demonic entity itself

5) Fear of the loss of freedom/free will - that one might become assimilated.

6) Fear of the loss of, or hurt and pain caused to loved ones

7) Other fears of loss or change.

But in reality, most of these fears are actually very transient, and very much unfounded.

Job, who had his loved ones, his health, and wealth all taken from him; was clearly in a much worse shape than any horror movie could depict rationally. What happened to Job could actually happen to us. But note that whatever the Enemy did to Job, was only with the permit of God. So the demons and the Enemy had no power over those that belong to Him. A demon swallowing you alive and kicking is unfounded and unbiblical. Physical blows would only last that long.

Yet, one must not forget the Lord promises eternal damnation in everlasting fire and brimstone to those that reject Him. In this place, the crying and gnashing of teeth never ceases. We have no understanding of eternity, but eternal suffering is for the unrighteous.

He that spared not His begotten Son (Himself) for our iniquities went through three days of physical, mental, and spiritual torment. He promised justice to be done. And we, being unjust are not afraid? Should we, then, be brave towards the wrath of the Lord's Justice? He Who created the Heavens and the Earth; He Who banished the Enemy and his corrupted angels; He Who brought justice to Egypt's Pharaoh; He Who brought justice to the Roman empire, the Babylonian empire; and He Who shall remove from this creation all that is wicked and evil, be not feared?

And we, being sinners by our forefather Adam, being sinners by willful choice, decide that the Lord's righteous anger, His righteous wrath on our sin, are less to be feared than any other supernatural apparition? If anything, in our fearlessness, we are closer to the Enemy, the ghouls and demons than we are to the Lord Himself! In fact, even the devil and demons fear Him!