Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God

How many times have you heard someone teach that we should stop striving?  It's a very common message in the Church today.  If you don't think so, just do a google search on "faith stop striving," and you will see many sites with this message.

I understand the basic intent of these messages is to get people to trust God, rest in Him, and stop trying to earn God's love.  All of those are important aspects of our lives in Christ.  You can never earn God's love; you can only receive it.  And when you come to Jesus, you will find rest for your souls.  His burden is light and His yoke is easy.  Knowing His love for you and experiencing His rest comes by trusting Him, just as everything we receive from Him or do for Him is by faith.

Paul said to the Ephesians, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  (Eph 2:8-9)

The writer of Hebrews concurred by saying, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him."  (Heb 11:6)

So it might seem as though there is no place at all for striving in the life of the believer.  But I beg to differ, and I'd like to show you in Scripture why I disagree.  Let's begin with the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Himself.

Strive to Enter the Kingdom
When someone asked Jesus whether only a few people would be saved, He answered by saying, "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24)

So if you don't think a believer should ever strive, you need to take that up with Jesus.  He said it first, and I'm just teaching what He said. The original Greek word recorded in Scripture for "strive" is "agonizomai," a root word for our English word "agonize."  The word "agonizomai" means "to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or generally (to endeavor to accomplish something): - fight, labor fervently, strive." (Strongs).  It means "to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers antagonistic to the gospel." (Thayers Greek Lexicon). Thayers states that in the Luke 13 passage cited above, Jesus meant "to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strife, to obtain something."

Now let's insert that definition into the sentence that Jesus spoke. When He was asked if only a few people would be saved, He commanded us, "Endeavor with strenuous zeal and strife to enter through the narrow door."  That's intense, and it's the only way to be saved! He said that many people would "seek" to enter and will not be able to.  He meant they would be unable to be saved.

What makes these people different from the ones who are saved?  Why do so many "seek" to enter unsuccessfully?  The word for "seek" in that phrase that Jesus spoke means simply "to endeavor" or "seek".  There's nothing extraordinary about it.  Many people make this ordinary attempt, but they are unable to enter.

The one thing that sets apart those who do manage to enter is the intensity with which they struggle to enter.  They put up a great fight, and labor fervently.  It's as if they are on fire.  It's the kind of behavior you might expect from a person whose clothing is literally on fire, who is trying to escape a burning building.  A person in that situation, seeking to exit through the door of a burning room, will not make an ordinary or casual attempt to do so.  He will make an extraordinary effort, displaying tremendous zeal.  That's the way Jesus said we must enter through the narrow door.

What was this narrow door He was speaking of?  If you read the whole passage, He said, "Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.' "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. "And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God." (Luk 13:25-29).

In this passage, the ones who fail to enter through the narrow door felt like they were well acquainted with the Lord. They said, "We ate and drank in your presence."  But they are left outside the narrow door that has been shut.  The Lord tells them He never knew them, and orders them to depart from Him, calling them evildoers.  They are thrown out to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, which is hell.

The ones who do enter through the narrow door are "in the kingdom of God," reclining at the table and eating.  These include Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets.  So He was referring to the kingdom of heaven, where the righteous enjoy their eternal reward.

Elsewhere Jesus said, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (Joh 10:9).  He Himself is the door through which we must enter the kingdom of God.  But if we believe in Him, why isn't that enough?  Do we need to earn God's love?  Is God unwilling to recognize the power of Jesus' blood to wash away all your sins?  Is God trying to stop you from entering the kingdom? No!  Certainly not.

The reason we need to strive to enter is because there are forces antagonistic to the gospel, which do not want you to enter.  Satan and his demons hate the holy ones and fiercely oppose us, trying with all their might to stop us from entering through the narrow door. It's called a narrow door, because it requires holiness and obedience to Jesus' commands.  Those who seek to enter without holiness and obedience will not make it.  That's why these evil creatures constantly seek to thwart the righteous, attempting to lure them into traps to get them from living holy lives of obedience to Jesus.

Imagine if there was a door shaped like Jesus.  And just like those children's games where you have to put the round piece through the round hole and the square piece through the square hole, only those who are shaped like Jesus can enter through the Door.  Unless you are conformed to the image of Christ, you cannot enter.  If there is anything in your life that's not of Christ, such as an idol, and you won't let go of it, then you won't be able to get through the Door.

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;" (Rom 8:29; cf. Rom 12:2)

Peter wrote in his first epistle: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, 'YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.'" (1Pe 1:14-16)

And in Peter's second epistle, he wrote: "Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless." (2Pe 3:14)

The Greek word that Peter used for "be diligent" was spoudazo, meaning "to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest: - do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study." (Strongs).

That's why Paul taught you need to train yourself to be godly, saying, "godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Tim 4:8).  And in that context, he went on to say, "For it is for this we labor and strive (agonizomai), because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. (1Ti 4:10).  It was for godliness that Paul labored and strove, which is that same word "agonizomai" that was used in Luke 13:24, in which Jesus spoke about striving to enter through the narrow door.  Paul taught that this kind of training is far more important than any physical discipline like weight lifting or exercising in preparation for sports games or fighting.

Fighting to Enter Through the Narrow Door
Just to prove that this really is a fight to enter, let me show you how this word "agonizomai" is used elsewhere in Scripture.  Remember, we said "agonizomai" is the Greek word translated in English as "strive" when Jesus said we must strive to enter through the narrow door.

When Pilate questioned Jesus, demanding to know what He had done that caused His enemies to turn Him over to the authorities, "Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." (Joh 18:36)  The original word for "fighting" here is "agonizomai."

If Jesus' kingdom were of this world, His servants would have been fighting intensely on His behalf.  You can be sure the disciples and multitudes of others would be fighting with swords, spears, and daggers to stop the enemies of Christ.  As it was, only Peter swung his sword one time, chopping off a man's ear, and the Lord ordered Him to stop, lovingly putting the ear back on his enemy's head.

The apostle Paul used this word, "agonizomai" in his epistle to Timothy, saying, "Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1Ti 6:12).  You must fight the good fight of faith in order to take hold of eternal life.  Nobody said you'd be able to "stroll through the tulips" to enter heaven. You will encounter intense opposition.  And at the end of his earthly life, Paul could gladly say, "I have fought (agonizomai) the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;" (2Ti 4:7)

Competing to Win the Race
Another passage where this word agonizomai is used is in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians.  He said, "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." (1Co 9:25).  That word "compete" is the same word that Jesus used when He taught how we must enter the narrow door to God's kingdom.

It's as if you were in a wrestling match, a football game, a race, or any other competitive sport.  You've got to live your life in Christ as if you are in a competition. You don't want to end up being disqualified at the end.  You must run in such a way as to win.  That requires an intensity and fervency similar to the kind you see in winning athletes.  Have you ever seen a champion runner with a casual attitude about running? Have you ever seen a champion boxer with an indifferent approach to the game?  Never.  And neither will you find anyone who enters through the narrow door with such an attitude toward the Lord and His commands.

Paul went on to describe the way in which he ran the race, saying, "Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.  (1Co 9:26-27)

This passage is saying the same thing that Jesus said in Luke 13, using the same word "agonizomai".  Let's compare these two passages:

Jesus	Paul
"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24)	"Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1Co 9:25-27)
"Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' "Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; Depart from Me you evildoers.' "In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out." (Luk 13:25-28)	For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play." Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. (1Co 10:1-12)

In both passages, Jesus and Paul taught the need to strive as one who competes in the games, in order to enter the kingdom of God. Both of them taught that it is possible to try unsuccessfully.  Jesus called it seeking to enter and not being able to.  Paul called it being disqualified, which means unapproved, rejected, depraved, or cast away.

Jesus said that those who try unsuccessfully to enter the narrow door will be thrown out of the Lord's presence, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  He said many would do so.  And Paul also said that we must take heed of the example of the Israelites.  Although they were all baptized in the sea and drank from the rock which was Christ, nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them.  Most of them were destroyed in the wilderness, because of their sin. The reason we must beware of their bad example, is because they are a type of the Church, upon whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.  O Christian, the same thing can happen to you, if you follow their example.

Striving to Present Men to God
This is why Paul didn't take his role lightly.  When he led people to Christ, he knew his work was not finished.  He would labor and strive for them.  He said, "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." (Col 1:28-29).  In this verse, the word "agonizomai" is used again to mean striving.

Notice that the purpose for which Paul labored and strove was so that he could present every man complete in Christ.   That takes more than work, it's an intense struggle.  And Paul was striving according to the power of Jesus Christ, which worked mightily in him.  He didn't strive in his own power or strength.  Neither should we.  Our striving to enter the narrow door, and our striving to present others complete in Christ must be according to Christ's power that works mightily in us.

Epaphras was one of Paul's coworkers in the ministry, who came from Colossae.  Paul told the Colossians about him, saying,  "Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (Col 4:12).  This again is the word "agonizomai," which is translated "laboring earnestly." Other versions translate it by saying,

"He always prays intensely..." (GW)
"He always prays fervently..." (GNB)
"Always striving for you in his prayers..." (ASV)
"He is always wrestling in prayer for you..." (NIV)

That's the kind of prayer for others that God commends.  And it's necessary, because of the evil forces at work in the lives of our loved ones to keep them from entering through the narrow door.

Putting it All Together
Although we are saved by grace through faith alone, we still need to strive to enter through the narrow door, which is Jesus Christ.  Many people simply try to enter, but are unable to.  Only those who strive to enter are able to do so.  It's the only way to be saved.

The reason it's called a narrow door is because it requires faith, love, holiness and obedience to Jesus' commands.  We need to run like an athlete in competitive games.  It requires you make your body your slave, so that you will not be rejected in the end.  Nobody wants to be thrown out by the Lord to the place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Believe me, you don't want to go there.

Because there are evil forces which hate the holy ones, and which ceaselessly oppose us, we need to fight the good fight of faith.  It's an intense struggle that continues throughout our earthly pilgrimage, until we step through the gates of the Holy City into the kingdom of heaven.  Then we can say, "I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.  Now there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness."  Those who do so will recline at the table in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets.

Another reason the kingdom of God has a narrow door is because you cannot enter in groups.  You can't rely on your affiliation with family, friends, or your church.  Each person must individually enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, being conformed to the image of Christ.  Don't let anyone or any evil creature from hell stop you from doing so, and from keeping the faith until the end.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "I Am the Way" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. "Running to Jesus" illustration is by my daughter, C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: You may also want to read my other posts called, Pressing on Toward the Goal, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, Taking Heaven by Force, Seeking Glory from God, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Called to be Blameless, Salvation with Fear and Trembling, The Obedience of Faith, Doing What is Right, Faith Works!, The Apostasy Parables, and Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?  I also recommend Zipporah Mushala’s Second Testimony of Hell, in which she saw a man of God in hell for relying on His obedience to the Law to save him. You may visit the Seeking the Lord Directory, and also find a collection of my most popular blogs at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Obedience of Faith

Obedience and submission are necessary in our walk with God.  They are very closely connected.  Many so-called Christians call Jesus “Lord,” but do not obey Him.  They are not submitted to Him. Is it possible to be saved that way? Let’s look at what the Word of God says about obedience and submission.

The Obedience of Faith
The apostle Paul spoke of "the obedience of faith."  Most Christians have probably never heard this expression, much less know what it means, but it’s right in their Bible.

Paul wrote to the Romans, “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake.” (Rom 1:5)

Luke wrote in Acts, "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." (Act 6:7).  This proves that in the early church, the faith was not just a set of beliefs to agree with, but rather the authority of Christ's Lordship to submit to, and His commandments to obey.

The word “obedience” comes from the Greek word – hupakoe - attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or submission: - obedience, (make) obedient, obey (-ing).  Comes from hup-akouo - to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: - hearken, be obedient to, obey.

Paul said, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,” (Rom 15:18)

That means true faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  So you cannot understand Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone without properly understanding his doctrine of "the obedience of faith."

“For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”  (Rom 5:19)

It’s through the obedience of the One, Jesus Christ, that you are made righteous. And it will always be through His obedience.  But if you have been made righteous, you will demonstrate the obedience of faith. It will result in your obedience both by word and deed.

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”  (Rom 6:16)

Some people have a problem with submission or surrender to God. They feel that in doing so, they lose their individual freedom.  But the truth is that you are either a slave to sin, resulting in death, or a slave of obedience, resulting in righteousness.  So your eternal destiny is determined by whether you remain a slave of sin or become a slave of obedience to Christ.

“For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”  (Rom 16:19)

The obedience of the Roman disciples of Christ was reported to all.  The Church throughout the world was hearing reports of their obedience.  Likewise, when you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach to many people.

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 16:25-27)

Paul said that the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ is a mystery that has now been revealed and which leads to the obedience of faith.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ.  You can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  And you can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.

This is what Paul preached everywhere. He said he, "kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Act 26:20)

He told the King that he declared to people wherever he went that they should repent and turn to God, habitually proving their repentance by their deeds. It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”  (2Co 10:5)

Obedience to Christ is the outcome of true spiritual warfare.  All those speculations and all those high things raised up against the knowledge of God are destroyed, and every thought is captured for the purpose of obedience to Christ.

“and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2Co 10:6)

You must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ. At some point, your obedience must be complete. 

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”  (Heb 5:8)

Obedience is learned through suffering.  Even Jesus, who never sinned, learned obedience from what He suffered. 

“And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” (Heb 5:9)

At the cross, the obedience of Jesus Christ was perfect, as He became obedient to the point of death (see Phil 2:8).  There He became the source of eternal salvation, but only to those who obey Him. 

The apostle Peter wrote to those who reside on earth as aliens, who are chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (1Pe 1:2)

Peter taught that we are chosen to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.  The apostles are in agreement. 

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”  (1Pe 1:14-16)

Peter taught that if you address God as Father, you must be like obedient children and be holy in all our behavior. He will judge impartially according to each one’s work.  Your behavior and your works do matter to God. Are you living in holiness as an obedient child, or do you only call God Father but live like the world?

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1Pe 1:22)

God’s Word is Truth and He sanctifies us in it (see Jn 17:17). The Truth will only purify your soul, if you obey it. Many have heard the Truth, but have never been purified, because they have not obeyed it.

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”  (Rom 2:5-8)

Notice that it is those who persevere in doing good, who will receive eternal life.  And those who do not obey the truth will receive wrath and indignation.  Where it says they “do not obey”, this is apeitheo, meaning “to disbelieve (willfully and perversely): - not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.” 

The expression “do not obey” comes from “a” (not) and "peitho" (obey). Since we must avoid being among those who do not obey, let’s look at the root word “peitho” that means “obey.”

Obey
The word obey comes from the Greek word “peitho,” which is a primary verb; to convince to rely, agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) content, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

Paul instructed us to, “Obey (peitho) your leaders and submit (hupeiko) to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.  (Heb 13:17)

Obedience and submission are closely connected, and this verse in Hebrews demonstrates that.

Submit
The word “submit” comes from the Greek word “hupotasso,” meaning “to subordinate; reflexively to obey: - be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.”

James wrote, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.   Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  (Jam 4:7-8)

“Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”  (Heb 12:9)

The Opposite of Obedience is Rebellion
The opposite of obedience and submission is rebellion. This may surprise some of you, but if you are not obedient and truly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then you are living in rebellion. 

The verb “to rebel” comes from the Greek word, “apostrepho,” meaning “to turn away or back (literally or figuratively): - bring again, pervert, turn away (from).” Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and insubordination like the sin of idolatry (see 1 Sam 15:23).

“Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion (apostrepho), and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.’” (Luk 23:13-14)

You see, Jesus was accused of rebellion.  But Governor Pilate found no guilt in Him, although he wasn’t even a believer in Christ!

"Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed (akouo – hear, harken) that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'  For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning (apostrepho) every one of you from your wicked ways."  (Act 3: 22-23, 26)

Peter preached about two final outcomes that are possible, destruction and blessing:

1. Destruction - Those who do not heed (akouo – hear, harken) the Lord Jesus will be destroyed.
2. Blessing - God sent Jesus to turn you away from (apostrepho – turn away or back) your wicked ways, which is a blessing.

“And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE (apostrepho) UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’"  (Rom 11:26)

The Lord Jesus Himself will remove ungodliness from us.  He makes us rebel against wickedness.

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away (apostrepho) from Him who warns from heaven.”  (Heb 12:25)

If you decline or reject Jesus when He speaks, then you are rebelling against Him.  If you do that, don’t expect to escape destruction.

Israel rebelled and wanted to submit to Egypt for help, but it was in vain.  The Lord showed Israel this through the prophet Isaiah and beckoned them to repent and trust Him.

“For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.’ But you were not willing.”  (Isa 30:15)

Ten Blessings of Repentance and Trust
Isaiah prophesied of ten blessings the Lord promises to His people, if they will repent and trust Him (Is 30:15-29):

1. He will save you and give you strength. v. 15.
2. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you . v.18
3. You will weep no more.  v. 19
4. He will hear your cry and answer you. v. 19
5. You will see and behold your Teacher. v. 20
6. You will hear Him again. V. 21
7. You will defile the idols in your life (pollute them and pronounce them unclean). v. 22
8. He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  v. 23
9. He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. v. 26
10. He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart. v. 29

Putting it All Together
True faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  If we have faith, then we will demonstrate something known as “the obedience of faith.”  This is done by both word and deed.  When you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach many people.

When you have saving faith, you will no longer rebel against God, but you will rebel against your own ungodliness.   You will repent and trust the Lord. You will turn from your wicked ways.  You will listen to His Word and comply with it.  You will come under the Lord’s authority, He being your Master and you His servant.  And in that place of submission to Him, in which you are under obedience to Him, you will give heed to His voice, and do what He says to do.  You will say what He commands you to say.  It will affect your whole life.

Obedience to Christ is learned through suffering.  It’s the outcome of true spiritual warfare. As you suffer and fight the good fight, you must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ. 

You can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.  And you can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  He is the source of eternal salvation.  We’re made righteous through His obedience.  But He is only the source of salvation for those who obey Him.  Your eternal destiny requires that you become a slave of obedience to Christ. God’s chosen people were chosen to obey Christ.

Those who do not obey the Truth will receive wrath and indignation. Those who reject the Lord’s voice will be destroyed.  But the ones who listen to Him, repent, trust Him, and obediently come under His authority will be saved.  It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.  Then He will save you and give you strength. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you. You will weep no more.  He will hear your cry and answer you. You will see and behold your Teacher. You will hear Him again. You will get rid of the idols in your life. Then He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. And He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "Wise and Foolish Builders" and "Thy Will Be Done" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Righteous Deeds and White Robes,  Doing What is Right, Faith Works!, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, You Must Be Born Again, and The New Covenant. Remember that we are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Eyes of the Lord

Do you know who has the most beautiful eyes in the whole world?  Jesus Christ, our Lord and King!  He has His Father's eyes, and His Father is the God of the Universe.

His eyes are bursting with light, blazing like fire, burning with love and compassion. With holiness they pierce right through you. 

The Living One Who Sees me
The handmaiden of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, ran away from home.  Although she was pregnant and vulnerable, she couldn't take any more mistreatment from Sarah.  But God saw her fleeing into the countryside. "Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur." (Gen 16:7)

Isn't it amazing how she was not even a Hebrew, and we have no record of her yet having a relationship with God!  But He loved her and cared for her.  He told her to name the boy in her womb Ishmael. Although he was not the son of promise, with whom God would make a covenant, He had plans for this child.  He was the child of Abraham, the friend of God, and it was for Abraham's sake that God did this. Abraham was called to be the father of many nations, and his son Ishmael would become the father of the Arab world.

God told her to go back to Abraham's tent and submit to Sarah.  So she gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. (Gen 16:13-14, NIV). Beer Lahai Roi  means “Well of the Living One Who sees me.”

God still loves and cares for the Muslim people, and wants to save them through His Son, Jesus Christ.  Many of them are having face to face encounters with the Lord Jesus today, and discovering that He is still the Living One Who sees them.  You can find more about this in the videos at the end of my post called "Ongoing Earthly Ministry of Jesus."  There is also a site called "More Than Dreams" that has some remarkable testimonies of Muslims seeing Jesus.

Finding Favor in His Eyes

In the days before the flood, the wickedness on the earth was great.  "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen 6:5) None of this was hidden from God, for He sees all, the good and the evil. And because of it, He planned to destroy the earth and all living creatures.

Those were the days of the Nephilim, the heroes of old, men of renown.  These were not kind and gentle giants, but violent and evil ones.  You can read more about this in my post called "The Evil Nephilim Giants" to find out where they came from, and the implications of that for today.

But in the midst of that evil world, there was one man who kept himself and his family pure.  "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen 6:8)  God looked at Noah's life and was pleased to see love and peace. So he and his family were the only ones who were saved from the deluge that destroyed the world. This true story has been confirmed by Ron Wyatt's archeological discovery of the ark in the mountains of Ararat (see here).

We live in a day and age when the world is even more wicked than it was in Noah's day.  I want to remain pure and find favor in God's eyes.  Don't you?

The LORD's Eyes Range Throughout the Earth
The Lord is searching for a certain kind of person on the earth today, whom He can bless.  "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars." (2Ch 16:9; cf., Zec 4:10) The kind of person who is blessable is the one whose heart is fully committed to the Lord.

King Asa made a terrible mistake.  In the passage cited above (2 Chronicles 16) you can read how this king was under attack.  Instead of fully committing himself and his nation to the Lord's care, he made an alliance with a foreign king who did not serve the one, true God.  He actually purchased their help with the gold and silver from the temple and his own palace.

He could have trusted the Lord to strengthen him like He did for Moses, Joshua, Caleb, and David, enabling them to conquer kingdoms and overcome giants.  But instead he put his trust in the arm of the flesh. As a result, a seer prophesied to him that he would always be at war after that.  Instead of strengthening his position by making this unholy alliance, he actually weakened it, and made certain that the Lord would not be with him in battle.

I have fully committed myself to the Lord. There's no other way to serve Him.  Don't hold anything back from Him, or rely on any man to save you. Commit yourself fully to the Lord.

Do what is right in the eyes of the LORD
It's necessary to always do what is right in the eyes of the LORD. (Deu 21:9)  That means you must never compromise with darkness or become partners with the world.

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. (Pro 5:21)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. (Pro 15:3)

Live in the light and the Lord will be pleased with you.

The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
I'm always encouraged when I read the Psalm that says, "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry." (Psa 34:15) 

Peter quotes this psalm in his epistle saying, "FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL." (1Pe 3:12)

It's great to know He sees me and hears my cry. On the other hand, if I do evil, His face will be against me.   He is no respecter of persons.

No Creature is Hidden from His sight
You can't hide anything from the Lord.  I don't care if you do your dirty deeds at night when it's dark.  It doesn't matter if you go up to the International Space Station or take a submarine to the depths of the sea, and go behind a closed door, He sees you.  You can hide it from others, but you can't keep it from the eyes of the Lord.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Heb 4:13)


When He Sees Sin
One thing the Lord will not tolerate or wink at is sin.  When He sees it, He's not pleased with it at all.  This happened when his disciples tried to stop people from bringing the children to Him to bless them.  "When Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mar 10:14)

And the time He saw them doing business in the temple, He let them know what He thought about it. "The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, 'Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.'"  (Joh 2:13-16)

Eyes of Compassion
The Lord not only has eyes of holiness, but eyes of love and compassion.  When He sees people in trouble, He has compassion.  That's what He did for Jacob's wife Leah.  "Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." (Gen 29:31). 

He did the same thing for the Israelite nation under Egyptian bondage: 'Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; (Deu 26:7)

This is what Jesus did for the widow of Nain, whose only son had died.  The funeral procession was passing by, and there was the widow, weeping for her lost son.  "When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, 'Do not weep.'" (Luk 7:13)  Then Jesus raised the man from the dead and gave him back to his mother.

The same was true when Jesus saw the hunch-back lady. "And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, 'Woman, you are freed from your sickness.' And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God." (Luk 13:11-13)


There was also a lame man, who had been disabled for 38 years.  "When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, 'Do you wish to get well?'" (Joh 5:6).  He saw that man and had compassion on him.  But He didn't assume the man wanted to be healed.  Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well, and when the man said he did, Jesus healed him.

It's so wonderful to read these passages about Jesus' eyes of compassion. But let's not forget what Jesus said to the man afterward.  "Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, 'Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.'"  (Joh 5:13-14).  This an important warning to remember.  Just because He has eyes of compassion on the weak and suffering, if we want to stay well and avoid having something worse happen to us, we must not sin anymore.  That means we need to do what is right in God's eyes, obey the Lord's commands, and live a holy life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

However, if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father.  We need to wholeheartedly repent of our sin, confess it to the Lord and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jo 1:9)

If you are in a terrible plight right now, you need to know that the Lord sees you, too.  He has compassion for you.  And if you cry out to Him for mercy, He will hear you.  There's no problem too small, no sin too big. There is nothing He can't do! 


He Sees You Before You Come to Him
Lastly, the Lord sees you even before you come to Him.  This was the case with Nathaniel.  You will recall that the Scripture says, "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!'" (Joh 1:47).

In the Hebrew culture, there was an expression about each man sitting under his own fig tree.  It meant that one was spending time meditating on the Scriptures, enjoying the peace, prosperity, and protection that God gives to those who meditate on His Word day and night.  Nathaniel was such a man in whom there was no guile.  He loved the Scriptures, and the Lord saw him in the Spirit before He ever saw him physically. 

If you love God and His Word, I can assure you that He sees you. Even if you have not yet come to know Him, you may be reading the Bible, praying, going to church services.  The Lord sees you and knows your heart.  But you need to know Him in order to be saved.  Your good works, church attendance, and Bible reading can't save you.

It's only through repentance and a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that you can be saved.

After I shared this message with my family, my fourteen-year-old daughter wrote a poem about the eyes of the Lord, which really captures the heart of this message. I hope you will take a moment to read it at "The Eyes of the Lord."

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.


Author's note:  You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Should You Fear the Lord?

Today I would like to talk about the fear of God.  Like the topic of holiness, very few are preaching about this.  But it must be preached, because it’s in the Bible, and Jesus taught it.

First, I want to show you the Scriptures about the fear of the Lord.  Some of them I will just quote, because they are self-explanatory, and others I will comment on along the way.  Then I will discuss the difference between fear and respect, and wrap up with a conclusion of what all these Scriptures teach us.  Hopefully that will help "tie it all together" for you at the end. Let’s get into the Word now!

The Fear of the Lord

"But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God."

(Exo 9:30)

'So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. (Lev 25:17)

"Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

(Deu 4:10)

so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. (Deu 6:2)

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” (Deu 6:13)

"So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.” (Deu 6:24)

"Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” (Deu 8:6)

"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,” (Deu 10:12)

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.” (Deu 10:20)

"You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.” (Deu 13:4)

"You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.” (Deu 14:23)

"It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,” (Deu 17:19)

"If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God,” (Deu 28:58)

"Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.” (Deu 31:12)

"Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess." (Deu 31:13)

“that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever." (Jos 4:24)

"Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. (Jos 24:14)

"If you will fear the LORD and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the LORD, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God.” (1Sa 12:14)

"Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.” (1Sa 12:24)

“At the beginning of their living there, they did not fear the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them which killed some of them.” (2Ki 17:25)

“So one of the priests whom they had carried away into exile from Samaria came and lived at Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.” (2Ki 17:28)

“To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law, or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel;” (2Ki 17:34)

"But the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and with an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, and to Him you shall bow yourselves down, and to Him you shall sacrifice.” (2Ki 17:36)

"But the LORD your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies." (2Ki 17:39)

"Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness or partiality or the taking of a bribe." (2Ch 19:7)

Then he charged them saying, "Thus you shall do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully and wholeheartedly.” (2Ch 19:9)

Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9)

"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'" (Job 28:28)

In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change; (Psa 15:4)

“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.” (Psa 19:9)

You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. (Psa 22:23)

The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. (Psa 25:14)

“Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” (Psa 33:8)

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,” (Psa 33:18)

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.” (Psa 34:7)

O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.

(Psa 34:9)

Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

(Psa 34:11)

For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes. (Psa 36:1)

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. (Psa 86:11)

So the nations will fear the name of the LORD And all the kings of the earth Your glory. (Psa 102:15)

Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. (Psa 103:13)

"But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children." (Psa 103:17)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever." (Psa 111:10)

"You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield." (Psa 115:11)

"He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great." (Psa 115:13)

"Oh let those who fear the LORD say, 'His lovingkindness is everlasting.'" (Psa 118:4)

"My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments."  (Ps 119:120)

"The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness." (Psa 147:11)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Pro 1:7)

"Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD." (Pro 1:29)

"Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God." (Pro 2:5)

"Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil." (Pro 3:7)

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate." (Pro 8:13)

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."(Pro 9:10)

"The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened." (Pro 10:27)

He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, But he who is devious in his ways despises Him. (Pro 14:2)

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. (Pro 14:26)

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death. (Pro 14:27)

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD Than great treasure and turmoil with it.

(Pro 15:16)

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility. (Pro 15:33)

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. (Pro 16:6)

The fear of the LORD leads to life, So that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. (Pro 19:23)

The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life. (Pro 22:4)

Do not let your heart envy sinners, But live in the fear of the LORD always. (Pro 23:17)

My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, (Pro 24:21)

"It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.” (Isa 8:13)

Regarding the Lord Jesus, Isaiah prophesied: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; (Isa 11:2-3)

And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the LORD is his treasure. (Isa 33:6)

So they will fear the name of the LORD from the west And His glory from the rising of the sun, For He will come like a rushing stream Which the wind of the LORD drives. (Isa 59:19)

"'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, An eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; Though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.'" (Jer 5:22)

'They do not say in their heart, "Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, Both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us The appointed weeks of the harvest." (Jer 5:24)

"Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear the LORD and entreat the favor of the LORD, and the LORD changed His mind about the misfortune which He had pronounced against them? But we are committing a great evil against ourselves." (Jer 26:19)

Jonah said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land." (Jon 1:9)

The voice of the LORD will call to the city-- And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: "Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time? (Mic 6:9)

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:5)

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name. (Mal 3:16)

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. (Act 9:31)

The apostle Paul said, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:11)

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." (Rev 14:6-7)

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1Pe 1:17)

"Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED." (Rev 15:4)

Jesus taught His disciples to fear the Lord. He said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Mat 10:28)

He used the word fear twice in this sentence.  In both instances it is the same Greek word “phobeo” in the Bible.  Phobeo means to frighten, that is, to be alarmed; to be in awe of, that is, revere: be sore afraid, fear (exceedingly), and to reverence.  This is where our English word phobia comes from. 

Even if you don’t look up the definition of this Greek word, it is obvious by what Jesus said that He used the word “fear” with the same meaning in both instances in this sentence.  So when you think about what it means to fear someone who can kill your body, that it the same kind of fear we are to have of God, and to a much greater degree.  We are not to fear any man, but we are to fear God.

Respect

Many people think that fearing God is just respecting Him, but that’s something different. The word for respect in Greek is not “phobeo.”  The word for respect is “entrepo,” which means in a good sense, to respect; or in a bad one, to confound: - regard, (give) reverence, shame.

In the parable of the vineyard owner, Jesus used this word for respect.  Speaking of the vineyard owner, He said, "He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' (Mar 12:6).  In this parable, the vineyard owner represents God the Father, and the vineyard owner’s son represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The father in this parable said, “They will respect my son.”  This is the word “entrepo” which means to show respect or give reverence.

Jesus used this word for respect at other times as well.  For example, He used it to describe the unjust judge in another parable, saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man…For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,” (Luk 18:2,4). Interestingly here, Jesus quoted the unjust judge in this parable using both the word “fear” and the word “respect” in the same sentence.  When the judge said he did not fear God, fear was expressed by the Greek word “phobeo” that we defined above.  However, the word for “respect” is entrepo.  These are two different things.

In Luke’s record of his journey to Rome with Paul, and their stay on the island of Malta, he said of the islanders, “They also honored us with many marks of respect; and when we were setting sail, they supplied us with all we needed.” (Act 28:10).  Again, when you respect someone, that is different from fear.

Peter taught servants to respect their masters, which applies to the proper attitude of employees toward their employers and bosses. “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.” (1Pe 2:18).  We should respect such men, but not fear them.

Although fear and respect are two different things, the Lord expects to receive both respect and fear from us. " 'A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name.'” (Mal 1:6a)

Blessings for The One Who Fears the Lord 
There are many blessings for the one who fears the Lord.

"Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose...The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant." (Psa 25:12-14)

Praise the LORD! How blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who greatly delights in His commandments. (Psa 112:1)

How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. (Psa 128:1)

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. (Pro 31:30)

Putting it All Together

Fear and respect are two different things.  We should respect God, and we should respect others, such as employers and bosses.  But we should not fear men.  The only One we should ever fear is God. And that is actual fear, just as the definition of the word implies.

Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mat 10:28).

There is no place in Scripture that redefines the word "fear" to mean "respect." And Scripture never teaches us not to fear the Lord. Rather, it always teaches us to fear the Lord, and that is not restricted to the days of the Old Covenant.  It’s ungodly not to fear the Lord.

The Bible says we must be taught to fear the Lord, and it is something that must be learned. The fear of the Lord is something good! Do you fear God? If not, you should. This is not a fear of running TO Him, but it does include a fear of what would happen if you run AWAY from Him.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. By the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil.  One reason we have so much apostasy in the Church today is that people have lost the fear of the Lord.

Everyone wants to stay young and live longer. Many want to have riches and honor.  Well, I've got the solution. The fear of the LORD prolongs life. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life. The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

The Lord will draw near for judgment and be a witness against those who don’t fear Him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. The eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him. The Lord is the help and shield of those who fear Him. The LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. He will bless those who fear the LORD. The LORD favors those who fear Him. The lovingkindness of the LORD is always on those who fear Him. For to those who fear Him there is no want.

The Church of Christ throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria feared the Lord. The apostle Paul and his team feared the Lord. They didn't say, "We don't need to fear the Lord any more, because we're under grace." Jesus had the spirit of the fear of the Lord upon Him, and He delights in the fear of the Lord. Do you?

After publishing this blog, I discovered the following video that underscores the need to fear the Lord.  Please take a few moments to watch it.



If you are away from God, then it's time to return to Him.  If you do not know Him, then it's time to come to Him and give your life to Him.  Both of these require deep repentance and faith in Christ.

Another video I recommend is Revival Hymn Redux (video)

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the following other ones:

Salvation with Fear and Trembling
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Covenant Prayer
Is Obedience Optional?
Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian
Drifting Away
The Law of Christ
Baptized by Blazing Fire
Dare to Believe

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

                           _________________________________________________

Photo credit: The Side of the Cross.

“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968, 1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”

Pressing on Toward the Goal

In Philippians, Paul wrote of his desire to attain to the resurrection of the dead.  He said, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (Phi 3:12).  The word for “press on” is diōkō. It is a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb (to flee); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication to persecute: - ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press toward.

The photo to the left shows two young men pursuing the goal with intensity.  It's a great picture of how our race should be as disciples.  Paul had a goal and his goal was to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of him.  This is not some passive act, as some would like us to think. Paul pursued it with vigor!

The Paul says, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,” (Phi 3:13).  The word for “reaching forward” is epekteinomai. Middle voice to stretch (oneself) forward upon: - reach forth. Paul was stretching himself forward, bearing upon the goal of perfection.  

Stretching yourself forward, reaching forward, and pursuing vigorously are strong words connoting deep emotion and effort.  The photo below of Jonathan Harper is a great picture of reaching forward with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Paul's words in this passage express vehement concern.  He talks as though it is possible to miss it.

Jonathan Harper – Carroll H.S.

Like Paul, we must never think we have already become perfect.  We must never become complacent, as though we’ve already reached our goal. 

We must be fitted for heaven through constant repentance and thankfulness, which comes through perseverance, holding to our faith in Christ to the end. We must constantly pursue holiness (Heb 12:14). We must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Mt 6:33), which is found only in Christ. Paul wanted to be found in Him not having his own righteousness, but the righteousness that comes by faith from God. It’s very important to keep our eye on the goal of heaven, the goal of perfection, the goal of becoming as Christ. But we must always remember that our goal can only ever be attained in Christ, and must come to us through His hand, since He purchased it for us. We reach heaven only by way of Christ. The only way to get to heaven is through Christ and Christ alone.

In this passage, Paul expresses his deep desire to gain Christ, "and [that I] may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith," (Phi 3:9).  Like Paul, we should not seek a legalistic righteousness of our own that comes from the Law.  Paul had already attained that in his lifetime.  He said that as for legalistic righteousness, he was found blameless (3:6).  But now he counted all of that as rubbish. 

That's how we need to view it.  We are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ.  Our goal is not to work for a righteousness that comes from the Law.  Rather, we want the very righteousness of God Himself. This kind of righteousness is perfect and it comes only by faith in Christ.

So let's pray as Paul did, "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phi 3:10-11).  Many people want to know the power of Christ, but few want to know the fellowship of His sufferings or to be made like Him in His death.  Paul wanted it all, and God granted his desire!

Paul wanted to know Christ this way for one purpose.  It was in order that he may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  The Greek word here is exanastasis, which means rising up and out of the dead.  It's referring to the physical resurrection of the dead, which will happen very soon.

Let me encourage you today to press on toward the goal. Forget what's behind, whether they are successes or failures, whether good or bad.  Reach forward with everything that is in you.  Seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  Seek the face of the Lord Jesus with this kind of intensity -- with all your heart.  Give Him what is due His name.

Make it your goal to really know Christ intimately -- to have complete and total union with Him.  Cry out, "Lord, I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead!" Pursue Him, Who is worthy, at all costs. This is how you may attain to the imminent and glorious resurrection of the dead.  Don't miss it for anything in the world!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Is Obedience Optional?  I also suggest my daughter's poem, Finishing Strong.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Photo credit: Photos used with permission by Indiana Runner.
Reference: Matthew Henry commentary 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.