Do You FEAR God?
Do You Love God?

Uncopyright 2005, SSC Hot Springs

Folks claiming ‘faith in God’ believe that they love God. Most who ‘believe in God’ (and nearly all who don’t) hold that they must love themselves. Most believe that doing good is the will of God. Very few are taught that they must first fear God. Fear is a bad word unless it is in the title of a movie or a song. What do the Jewish Scriptures recorded by Moses and other Jewish scribes say about fear?

Jews recorded all the books comprising the ‘Old Testament’ and the ‘New Testament’. One famous rabbi wrote, “What advantage do the Jews have? Or what is the profit of circumcision? Much every way!—chiefly because the oracles of God were committed unto them!”

522 references to some form of the word fear are within the Jewish Scriptures. 555 references to some form of the word love are present. Most refer to love between individuals, and some describe the love of Yehovah toward those who fear Him. An expression involving loving God is used 21 times while an expression of fearing God is used 69 times (not counting expressions that use pronouns in the place of God or the LORD). What is the point? The Scriptures heavily accent fearing God.

One who looks up every Scriptural reference to fear may notice that fear does not mean awe or respect any more than love means like a lot. Both fear and love are actions, not attitudes or emotions, though both may accompany love and fear.

If the Jewish Scriptures are true, no one can love God who does not first fear Him. No one will ever obtain the salvation of Yehovah of Hosts without fearing Him. That fear never diminishes; it increases.

Is that fear a form of terror that can lead to an ulcer, a breakdown or a heart attack? It can be for those who are enemies of God, and will be the death of many just before the Jewish Messiah sets up the Kingdom of the God of Israel.

A study of the oracles of God will reveal that God has the power to send part of Himself in mortal, bodily form to be the sacrifice for sin. He has chosen genetic Israel to be a race segregated unto Himself to serve the other races and to inherit in the particular land that He has chosen for Himself. He will establish this race in that land regardless of all the enemies of Israel.

For those who fear God, have humbled themselves before God and believe the words of God given in the Jewish Scriptures, the fear of Yehovah leads to life, to peace with the Creator and to great accomplishments in righteousness and in justice. That fear causes one to refuse to sin as Joseph said: “How will I do this great bad, and sin to God?”

The Jewish Scriptures reveal truth. Very few desire truth. Most desire to be validated as they already are. They want someone to tell them that they are already right, or to give them “the answer” so that they won’t have to look or think.

Those who desire truth always demonstrate that desire by actively pursuing truth on their own, not by only expressing what they would like to do.

Do you claim to desire truth? You are in the majority. Are you open-minded? You are in the majority (and you are gullible). Do you actively and continuously pursue truth? You are in the minority. Do you actively and continuously pursue truth, then consistently live according to truth as you find it, even if that means turning from what you formerly believed and practiced? You are in a small minority.

If you delight in truth, you won’t mind looking up all references to fear in the Jewish Scriptures. Write down each verse, explaining your understanding of fear from it. If you believe these texts and live by faith in Messiah according to this fear of God, you will be in a very, very small minority and you will be accepted of God as one fisherman stated it, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every race he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”

A Jewish labourer recorded these words of the most famous of all Jews: “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me shall be loved by my Father. And I will love him and will manifest myself to him.”

If you do not believe the Scriptures, or if you are not sure about them, try the same Scriptural search of the word fear, then read just the book of Genesis. (Use an older translation; it will be stronger.) You will then have enough evidence to decide that the Scriptures are truly dangerous and evil or that they are truly superior to every other faith.

Some have been taught or have assumed that one can do enough good deeds to outweigh bad deeds, and thus be justified before God. This would be like making a deposit (good deed) and writing a check on that deposit (bad deed); as long as the account doesn’t bounce, one need not fear the bank (God). One who views God’s justice in this way does not fear Him. Doing good is always good. Being accepted by God requires fearing Him, however. It is not based upon doing good deeds, but rather the obedience of faith. How arrogant to think that one’s good deeds could possibly outweigh bad deeds! Those who fear God will love God by keeping His Commandments, and will hate sin enough to not sin. They alone show love for God.

Do you desire to know how to
literally approach the Scriptures?

Write James at S.S.C.
210 Carpenter Dam Road
Hot Springs, AR 71901
James84254@aol.com

http:www.sschotsprings.com/do_you_fear_god.html