The Fear of God Versus the Fear of Man

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

² While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

⁴ And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

⁵ Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

⁶ Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

⁹ And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

¹⁰ The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

¹¹ The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

¹² And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Why are we more concerned about what people THINK than what God KNOWS?

How greatly our lives would be spiritually and otherwise improved if we could bet get a firm grasp upon this one simple command: to fear and obey God.

It is a wonder that we LIVE so little of what we CLAIM to believe.  Why is it that we are more concerned about what people THINK than what God KNOWS?  Consider the absence of the fear of God that is present in a decaying culture.

Romans 3:10-18

 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

¹¹ There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

¹² They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

¹³ Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

¹⁴ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood:

¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways:

¹⁷ And the way of peace have they not known:

¹⁸ There is no fear of God before their eyes.

There is no check for sin when there is no fear of God.

Psalm 10:1-4

Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

² The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

³ For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.

⁴ The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

God simply does not occupy a place in their thinking.  This is a great wickedness.  It is a greater insult to ignore God that to rebel against Him.  In rebellion, at least God is acknowledged!  God wants first place in everything that pertains to us.  Our lives, joy and fulfillment are to be found in Him.

Col. 1:16-18

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

What is the fear of God?

What is the fear of God?  What does it mean to fear MAN?  The idea of such fear in the Scriptures is quite broad.  Sometimes it indeed simply means to be afraid.   Sometimes it is actually equivalent to TRUST.  Sometimes the hear of its meaning is HOLY REVERENCE. 

Let is suffice to say for the purpose of our look at the fear of God versus the fear of man that such fear encompasses acknowledgement, regard, awareness, desire for acceptance or approval and reverence.

Do you NOT fear God?

Perhaps we should finally preface the main body of this search with the question that was posed by one of the thieves on the crosses that died with Christ as he checked the taunts of the other malefactor, recorded in Luke 23:39-40:

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

⁴⁰ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

"Don't you fear God?"

1) The ERROR of the Fear of Man.

1) The fear of man is a self-made trap that will eventually snare its maker.

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

2) The fear of man shows a lack of faith in God.

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Psalm 118:6

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Hebrews 13:6

So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

3) The fear of man will lead you to disobey God.

Matthew 10:27-28

What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

²⁸ And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Acts 4:18-20

¹⁸ And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹ But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

²⁰ For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

4) The fear of man promotes the disregarding of God's truth and replacing it with man's traditions.

Matthew 15:1-3

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

² Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

³ But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Matthew 15:8-9

⁸ This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

⁹ But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

2) The EVIDENCE for the Fear of Man.

1) When our acts are done to gain man's approval.

Matthew 6:5

⁵ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 23:1-5

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

² Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

³ All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

⁴ For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

⁵ But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

2) When our acts must change when men appear.

Proverbs 25:23

²³ The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

3) When our acts are lacking in men's absence.

Phil. 2:12-13

¹² Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

¹³ For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Col. 3:22-24

²² Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

²³ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴ Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

3) The ESCAPE from the Fear of Man.

1) Knowledge of what God is like.

Psalm 46:1-2

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

² Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

I John 4:16-19

¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

¹⁷ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us.

2) Faith that brings deliverance.

Faith is antithetical (opposite) to fear.

Mark 5:36

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

3) Surrender that yields commitment and service.

Eccl. 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

4) Practicing the presence of God in your life, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment.

God is wanting you.

By this we should humbly rejoice.  God desires to have fellowship with us.  God desires to walk with us, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment.

John 15:1-20

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

⁷ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

⁸ Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

⁹ As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

¹⁰ If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

¹¹ These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

¹² This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

¹³ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

¹⁴ Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

¹⁵ Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

¹⁶ Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

¹⁷ These things I command you, that ye love one another.

¹⁸ If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

²⁰ Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Jesus had told us to ABIDE in Him.

This is our invitation to continually "hang out" with Jesus Christ the Son of God and our Creator.

God is with you.

We have the ability to do anything that God tells us to, regardless of any circumstances that attempt to prevent us from accomplishing the will of God.

Matthew 28:18-20

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God is watching you.

How would you conduct your day to day, hour by hour, moment by moment life if the Lord Jesus Christ were your constant companion?  God knows everything we think; God understands every problem we have; God sees everything we do; God hears everything we say.

... and it will all come to light some day at the judgment seat of Christ.

Eccl. 12:14

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Matt. 12:36

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Rom. 14:10-12

¹⁰ But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

¹¹ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

¹² So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Cor. 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.