Romans 3:18, Only Fear God

Romans 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

The last revealing characteristic of depraved men, the Apostle Paul observed, is that they have “no fear of God before their eyes“. The fear of God leads a man to depart from evil (Pro. 16:6). The fear of God leads him to hate evil, pride and arrogancy and the evil way and the froward mouth (Pro. 8:13). To fear God is to understand that God judges evil and the evil man cannot escape the wrath of God. God would come after him. He fears to offend God who is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29)!

The wise Solomon concluded his life with this advice for posterity,  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 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. 

To fear God is to obey His Word, love and keep His commandments. By His grace, God enables His children to cultivate obedience to His good Word when we yield ourselves to His care. We pray for God’s help. He certainly never fails to help us do His will when we pray. Daniel, was a God fearer. He prayed 3 times a day. He sought the favour of God in His life. God enabled him to live a holy life in pagan Babylon till his death.

By way of contrast, Balshazzar the Babylonian king had no fear of God before his eyes. He desecrated the golden and silver vessels taken out of the temple in Jerusalem by using it to drink wine and praise the gods of gold, and of silver and of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone (Dan. 5:3-4). He blasphemed the name of Israel’s God. God’s judgement came swiftly! That very night Balshazzar was slain when God sent Darius the Median to take the kingdom (Dan. 5:30-31).

Never fear! He is near!

Look to no man,

Care not what the world may plan;

Only trust in the Lord,

All the way to Beulah land.

(John Sung chorus)

 May God put His fear in our hearts that we may obey His commandments this day. Amen.