Fear of the Lord, Part 3 – God’s Authority vs. Man’s
Most of you have probably experienced this: You’re on the road and everyone is going at a fairly high speed, rushing to get to work, church, school, or an appointment. Suddenly, the brake lights on the cars ahead of you turn red. It could be one of the following situations:
- If the cars drastically slow down or even stop, chances are, there’s a red traffic light ahead or an accident, construction, or maybe a school zone, etc.
- However, if the cars only reduce their pace and then continue at the legal speed limit, then you know that a police cruiser is nearby. Automatically, everyone swiftly adjusts their behavior.
All people, or at least most, respond accordingly when they are in the presence of authority, more precisely, the police. No one will see an officer by the road and speed up unless they seek to pay a big fine or even get arrested. Nor will a thief notice law enforcement at a store and decide to shoplift at that particular moment. There is a certain restraint and desire to conform in their presence.
Others also show respect when they are in the presence of their manager, even more so when the big Boss shows up unexpectedly. I heard stories about restaurant employees when their general manager schedules a visit for an evaluation. The day before, everyone has to clean up the place meticulously, making sure everything looks perfect. Once the boss comes in, the workers are smiling nervously and try their best to follow all the rules that they skip on a regular basis. But now, they fear the disapproval of that authority and the possibility of losing their job.
Now let us take it to a higher level. Imagine you are invited to a ceremony where the president of the United States will be present. You will be in the same room, breathing the same air. To top it all, you’ve been told that you will have the opportunity to shake his hand and speak to him. I suppose you would be in your best attire and make sure you don’t cause any trouble. When your chance comes, you would probably tell the president how much you are honored to meet him.
All of this, underlines the respect people usually display for human authority and power. But what about God’s Authority? Do people care as they should? Let us look at some facts.
As I said in previous posts, many people, including those with the “Christian” title, do not care about the Lord’s commands. But God’s true children seek to honor him in any location, especially in the Church, which is His House.
However, some things witnessed in the place of worship indicate a lack of respect for the Lord. Appearance-wise, some women are not modest in the way they dress. Their revealing outfits may distract their brothers in Christ and even cause them to sin. Some others among both genders dress as if they were about to walk their dog in the neighborhood. Indeed, God loves us as we are; nevertheless, we should show him reverence with our clothes, too. It doesn’t have to be over the top and expensive, but something reasonable and appropriate. Sadly, many dress up better for work than for church. Doesn’t God deserve our best? What makes Him less than?
When Christians go to a church service, it is presumed that they desire to praise Him through songs of adoration and prayer. Then they would listen to the teaching of His Word with attention and eagerness. However, churchgoers are sometimes more like spectators than worshipers. They act as if they were at a concert or a theater.
For some, their only participation is their clapping at the end of a song. They will not open their mouth to exalt and give praise to the Almighty God they claim to serve. Some won’t even stand up for worship or when their pastor asks everyone to stand for the reading of the Word of God. I admire these religious leaders, like my home church pastor, who still give this invitation. This is a way to acknowledge the importance and the authority of God’s Word.
Concerning singing, some people may be reluctant to participate because they are aware of their lack of talent. But God will accept worship from His people, whatever their singing abilities, once they come to Him with thanksgiving and a pure heart. However, whether someone sings like a bird or is tone deaf, they should blend their voice with everyone’s and avoid standing out. Otherwise, they could be a distraction or even an annoyance to some.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are his; we are His people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!
For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100 ESV
Besides praises and proper clothing, we can honor God with our actions. When we come into His presence, we should be attentive to Him and allow others to do the same. We should not disturb others due to excessive talking, laughing, or failing to calm a noisy child.
A few months ago, I witnessed something in my home church that left me stumped. In the row just before me, four older women, possibly in their seventies, were chatting and laughing throughout the service. At times, they were on their phone and acting worse than unwise teenagers. It was impossible not to notice them, and I had to try hard to stay focused on the sermon. It is sad, especially that the Bible instructs older people to be good models and teach the younger ones about godly things. But these gray-haired women, assumed wise, exhibited instead “what not to do in the House of God”.
Another time, again in front of me, there were two sets of very young couples attracting the attention. I assume they were in a romantic relationship by the way they were holding each other. They could range from 16 to 19 years old, and very likely not married. The younger ones decided to kiss furtively before and after taking communion. Though I don’t know everything about God, I can tell that this action wasn’t pleasant to Him, to say the least. In both occurrences, the “believers” came to hang out with each other, but not to be with God.
The God who created the whole universe and everything in it, the God who gave His only Son to save the world, the God who is Holy and worthy of all our praises, was in His House to receive honor, but instead He saw those scenes and perhaps other anger-provoking incidents. And this is because many Christians do not fear Him anymore.
We, His people, should be the ones to show the world how much we honor the God who is far greater than anyone. We should humble ourselves in reverence of His presence because He is the greatest Authority in the whole universe.
I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands, I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. Isaiah 45:12
I have sworn by my own name; I have spoken the truth, and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to me. Isaiah 45:23
This is AUTHORITY! Who else, other than my God, Yahweh, can claim this?
If anyone currently refuses to acknowledge His Authority and the fear He deserves, one day they certainly will have to bow. Speaking about Jesus, the book of Philippians reiterates the same message.
Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations. Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. Psalm 22:28-29
In the book of Joshua, even Rahab the prostitute, who never knew the Lord as her God, had the right view of who He is. She learned that the Israelite army was coming to conquer her land, Jericho, and she secured a deal with their spies. She understood that, after all the epic stories of conquests she had heard about God, it was only a matter of time, before her land was taken. She humbled herself and acknowledged the might and supremacy of the God of Israel. She proved it not only with her words and sheltering the spies, but further in the story, she became His servant.
No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the Supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. Joshua 2:11
We, the Lord’s servants, should know this and live according to this truth. It is evident that people can behave well in the presence of human authority, despite its flaws. They fear the negative consequences of breaking human laws, though they affect them only for a limited time. However, they ignore or despise God’s Presence and Authority even in the Church. They don’t mind breaking His laws daily, even though the consequences are far greater. Not only will they reap the results of sin here on earth, but they will also be impacted in the eternal realm, without repentance. So, I pray that anyone lacking reverence for the Lord will repent and fear Him and be in awe of His power and Authority. Remember, He is the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of all.
By Nissi, 7-9-2025
Remember, God is Love, but He is also Holy and Just. Therefore, He will judge all unrepentant sinners. Turn away from sin and come to Him.
