There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Truth to Learn
It is good to fear God.
Behind the Words
The word translated “fear” is the Greek word “phobos” from which we get the English term “phobia.” It means, as it has been translated, “fear” plain and simple.
“Before” is from apenanti, which is a double compound word made up of apo, meaning “from,” en, which refers to a fixed position (in, at, on, over, etc.), and anti, meaning “against” or “opposite.” A literal translation might be “from over against,” it is an idiomatic expression meaning “directly in front of.”
Meaning Explained
This verse is the last in a series of quotes that Paul makes from the Septuagint. This one comes from Psalms 36:1. Paul uses this to show a third result of rejecting God. He has already mentioned two of the results to expect when one has turned out of God’s way and has gone his(or her) own way; destruction and misery are in their pathway, and they have not known a pathway of peace. He now states the third: they don’t fear God. That is, they are not afraid of meeting up with God on the pathway they have chosen.
“But,” you may say, “I thought that God was a God of love and compassion. Why should anyone fear Him?”
Yes, He is a loving and compassionate God, but He is also a God of justice, which means that He will judge sin because He must. Jesus also taught that we should fear God. Here’s what he said according to Matthew’s gospel account:
And do not fear those killing the body but not being able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him being able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
Throughout the Old Testament we see the expression “the fear of the Lord” used to describe those who recognize His exalted position and their own lowly position. To a Christian, the fear of God is an expression of awe and reverence for who He is and what He has done. According to Scripture both knowledge and wisdom begin with the fear of the Lord:
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7a)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Psalms 111:10)
Those who have no fear of our almighty, righteous God are not restrained from committing sin. It also means that they won’t submit themselves to Him and they won’t receive His free gift of salvation offered at the cross. As a result, at the Great White Throne judgment (the judgment of unbelievers) they will be judged for their sins and they will be cast into the lake of fire; no ifs, ands, or buts! Throughout this entire passage Paul is saying that this is the destiny of all men who reject God’s grace. There is none righteous, not even one (not even you).
Application
If we fear God and we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior then we know that His wrath against our sins has been satisfied at the cross. That doesn’t mean that we should fear Him any less. Rather, out of reverential fear we should humbly submit to Him, seeking His will rather than our own. Or, as Solomon said,
Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved