Many Christians depart from God; Why? What’s God’s remedy?
Jo 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him (with Jesus) no more.
What are some of the direct causes for Christians to no longer actively walk with God?
Love of a sin more than of God Remaining un-forgiven of sin by God due to pride
Love of money more than of God Refusing to forgive someone else - due to pride
Love of a person more than of God Inability to deny self due to a lack of God’s power
Love of self more than of God Neglect, a drifting away from so great a salvation
Want of man’s approval more than God’s A hardened heart willing to believe lies about God
And departing from God does not necessarily mean a physical departing in which a person goes fully back into the world from which he was redeemed – while this is true of some for many others it is a spiritual departing. This means that they physically show up at some Christian gatherings but their hearts are no longer engaged in what’s going on:
Isa 29:13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their
(AMP) mouth and honor Me with their lips but remove their hearts and minds far from Me, and their fear and reverence for Me are a commandment of men that is learned by repetition, without any thought as to the meaning.
The above lists the direct causes why many depart from God– but what’s the real cause?
Rom 3:18 (Concerning those who sin) "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Prov 1:29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD
Jer 2:19 “…It is an evil and bitter thing That you have forsaken the LORD your God, And the fear of Me is not in you," Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
In these three example scriptures the one common cause that lurks behind and is the prime reason why Christians in large numbers get separated from God – is that they do not have or they have lost “The fear of God”. It is quite probable that for many of such Christians their relationship with God never grew to the point where they actually knew what “The fear of God” means. Just from the above three scriptures we can learn that “The fear of God” is something I may choose or reject, it is something that needs to be in my heart and it is something that must be kept constantly before my spiritual eyes. Without “The fear of God” it is basically impossible to not become separated from God.
A most remarkable and beautiful promise God makes to every Christian:
Jer 32:40 And I (God speaking) will make an everlasting covenant with them (the New Covenant) that I will not turn away from doing them good...I will put My fear (fear of me) in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
This has to be one of the most wonderful promises in the whole Bible. It is the center
piece and core truth of the New Covenant. Consider for a moment the Old Covenant, under that Covenant God was on one side, as the Law giver, and man was on the other side and required to keep the righteous requirements of the Law. As we know all too well while God kept His part man did not keep his part of the Covenant, and so it was broken.
But let’s look closely at the above promise by God concerning the New Covenant. First of all God says He will keep His part of the Covenant and “not turn away from doing His people good” but then He says He will “put His fear in our hearts” (if we will let Him) “so that we will not depart from Him”! In other words God says He will be on both sides of this Covenant thereby guaranteeing that the Covenant remains unbroken and therefore an everlasting Covenant. And specifically how does this guarantee work – it works when we allow God to put His fear in us, because when we do we will then never depart from Him no matter what the world, our own flesh and the devil throw at us. Wow, what is this “Fear of the Lord” that will keep me always connected to God and ready for His service?
What “The fear of God” is not – and what “The fear of God” is:
The fear of God has nothing to do with being afraid of God. Those who truly know God, know that He is love, He is kind, merciful and good to all, how can you be afraid of that?
It is only those who don’t know God or who know Him very little who, because of the hardness of their own hearts, have a warped and untrue view of God that has been planted in their thought life by God’s and their enemy, Satan, who is the real ogre.
Isa 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God…
Jer 31:3 …“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you”.
Pro 17:20 A man of crooked heart does not discover good… ESV
Titus 1:15-16 Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is
pure (including God) to those who are defiled and unbelieving…They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it… TEV
No, the fear of God is a different kind of fear, it is the kind of fear that holds God in awe, in the highest esteem, it’s a deeply reverential fear, and it is a worshipful fear. It is a love and respect for God and a gratitude to Him that freely always delights to do His will. In short, “The fear of God” is the nature of Jesus Christ abiding in our hearts.
Acts 9:31 Then the churches…had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
How does God get “His fear” in us so that we then will never depart from Him?
Let’s consider the following scriptures, for they will reveal this secret to the tenderhearted
Ps 34:11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Pro 2:1-5 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands (my words) within you (in your heart) so that you incline your ear to wisdom (you listen to My voice)…Then you will understand the fear of the LORD…
Prov 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom…(God’s words in me)
Ps 119:38 Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence (fear and devoted worship – Amp.) for You. NASU
When God says “I will put my fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me” He is talking about putting His words in our hearts. The fear of the Lord is the word of the Lord and the word of the Lord is the nature of Jesus Christ. Our reverence for, our devotion to and hence our fear of God is a direct function of (1) the extent to which we have allowed God by His Spirit to engraft His words into our hearts so that they abide there, and (2) the degree to which we are submitted to the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord:
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him…The Spirit…of the fear of the LORD.
By God’s word and by God’s Spirit in our hearts we have the fear of the Lord. As we feed our hearts daily on God’s word and walk in yieldedness to His Spirit our respect and devotion to God, our fear of Him, will increase. And by this nature in us, the nature of the Son of God, the possibility that we will ever depart from God decreases with each passing day. And in this way, and only in this way, Jesus Christ has become for us (by word and by Spirit) the surety or guarantee for us of the New Covenant – guaranteeing, by His nature in us, that we will never break the New Covenant by departing from God.
If that isn’t enough what are some of the blessings God bestows on those who fear Him?
Ps 25:12-14 Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they
should choose. They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the Promised Land. Friendship with the LORD is reserved for those who fear Him. With them He shares the secrets of His covenant. NLT
Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
Pro 19:23 The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to (eternal) life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with actual evil. AMP
No greater compliment can be paid than to say “he or she is a God-fearing man or woman”
Jesus Himself is the “Fear of the Lord” - He is the Word of God and He is the Spirit of God
Prov 23:17 …Be in the fear of the LORD all the day long. KJV (that is, be living in Christ all day long: by obeying His Spirit, and receiving His words into the heart – then we will be in the fear of the Lord all the day long, and we’ll never depart from God again- Amen)
