Proverbs 14:25
A true witness delivers souls: but a deceitful witness speaks lies.
Souls perish everyday. Over 155,000 people in the world will die in any given day, and many of them really will go to hell. Some strike a path to hell early in their lives, having never heard about the way of truth. Many others will follow the way of false teachers. The possibility that they will run into someone who will disciple them in everything Jesus commanded in His Word is pretty slim. Even in this country (which is purportedly a Christian country), hardly one person in ten has any grasp of the most basic biblical teachings—such as the omnipotence of God, the existence of Satan, salvation by God’s grace, and the infallibility of God’s Word. A recent survey found that 77% of Americans reject God’s law as defining right and wrong, and 41% of evangelicals believe they can save themselves by their good works. They have bought the lie. Does this mean a super majority of the 155,000 people dying today will perish in hell? Through the prophet Hosea, God complains that his “people are destroyed for lack of knowledge,” and later in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul asks rhetorically how a man will come to the knowledge of the truth without a preacher (Rom. 10:14). As a rule, no one will be saved unless they hear the Word of God. Therefore, Paul concludes in Romans 10, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
Men who have a firm grasp on the historic truth of the Gospel, men who are well-studied in the Word of God and hold the mysteries in fine balance, men who present the message directly, accurately, and without compromise are one in a thousand. This is especially true in a day where false gospels predominate, and the word of truth is drowned out in a cacophony of messages of envy, hypocrisy, human pride, and lies.
While certainly God will save whom He wishes to save, let us assert with equal force and confidence that people will not be saved without faithful fathers, pastors, and evangelists teaching men, women, and children to observe whatsoever Jesus has commanded (Matt. 28:18–20). A true witness delivers souls, but a false witness speaks lies.
Proverbs 14:26
In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.
How often are we caught between arrogant self-confidence and a fearful lack of confidence? Either position is sinful and counterproductive for the taking of godly dominion in the earth. What we want is a bold and robust confidence against all discouragement, obstacles, and temptations confronting us in the life of faith. But strong confidence cannot be attained by self-adulation, self-esteem, and self-trust. We must go to the foundation of all wisdom and knowledge if we are to live our lives by the right principle, which is the fear of Yahweh. There is hardly any faith these days because there is hardly any fear! Where are the Davids, the Daniels, the Gideons, and the Pauls in our “Christian” nations today? There is much talk of faith, but it is hard to find mighty acts of faith, because there is hardly anyone who truly fears the living God! Occasionally, we might find a “Christian” politician who is willing to risk his life, his fortunes, or maybe even his reelection for the cause of principle, but most professing Christians seem to fear popular opinion more than they fear God’s opinion and God’s judgment! Do they really think that the opinions of NBC television or the president of the United States are even 1% as important as what the Creator of the universe thinks? In the overall scheme of things, the purposes and decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States are of very little import. Even this “great country” is just one more human empire to rise for a few hundred years—only to fall again into oblivion someday.
The man who fears God is a man who stands straight and strong through the whirling hurricanes and confusing vicissitudes of life. Since his heart is submerged in the fear of almighty God, he cannot possibly fear men or any evil circumstances. He may lose his material wealth, his health, and his friends and loved ones. He may come under the threats of torture and death. Occasionally, he may feel the pangs of grief and loss, but he still does not fear. He does not fear the powerful forces of evil, because his heart is utterly consumed with the fear of God. He trembles at God’s Word. He is in constant awe of His mighty works. His heart is overwhelmed by the holiness, the justice, the goodness, and the power of God especially manifested at the cross of Jesus Christ.
Pastors and Christian counselors tell of families tossed about with anxieties, fears, nightmares, and emotional tension. More often than not this turmoil is linked to a father and/or mother who have failed to learn the fear of God. Generally, the most stable homes are those in which the fathers fear God. This makes the home a place of peace and refuge for the sweet children that live there.
Proverbs 14:27
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
What a strange verse this is, at least for those who find the fear of God a hard and despicable thing! But the fear of God is the source of all good things. It is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, and the foundation of righteousness. It is where right understanding and faith begin. To use the metaphor from Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, the fear of God is the wicket gate into the pilgrim pathway. It is foundational to life.
Prospering, life-filled families, and Spirit-filled churches and communities will be marked by the fear of God. It will be the foundational, governing sentiment of the worship in these communities. There are also those gardens filled with plastic plants. Modern religious organizations are known for their nice names, upbeat public image, expensive buildings, and smooth presentations. They might take on labels like “Grace Life,” or “Community Life,” and so on. But without the fear of God, there will be no true life. There may be plenty of enthusiasm, cool music programs, and relevant messages on how to enjoy a great love life, but there is no true life without the fear of God. In the New Testament, no less than in the Old Testament, our marching orders are still to go on serving God with reverence and godly fear (Heb. 12:28).
For related commentary, reference Proverbs 3:7.
1. Does our family have a passion to disciple others in the fear of God and the faith of Christ, and thereby deliver souls from hell? How might we do this more effectively?
2. Is our home a place of security and refuge? Or are we tossed about too much by feelings of anxieties and fears? Do we fear God enough?
3. What does a church that fears God look like? How does faith work with fear?