REVERENCE WITHOUT OBEDIENCE? In fearing God, we have a deep respect and reverence for Him. We recognize that He is all-powerful and just. So, fearing God is not about being afraid of Him. It is about recognizing His greatness and submitting to His will.  But does reverence negate obedience?

In this series of videos, we look at fearing God in the context of the times in which we are living. As we consider fear, we must remember that our orders for the present day are centered in the three angels’ messages of Revelation chapter 14.

These messages make up the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are the present truth for our time. Therefore, in this series, we are studying the messages surrounding the three angels of Revelations 14 and their relevance to the gospel and the times in which we are living.

If you want to review any of our previous videos, you can find them at SabbathSchoolDaily.com. Additionally, you can obtain the study guide for these lessons at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org.

Inviting God’s Presence

Heavenly Father, we fear and revere you. With great pleasure, we seek to obey your commandments through the power of your dear Son, Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen

As we saw previously, to “fear” God means to respect and revere Him. But respect without obedience is not true reverence. The following scriptures attest to that fact.

Deuteronomy 6:2

2 that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. (Deuteronomy 6:2)

 Psalms 119:73-74

 73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.

74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word. (Psalms 119:73-74)

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

These verses show that there is a link between fearing and respecting God and keeping his commandments.

So, when we “fear” God, we respect Him. We obey His commands and live a life that honors Him. So God’s appeal to those who are saved by his grace is to obey his commands.

This is the point Paul makes in Ephesians 2:8-10. Paul points out here that we are saved by Grace, not by our works. Yet, at the same time, grace does not give us a blank check to disobey God’s commandments.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10).

Yes, God’s mercy saves us because of our faith in Jesus. The gospel frees us from the condemnation of the law. But it does not free us from the responsibility of obeying God’s commands. It is no different from that of a parent who expects obedience from their children. So, even though we are saved by God’s grace and adopted into the family of God, God expects us to obey his commands. Grace does not free us from obeying God’s commandments.

You see, the everlasting Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ frees us from the penalty for breaking God’s law when we repent and turn away from a life of sin. God’s mercy and grace free us from the guilt and condemnation of our past sins, and it is His mercy and grace that also helps us live obedient lives in the present. That’s why Paul says in Romans 1:5

5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, (Romans 1:5).

But there are some who conclude salvation by grace takes away the necessity of obeying the commandments of God.

This notion is flawed in that it teaches that once we accept Christ, we are free to live our lives in whatever way we desire and still be saved.

It is true that a legal religion cannot and will not save us. Jesus saves us.

The book, The Desire of Ages puts it this way:  A legal religion can never lead souls to Christ; for it is a loveless, Christless religion. Fasting or prayer that is actuated by a self-justifying spirit is an abomination in the sight of God. The solemn assembly for worship, the round of religious ceremonies, the external humiliation, the imposing sacrifice, proclaim that the doer of these things regards himself as righteous, and as entitled to heaven; but it is all a deception. Our own works can never purchase salvation. (The Desire of Ages, p. 280)

Salvation is by grace alone. However, it is our love and acceptance of this grace that causes us to seek to obey his commands. And it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to live in harmony with His will for our lives.

This is why the First Angel of Revelation 14:7 is calling us to “Fear God” and give glory to Him.

 7 And he said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.” (Revelation 14:7)

In our reverence for God, we worship Him and Obey his commandments. These acts are not for us to be saved because we are saved by His grace. But it is by our acts of obedience to His commands that we worship and give glory to Him. We do not glorify God when we live a life of disobedience. Our obedience shows how much we love God. This is why Jesus in John 14:15 says:

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

When we “fear” God, we show we have faith in God to save us and help us be obedient. Our love, our obedience, our reverence, and our honor should be directed to Jesus, the one who died for us.

Thus, in Matthew 10:28, Jesus said,

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28). In this passage, Jesus is instructing his disciples about the persecution they will face for their faith. He reminds them not to fear those who can only harm their physical bodies but instead to fear God, who has the power to judge and condemn both body and soul to hell.

To “fear” God in this context means we have a deep reverence and respect for His power and authority. We acknowledge that God holds ultimate control over our eternal existence, and we recognize the consequences of disobeying Him. This kind of fear is not related to having a sense of terror or dread, but instead, it is a recognition of God’s dominion and authority, and it shows that we love, honor, and obey Him.

In essence, this passage teaches us that true wisdom and understanding come from recognizing the ultimate authority of God and seeking to live in obedience to Him.

Thus, by having a healthy fear of God, we can avoid the pitfalls of worldly fears and desires and focus on living in accordance with His divine will. How, then, do we live our lives in love, honor, and obedience to His divine will?

Continue watching – Part 4 of this Video. Living a God-Centered Life  

What is the most important thing in your life?  We live in an age of consumerism. Our modern society has moved God to the side and made self the center. However, heaven’s appeal to us is to turn from self-centeredness, self-serving, and the bondage of self-inflated importance and place God back at the center of our lives.

For many people, money is the most important thing in life. For other people, the most important thing is pleasure or having control. Other people love sports, music, or entertainment more than anything else. However, Revelation’s message to us is an invitation to put God back on the throne of our lives. The message calls for us to love, respect, and honor God more than anything else in life, even ourselves.

Observe what the following texts say about what should be the most important things in our lives:

 Matthew 6:33

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

Colossians 3:1-2

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Hebrews 12:1-2

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

What is the most important thing? Heavenly things, things eternal, those things that will last forever.

Thus, Revelation’s message is a call to fear, respect, and honor God. He is eternal, and He offers us eternal life. He should therefore be our True Center.

The central issue in Earth’s final war between Christ and Satan is a battle for our minds. It is a war of allegiance, authority, and commitment to God’s will.

This war is a fight for control of our minds. The question is: Whom will we be loyal to, God or Satan?

So, this final battle is between good and evil. Hence, it is Satan’s desire to control our thoughts, and in our current state, it seems as if he (Satan) is doing a good job of it. But what can we do to win this battle?

Paul suggests in Philippians 2:5 that we

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:5).

The mind is the strong defense of our being or existence. It serves as the source of our deeds and behavior.

The word “let” in Philippians 2:5 indicates that we have a choice. It is thus an intentional act of our will that is motivated by our own desires, beliefs, and values rather than by force.

In other words, we must choose to think the same way that Jesus thought. When we make this choice, we allow Jesus to shape our thinking. We allow Him to fill our minds with good thoughts, clean thoughts of things eternal.

 Our actions reveal our thinking process. What is regarded in our hearts and minds is shown by how we behave. When we fear or respect God, we make Him first in our lives.

So, how do we control our thoughts? The problem is that it’s easy to think bad thoughts when we do not consciously control them.

When our thoughts are not consciously controlled, then random, often impure, negative thoughts flood our minds.  

To avoid these types of thoughts, we make a conscious effort to turn our minds away from such thoughts and replace them with good thoughts, clean thoughts, pure thoughts.

Our minds will think about the things of this earth if we let them. That’s only natural because we are sinners. So, we must train our minds to think about the things God promised us in heaven. Hence, Paul in Colossians 3:2 advises us to

2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:2)

Then he says in Philippians 4:8

 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8).

In our desire to allow the mind that is in Jesus to be also in us, we must consciously develop a love for prayer and meditation. We must do as the Psalmist says in Be still, and know that I am God. . . . Psalm 46:10.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

In the book  Sons and Daughters of God, it says that we:

“should cultivate a love for meditation, and cherish a spirit of devotion. Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searching of the Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost…

When the mind is thus filled the believer in Christ will be able to bring forth good things from the treasure of the heart.—Sons and Daughters of God, p. 109.

 Thus, prayer and meditation on the scriptures are the remedies for consciously avoiding ransom negative unclean thoughts.

The first angel in Revelation 14:7 calls for us to give God glory. How do we do this? To find out, Watch our next video. Part 5 Giving Glory to God

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