“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:4-7).
We all have read these words from Jesus, but do we know what they mean? To wit, how does fearing the One who has the ability “to cast into hell” impact your life?
First, consider that the fear of God in this passage is contrasted with the fear of men (“those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do”). So, the Lord clearly condemns allowing a fear of man to determine what you will do. In effect, are you going to obey and appease men; or obey and appease God?
In John 12:42-43, John spoke of some influential Jewish leaders who had heard Jesus speak, and witnessed miracles that He did in their presence, “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
In contrast, consider the response of the apostles when they were threatened with imprisonment for preaching the gospel of our Lord. In Acts 4, Peter and John said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). A short time later all of the apostles again found themselves before the Sanhedrin, who had commanded them “not to teach in his name.” They answered with these words, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
This idea that fear of God correlates with obedience to His commands is clearly established in the text of Ecclesiastes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). This text even mirrors the motivation we find in Luke 12. God has the power to condemn. God is the judge. We are to fear Him, and true fear of God leads us to obey His will rather than appeasing men.
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