“But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and the murderers, and the whoremongers, and the sorcerers, and the idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”                                                                                                                                                                (Revelation 21)

 

It seems the Holy Spirit is using the word, “and” a lot as to bring this verse or passage to a climax. Reader, there will be a great climax to life. For some, their life will find it’s climax in Heaven, but for others, they will find their life’s climax in Hell.

Note the sinners listed in this verse: fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderes, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars. We may look at these and think that some are worse than others and humanly and carnally speaking they are; spiritually speaking, however,… Well, let’s just say, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. God lumps them all together. James states, if a person breaks the law in one (1) point, just one (1) tiny (humanly speaking) point, one has broken all of the law.  It doesn’t matter which link breaks in the chain, the chain is broken.

“I would draw your attention,” as D. Martyn Lloyd Jones would say, (Read anything and everything by this man) to the sin of fearfulness.  Yes, fearfulness is a sin. Fearfulness goes against or is the antithesis of FAITH. This verse proves it, does it not? Yeah BUT, someone might say, doesn’t Scripture tell us to fear God?  Is not the beginning of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding found in the fear of the LORD?

Both are true.  The Christ-ian should always walk in the fear of the LORD. This fear, however is not the quaking in one’s boots kind of fear. This species of fear is reverential, is respectful, is humbling, is understanding, is wise, is knowlwdgeable, is believing and is loving. The other species of fear causes one to sin and to run from the LORD. Fear in some way shape or form, begets all the other sins in this verse.

Many persons live and act out of fear. What if…? What about…? Yeah but…, How will…?  When will?… All of these are good questions and they should be thought through. However, all of these questions can be asked out of fear and the answers will cause a stumblingblock.

Humanly speaking, fear is one (1) thing that can stop or hinder a person from coming to Christ.
*If I trust Christ, He might…
*If I trust Christ, I’ll have to…
*If I trust Christ, I’ll have to stop…
*If I trust Christ I can’t
*If I trust Christ, they will…
*If I trust Christ. that’ll mean…
*If I trust Christ, I…
All of these if’s are begotten out of fear and all of these if’s,  if taken heed to, will certainly and without doubt send you, bring you, take you, drive you, drop you into Hell, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth from fear and anger, where there is everlasting torment, where the the worm of your conscience dieth not, where it is outer darkness, and where every mercy of God is unknown and will forever and will eternally, and will everlastingly be unknown…forever and ever and ever…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Understand? If you understand this, I mean really understand this, you are either a Christ-ian or are possibly on the doorstep of salvation, for the fear of the LORD can be born out of a fear of Hell. And the fear of the LORD is the beginning of understanding.

To fear the LORD or to be in the fear of the LORD, in my mind’s eye is an Umbrella.  I walk in the fear of the LORD as one would walk under an umbrella. I walk in the fear of the LORD because therein is found: Salvation, Love, Strength, Joy, Faith, Courage, Refuge, Comfort, Help, Honour, Strong Confidence. etc.

To walk and live in the fear of the LORD is Life everlasting with Christ.
To walk in fear of the LORD and away from the LORD is to die outside or without Christ and that is only the first (1st) death.  To be cast from His Presence and Mercy, after being judged, fearful, is the second (2nd) death which is the Lake of Forever Fire.

What will it be? Walk and live in the fear of the LORD and with the LORD – or – Suffer eternal torment because you feared to walk in the fear of the LORD and with the LORD?

Thinks me, it’s kind of simple. What say you?

Godspeed.