The Fear of God Versus the Fear of Man – Obedience Shows Who Our True God Is
What is the fear of God, and how is it different from the fear of man? Whatever we obey shows who or what our true God is – and obedience proves what we love.
(Acts 17:11: Please learn to do your own Bible studies like this one – here.)
Three Concepts at the Heart of Effective Discipleship
Here are 3 major, extremely important concepts to understand, agree with, and practice as part of true and effective discipleship.
If you believe the Bible to be the inerrant inspired true Word of God, like Jesus did, please look up the Scripture references below.
- Whatever and whoever we obey, submit to, and follow is our actual true “God” and we have real free will to decide what we believe is right, good, true, loving, fair, right, and healthy (Deuteronomy 30:19, Joshua 24:15, John 3:16, Revelation 22:17, Revelation 3:20, Galatians 5:13, John 7:17, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Matthew 22:37, 2 Peter 3:9, John 1:12).
- Obeying Jesus is to love Jesus (John 14:15, John 14:21-24, 1 John 5:3, 2 John 1:6, John 15:10, 1 Samuel 15:22, Matthew 22:37-38).
- Explaining what the “fear of God” means – using the “fear” of people’s opinions as an example (John 12:42-43, other Scripture refs along that vein) is very helpful as it hits the very heart of what we honor, bow to, submit to, respect either out of fear or love or both.
- In Christianity, the foundation is love. We must receive the love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10) – both Jesus – who IS Truth in human form – and all the truths He has eternally lovingly spoken. There is also a fear present of breaking God’s heart through disobedience to His humble real heartfelt and actioned love from Him. And the fear of rebelling against His goodness, truth, and justice. And the unwillingness to live below His call and will. There are real negative consequences to not believing in and then living in His love, truth, and goodness. If we do not receive His goodness – we end up in hell. If we do not live in His goodness – we live in Satan’s evil – and there are real consequences to that.
Obedience to What or Whom? Fear of Whom? Love of Whom?
Please chew on and swallow, thinking deeply about this foundation stone sentence for understanding God, yourself, and this world:
Whatever you obey – is your God. That is the one or the sentence you love.
Whatever you truly believe – you obey. Whether good or bad. Whether truth or lie.
It’s really as simple as that. What is your highest goal in life? What is your highest principle? In every single area of life. You will obey that. In all areas of life – what do you believe is right? You will do that. Your actions and words actually show the root of what you believe. Jesus said it like this:
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:45
Our highest goal in life – the meaning of life – the reason for life is: To be intimate best friends with our already loving Daddyo. He has already eternally decided to be best friends with you through Jesus giving His all for you on the cross – eternally and continually cleansing you of all sin. Will you receive that truth? It is your choice to make for you alone.
If it is not that in all areas of life – intimate friendship with your / my LOVE – and the desire to find His will and obey in all areas – then I need to repent and think right, I need to change my thinking and then my belief and thereby my God.
Yes, I / you need to repent and turn to the truth of the wonderful love of God. And that is true for all people everywhere for all eternity.
What do you obey? Your career? Money? Status? The opinions of others? The culture of your country? Your parents? Your kids? Your comfort? Your fears? Lies? Partial lies? Yourself? Science? Your traumas? Demons? Your friends? Your leaders? Your boss, teachers? Even your pastors – church leaders? Who do you obey first? Do you obey fear and insecurity – bow down to it and follow it? In every area of life – there is that choice.
Even good things – like family – can become a snare. Jesus said to a lady who said how blessed Mary was: “Nope – blessed is the one who hears and does what I say!” (Luke 11:27-28). And He said to a man who waited with following Him till his father had passed away:
Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Matthew 8:21-22
Does this mean we should ignore our parents and family? In no way. We should truly fully love, honor, and submit to them – but FIRST to God. First find the will of God – first do the will of God.
This also includes truly loving them – but it sets a healthy filter of actual true love – when our family demands something of us or others or themselves or God that is actually unloving. Then we can TRULY love them – from the true love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
It is really a matter of setting the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33 and surrounding Scriptures): Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Faith in God is shown in simple obedience to His general will revealed in the Word of God – and then also in His specific daily personal will found by spending quality time in real raw heart to heart quality time intimacy with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Obeying Jesus Is to Love Jesus
If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:15
Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?” Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me.
John 14:21-24
We prove our love through obedience. By humbly submitting to His will. By reading and doing.
Obedience leads to true eternal fruitfulness
If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.
John 15:7-8
The Fear of God – Explained
Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
Proverbs 29:25
So many are so worried about what others think of them and obey it. Fearing is obeying here. Fearing is to submit. To come under. But the opinions of people – even “good people” – are often fickle. They change. Even people you have learned to and “should” trust.
Jesus was betrayed – even by those closest to Him – even Peter was a hypocrite in certain instances – even after he was filled with the Holy Spirit, had raised the dead and led thousands to faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 2:11-14). The religious leaders betrayed and condemned Jesus.
His own family didn’t believe Him. All people abandoned Him in the end even though He only was, said, and did the right thing… (Matthew 26:56). Are you willing to obey God that much – following Jesus? He is calling you to be willing to do the same.
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:25-27
Jesus only fully entrusted Himself to the Father and the Holy Spirit:
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
John 2:24-25
It’s the same for us. Jesus must be first. The same is true for the greatest commandment:
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ’Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31
God first – and out of that comes the fullness of the truth of what the love of God is like.
God knows everything – all that is hidden will be disclosed anyway
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.
Luke 8:16-18
We cannot hide or run from God. The good thing is – when we get honest about where we are – THEN we will be found by the love and forgiveness of God.
Forgiveness requires ownership of sin. What is there to forgive if there is no ownership of transgression – of sin?
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden, that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Luke 12:1-5
Should we fear God and run away from Him in hiding?
No, we should always run TO HIM even though we have not deserved it but have actually undeserved it. For He ONLY wants to forgive us and to help us not fall again.
So, true fear of God causes us to RUN to His permanent love and embrace – owning our sin and saying sorry for what we have done against His pure heart of love!
Shame, fear and hiding does not exist to God – for all shame, fear and the resulting hiding was put on Jesus – eternally for all people. Our job now is to personally choose to receive that love – continually!
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4
SO – WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH what GOD THINKS – not what others think – at all. For that is a snare, a trap. We can never satisfy the opinions of various people.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
What do you and I choose – in belief – backed up by action and time consumption?
This sums up the fear of God well
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10
God is the One who knows us the best – also the worst parts of us – AND hates our sin and lack of love the MOST – and ALSO the one who loves us the MOST!
Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So, we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 2:16
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Galatians 3:22
This fits perfectly with Jesus in John about the definition of sin, judgment & righteousness.
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
John 16:7-11
To Truly Win in Life in Christ, Your Mind Habits Must Expand
Take these verses in at the core of your belief and action system and surround yourself with people who believe and act the same. Please unlimit yourself – by the truth of the Word of God.
Please use the simple and easy to understand Word of God to uproot the lies set by non-word and non-action by people who do not live, nor teach the fullness of the following words and actions of Jesus. Please understand that this lie must now stop:
You have heard it said:
“We are not Jesus, so we are not expected to be like Him and do what He did.”
But I say – with the fullness of the Word as my only authority:
That is a lie from the pit of hell. All Jesus lived for was to train His followers to be more like Him. And they did. And we are to do the same. Where do you find permission to say and believe the opposite – except from leaders who do not do it for they do not believe it?
The problem is we have had or still have leaders who have decided that “we are not Jesus, so we are not expected to be like Him or do what He did”. This becomes a huge door for disobedience to all He stood for – the fullness of all His commands. It goes directly against what He did, what He taught and what His disciples practiced and preached…
The following list of Bible Scriptures containing eternal truth is true for all who want to not just believe and do nothing – but who want to be wholehearted followers, disciples, students, servants, friends, co-laborers with our Master, God – who first wholeheartedly loves us and has served us and set an example for all of us to follow. These Scriptures describe true discipleship:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over…
Genesis 1:26
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the …
Genesis 1:28
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
Genesis 4:7
To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right (KJV: and power) to become children of God.
John 1:12
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians 5:21
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I call you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Luke 12:32
God gives the Spirit without limit.
John 3:34
A disciple will be like his Teacher, and a servant like his Master.
Matthew 10:25
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
Jesus said: “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
Mark 9:23
The angel said: “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Luke 1:37
All the promises of God in Christ are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
2 Corinthians 1:20
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (implied: Do not imitate any people when they do not imitate Christ)
1 Corinthians 11:1
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.
Galatians 4:19
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.
Mark 11:23
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
Luke 10:19
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:11-16
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Matthew 10:7-8
And keep on reading on and on directly in the Bible. It does not contradict itself.
Through simple childlike trust – faith, you receive, you believe, you act on, the truth that you ARE the BEST friend of God – with Father, Son, Spirit. They have already said so and done so it is done. Paid in full. Nothing is now impossible.
You have ALL His promises. You have been given His Kingdom. You have His Spirit without limit. You have His full authority. You are called and equipped in Christ to rule and reign on the earth.
We must deeply and fully die to ourselves repent and live only in and before Christ and think like this continually – in all situations. This is our job.
In Conclusion
So – out of love Jesus lovingly commands us to obey Him, to follow Him, to copy Him, to be like little simple children and trust Him.
To follow the fear of man – is a terrible bondage – for people have the strangest, changing, and funky opinions. The fear of man is a snare. And if you follow the “fear of man” – the fear of what people might think – if I do this or that – will lead to disobedience against God – for God is sure to have other opinions than “people”.
Is there a place for a respect of the awesomeness of God in the statement: “Fear God”? Yes – but the far overpowering sense is that of “the love of God leads us to repentance” – that Jesus preached:
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Mark 1:14-15
God yes, hates and is angry at all sin – it is not love – it is not justice – and He should hate sin and destroy it. We demand justice from Him and many accuse Him of not being just and fair and righteous.
The fact is – it is us who are the sinners – who need to fear running away from Him, who should fear being careless with His love, grace, mercy, compassion, and kindness.
For if we do not repent – from our sin – to His goodness, pure love, and kindness – then we are in trouble.
We were made by God, for God and are meant to go to God. We were made to be best friends with Him.
If His opinion does not matter to us – ABOVE ALL others – then we live in a snare, in a trap, in disobedience, in confusion, in chains – when His opinion of us is ALREADY that we are fully loved in Christ – and because of that we cling to Him – we run to Him, we seek refuge in Him – and we rise up in Him and do mighty exploits in Him.
In Him and in freedom from fear of people’s opinions we do not care what people think.
We do not care if people reject us – when we obey Jesus – when we obey Heaven.
When we have no fear – this will be true of us:
The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
Daniel 11:32
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
2 Chronicles 16:9
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6
How do we win over the fear of man? How do we step into obedience? We look to Jesus on the cross – who did not fear ridicule, rejection – but who looked at love – and LOVED US.
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
Romans 2:5-8
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:10-11
SO – LET’S GO!! Go out and obey – read and do. Be like simple children who do exploits, whose hearts are fully with Him, who have faith and therefore seek Him and who therefore find and bear much fruit – thereby proving we are His disciples.
For further study
To read positive life changing and selfish life breaking teaching – see All Bible Studies of Peter Skov of Action Christianity. Let God lead you to what to engage with first.
And here is my YouTube course on the very minimum foundations of normal discipleship.
