The effects of pleasing or displeasing God are seldom immediate. They can take a very long time. But they can be extremely powerful.
Most things we fear, its because we can see their effects quickly and clearly. Do you fear gravity? Fire? Of course, we all do.
Fear of God is the desire to learn the rules of an unseen force, so that it will never negatively affect your life. Disrespecting gravity or fire can ruin your life, but disrespecting God can ruin your soul. And conversely, fearing God can completely make you, in this life and beyond. If you fear God well, you need not fear any other thing.
..as a side note, I'm not sure which is funnier to me: Christians who don't believe the Bible, or atheists who cite the teachings of Jesus.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-13:
"Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God."
took a while, but eventually my love for truth brought me to the fear of God
I've never really understood why we should fear God. Respect, Love, absolutely - but fear?
It doesn't tally with my experience to be honest, so I have a hard time understanding it.
Now, if I was to go off the reservation and set myself against God & Jesus, then yes, I could imagine being fearful, but that isn't happening.
The effects of pleasing or displeasing God are seldom immediate. They can take a very long time. But they can be extremely powerful.
Most things we fear, its because we can see their effects quickly and clearly. Do you fear gravity? Fire? Of course, we all do.
Fear of God is the desire to learn the rules of an unseen force, so that it will never negatively affect your life. Disrespecting gravity or fire can ruin your life, but disrespecting God can ruin your soul. And conversely, fearing God can completely make you, in this life and beyond. If you fear God well, you need not fear any other thing.
..as a side note, I'm not sure which is funnier to me: Christians who don't believe the Bible, or atheists who cite the teachings of Jesus.
Ecclesiastes 8:12-13:
"Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God."
It's not that I don't believe the Bible, I don't understand the Bible.
However, I have contact with Jesus and he teaches me what I need to know without all the confusion - and that's good enough for me.
great answer. i hope my explanation made sense to you