Revelation 14:7
And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
Observe that the eternal Gospel, which the angel proclaims here is urgent, for “the hour of His judgment has come”. Beloved, we must not behave as though we have all the time in the world. We don’t! Now is the right time, the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). Let us not procrastinate heeding the Gospel. Let us warn all and sundry accordingly.
Note also that the eternal Gospel here is about choosing to fear God and glorify Him. In the light of the enemy’s aggressive demand for allegiance, we are reminded Who is worthy. Beloved, our duty is to fear, glorify and worship the Creator God ONLY.
In the festive season, remember to fear God. In your midnight hour, fear God still. When you celebrate success, give God the glory. When you are in the wilderness, fear God. When you reach the top, fear God. When ends don’t meet, fear God still.
The Bible teaches that leaders of every level must be qualified by their fear of God (Exodus 18:21). Likewise, our treatment of the disadvantaged as well as the aged must be guided by the fear of God (Lev 19:14, 32). All our relations with others must be guided by our reverence for God (see Lev 25:17, 36, 43).
Any gospel that promises rewards without reverence is fake. A spirituality that stresses privilege without responsibility is phoney. Heaven with no notion of hell, joy without a sense of judgment and pleasure without regard for consequences–that’s not the true Gospel! Let us also embrace the tough side of the Gospel, beloved.
Pastor Josh