In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon concludes with the warning to fear God. Yet it seems most people default to what they want to believe about God instead of believing what God has actually disclosed about himself in the Biblethat he is a God of justice and judgment.

In The Fear of God, author and pastor Stephen C. Yohn explores the neglected biblical doctrine of the fear of God, noting that this theme runs through all the books of the Bible. He shows how we must guard against wanting to believe something about God but dismissing all the other biblical declarations about Godfor Gods Word is complete and must be taken as a whole. Like the Bible, God is not one-dimensional, and while he is a God of joy and peace, he will also bring every work into judgment before he offers us this joy and peace.

Dont be deceived! Were warned numerous times in the Bible that those who practice evil will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:21). So if we want and expect justice in this world, then we must not hope that it will be absent in the world to come. Fearing God and keeping his commandmentsnot merely our ownis how we can accept his justice and his offer of salvation.