Fear of God
What does it really mean to fear God's judgment? For the unbeliever, it brings uncertainty. For the believer, it's a call to live with reverence. This post looks at the truth behind that fear and the Scriptures that support it.
To fear God's judgment means having a deep awareness that one day every person will stand before Him and give an account for their life. It’s more than being scared of punishment. It’s a holy respect—a sober understanding that God sees everything. He sees our actions, our thoughts, and even the intentions behind them. And He will judge rightly.
“And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment...” (Hebrews 9:27)
That truth alone should stop us in our tracks.
“For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
Even the things no one else sees—God sees them all.
“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay each person according to his deeds.” (Romans 2:5–6)
God's judgment isn’t unfair—it’s righteous. And that should stir something in us.
For those who don’t believe, there’s often a fear they try to ignore. A fear that maybe it’s all true. That maybe there really is a God who will judge. Even if they laugh it off, deep down, many feel the weight of it.
For the believer, it’s a different kind of fear. Not a fear of being condemned, but a deep desire not to displease the One who saved us. It’s a fear that leads us to live clean, to repent quickly, and to walk in reverence. Like Paul said:
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
