Fear God
Luke 12:4, 5
Fear Him
I say to you, My friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to throw into hell. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!
The power of man and his institutions is limited. I recall a university in the southern United States which refused to alter a policy against interracial dating on campus. The Internal Revenue Service of the United States demanded that they change their policy, which had stood since the inception of the school.
In the nearly five decades since founding of the school, after graduating tens of thousands of students and providing preachers to many otherwise destitute small churches, social views had changed in the nation. Whereas society once had frowned on interracial dating, now such prohibitions seemed archaic, even arcane. The school had run afoul of social preference and would need to be corrected.
Surprisingly, the school was not inclined to change its policies, and after resisting the onslaught of newspaper editorials and government threats of loss of privilege, the school lost its income tax exemption and was no longer allowed to accept students receiving any governmental assistance.
I spoke with the chairman of the science department of that school shortly after this governmental decision. I asked how the school saw the matter. His response was revealing. “There is nothing more the government can do to this school once they have removed their privileges. Now, we can provide what we believe is a biblical education without governmental interference. Those individuals who believe in what we are doing will continue to support us, whether they receive a receipt for income tax purposes or not. Those who give only to obtain a receipt will cease to do so.”
Though I do not approve of the school’s policy, I support the principle of freedom and choice they espoused. That school continues to provide an education to thousands of people each year. The quality of education has not been compromised and people of all races continue to seek admission to the school. It no longer gives income tax receipts, but those who believe in the freedom to interpret the Word of God according to the dictates of one’s own conscience continue to support that institution. When government had played its hand of punishing to coerce behaviour, it had no more power.
This particular account of that institution is related in a measure to the text before us this morning. The worst that one individual can do to another is to take his or her life. The individual who lives in fear of death can never be free. Once the fear of death is removed, the individual is truly free. What can be done to the man who is already dead? Nothing! However, those who fear what man can do will succumb to their fear, leading them into slavery. Perhaps you recall the words of Solomon, recorded in Proverbs 29:25.
Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
For a Christian to live in fear is gross hypocrisy. The basis of Jesus’ words is a warning against hypocrisy. Clearly, the will of the Saviour is that we have peace [see John 14:27].
A Definition of Hypocrisy — The whole of this pericope related in Luke’s Gospel results from Jesus’ warning against the yeast of the Pharisees—hypocrisy. The word hypocrite comes from a Greek term used for an actor. In classical Greek, the word spoke of rendering a final judgement on an issue. Later, in the Greek theatre, a hypocrite was the one who answered or interpreted the dialogue of the chorus. Thus, a hypocrite was one playing a role. In the New Testament, however, the word uJpovkrisi" is used to speak of those making an outward show, of insincerity, of pretence.[1]
The history of the Pharisees is a wonderful story. They arose in the Maccabean period of Israel’s history. They were to the Jewish people at that time what the Puritans were to England in the period of their greatness. The Pharisees were an order created to prevent the nation from sliding into contamination from the surrounding nations, losing their purity and identity. Their influence was of the highest and the best sort.[2]
By the time Jesus came on the scene, the Pharisees had degenerated into a despicable display of corruption. They had lost their spiritual and moral influence. They had a form of godliness but denied its power. The yeast which had infiltrated and destroyed them was hypocrisy. The Pharisees wore masks, hiding their true identity.
People sometimes decline my invitation to visit the church, often stating their view that the church is full of hypocrites. I tell such people there is always room for one more. Refusing to go to church because there are hypocrites is itself hypocritical. We don’t stop attending sporting events because some players are unsportsmanlike. We don’t cease eating out because some restaurateurs are unscrupulous or because some chefs are not good cooks. We don’t cease driving our cars because some drivers can’t. Most of those who excuse themselves from attending church because of hypocrisy among the membership are themselves hypocritical. This is not an excuse, but it is a fact.
Is there is hypocrisy among us? Do we wear masks, hiding who we really are? Have any among us held our tongues when colleagues or even friends ridiculed the Faith of Christ the Lord? Have any among us failed to stand openly for Christ and His church when others spoke against Him? Have we ever eaten a meal with outsiders and refused to bow our head to return grace because we didn’t know how we would be received? Worse yet are those occasions when we did the quick duck of our head as we silently and hurriedly offered up a semblance of a prayer, all the while hoping no one noticed. Have we ever felt the urging of the Holy Spirit to invite someone to Christ and yet held our peace because we didn’t want to risk his or her friendship? Have we tolerated lewd language or lascivious behaviour because we didn’t want to be seen as prudish? You see, all such actions are hypocritical, for we play a role which is not ours.
I wonder whether some of our teens are among our worst hypocrites. In their drive to be accepted, they want to appear cool—to be accepted by others, so they are ever so careful not to associate with nerds or Jesus freaks. Who determines who will be a nerd? Where are the rules written defining nerdhood? What will it be in heaven when all those Jesus freaks and nerds surround the throne of God? Will the cool saints hold themselves back because they don’t want to appear overly friendly with those strange people? Some of our teens are friendly enough with one another on Sunday, but that is the limit of their interaction.
I know that our teens want to appear cool. That is why some refuse to sit in the worship, choosing instead to wander the halls or sit in the back. They are willing to be near the action, but they don’t want to be too near the action lest someone think them uncool. Of course, we adults don’t want to influence them, so we permit them to make such disastrous choices. There is scant evidence that some of our youth are Christian. This should be a point of grave concern for each of us. I speak the truth in love to say that if attend or participate on any basis other than the will of God, we are hypocrites.
Jesus compared hypocrisy to yeast, a symbol which every Jew would immediately associate with evil. Throughout the Word of God, yeast symbolises sin. Jews were required to rid their homes of yeast during the days of the Passover [see Exodus 12:15-20]. Paul compared sin to yeast [see 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Galatians 5:9]. Like yeast, hypocrisy begins small, but grows quickly and quietly until it infects the whole person. Hypocrisy does to ego what yeast does to bread dough—it puffs it up! Soon, pride takes over and the individual’s character deteriorates rapidly.[3]
Am I saying this because it is easy? Am I not telling you the truth because it is easier to avoid the first hint of pride than it is to rid ourselves of hypocrisy once it has taken root within our lives. Once we begin to pretend—to pretend that we are just like the world about us, pretend that we are really tolerant of wickedness, pretend that we are unchanged by the presence of Christ the Lord—the process progresses rapidly. The longer we wait the worse our condition, until at last we are essentially useless to Christ.
The Cause of Hypocrisy — The cause of hypocrisy is revealed in Jesus’ words in our text. 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 the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him. The emphatic contrast to not fearing people is noted in the threefold repetition of the call to fear God. The basis for all hypocrisy is fear—fear that we will not be accepted, fear that we will be injured, fear that we may be killed. Fear drives us to act to preserve ourselves, even at the expense of truth.
First, I urge you to take careful note of the gentleness with which Jesus speaks. There seems to be little doubt but that the disciples were awed by the crowds surrounding them. Doctor Luke is careful to note that the crowd was many thousands [verse one]. How many, we don’t know. Luke actually states that the crowd was muriavdwn. We get our word myriad from this Greek word [muriav"]. The term technically meant ten thousand, but was often used to designate an inexact or imprecise number of people.
This crowd was not present to hear spiritual truth, but to see a miracle or perhaps to have some personal need met. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees were plotting against Jesus and planning to destroy Him. The snare of popularity and the fear of man hovered near the disciples and impelled the Master to speak.
Jesus’ warning has to do with not fearing martyrdom and not bowing to pressure. The warning may also allude to the hypocrisy involved in attempting to protect one’s physical life. Mankind’s power over life is indeed limited. I do wish to focus on these verses, for they constitute the heart of Jesus’ teaching on hypocrisy. I am convinced that within these verses are truths which will purify our hearts and make us powerful and godly in the midst of a fallen and hostile world.
Thus, the Master begins by speaking first to His disciples. Note the tenderness of His words. He begins, Levgw de; uJmi`n toi`" fivloi" mou, I say to you, my beloved… Just so, in gentle tones Jesus speaks to each of us who are His disciples this day. Some among us have been seriously infected with the yeast of the Pharisees, and yet the Master speaks gently, calling us to throw off the deadening infection that we may accept the antidote of His Word.
His opening word to us is to cease being afraid of man. Those whom we fear—whether we fear rejection, or injury, or death—are but mortals. They also have the breath of life and are dependent upon God. Man can destroy only the body; they cannot touch the essential life of an individual. Those individuals whose favour you now curry through fawning behaviour and through altering your own righteousness must one day die. They are no better than you, and without Christ they are in still worse condition.
Jesus gives us divine guidance with these words. There is within His words a philosophy of life. The disciples are instructed to be free from false fear, and to be filled with true fear. We are not to fear man. If you fear injury or death and think that within these words of the Master is a promise of protection, you error. Jesus does not guarantee that He will protect one’s physical life. This is not prosperity theology. God may require martyrdom of His disciples. The premise of this remark is that God has sovereign care of life after earthly life.
In the fourth verse is a phrase which is key to understanding what Jesus is saying. The phrase is after that. It is at once arresting and revealing. Is there anything after that? If we believe the Word of God, we are convinced that there is more than what we now see to life. However, man can no longer exercise any power beyond this moment. Man can kill my body, but after that, man has no further jurisdiction.
In effect, Jesus says that man may kill the body, but after that, he paralyses his own arm. Man can do no further harm beyond the grave. Man’s power ceases with death. Have you considered that this is the tone and temper of Jesus as He approached the Cross? You will no doubt recall His words recorded in John 10:18. No one takes [My life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. Jesus knew that those who would crucify Him would kill His body, but they could not touch Him. So, He looked at His disciples, outnumbered as they were, and said, “Don’t be afraid of mere death. There is more after that.”
There is found in the Fourth Book of Maccabees a statement akin to this present teaching of the Master. Let us not fear him who thinks he is killing us, for great is the struggle of the soul and the danger of eternal torment lying before those who transgress the commandment of God [4 Maccabees 13:14, 15 nrsv].[4] Now, compare this statement to the words of the Master which were spoken on another occasion and recorded in Matthew’s Gospel. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell [Matthew 10:28]. Luke has an aorist subjunctive [fobhvqhte] where Matthew has a present imperative [fobei`sqe]. Luke commands the attitude, while Matthew emphasises its continual character.[5]
God stands in contrast to people, who can do nothing. Our fears are unjustified. The power of man is limited, whether we speak of the power of one individual or whether we speak of the power of an entire nation. Man has power over the body—over the physical—and after that can do nothing. In fact, God will judge a person after death, whereas the power of man ceases beyond this moment called now. Fear God because He has authority to cast someone into Gehenna. It is better to fear the Judge than those with no real authority. Our problem is that we are so tied to this dying world that we fear that which has no true authority rather than the One to whom all authority is given.
There is a fear which is proper. It is the fear of Him who is able to kill, and to fling into Gehenna. If you will fear someone, fear God. If you will tremble before someone, let it be God. God alone is able to cast the individual into Hell. Whether I live or whether I die lies not in man’s purview, rather I live or die by God’s authority. After this life, God alone has power to cast me into Hell or to receive me into His heaven.
Perhaps you will remember the message which I delivered just two weeks ago? The text was from Mark’s Gospel as I spoke of Hell—Gehenna. Perhaps you recall the awful words of the Master which we studied at that time. If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where
“their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.”
[Mark 9:42, 43, 45, 47, 48].
Our problem is that we are not convinced that God is judge of all mankind. Listen to James, who warns against a critical attitude toward our fellow man. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour [James 4:12]? I tell you that the One who shall judge is none other than this Jesus who now instructs us in righteousness and warns against the yeast of the Pharisees. I know this because of an incident which occurred on another occasion and which is recorded in the Word of God.
Jesus was being attacked by the Jewish leaders because He had healed on the Sabbath. Worse yet, from the point of view of the religious leaders, Jesus made the claim that He was the Son of God. They realised that this claim made Him equal to God. They realised that Jesus claimed to be very God in the flesh and the Jews reacted to that claim [John 5:16-18]. He used this occasion to warn the very people who surrounded the disciples in our text.
I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me [John 5:19-30].
If we will avoid judgement, we must live pure and holy lives. I do not mean to imply that we are saved through our own efforts—we are not! However, those who are born into the Kingdom of God will live lives which are marked by purity and holiness because they have been born into that Kingdom, having been transformed by the New Birth. Those who are transformed will reveal that transformation through their lives.
In speak this way, I am making every effort to warn any who share this service and who are merely nominal Christians. All such must realise that pleasing God lies not in going to church or in being religious, but pleasing God lies rather in being born from above. Those who are but Sunday morning Christians will give an account before Him who shall judge all mankind. Those who have lived in fear of man instead of fearing God shall be banned from His presence. Those who have deluded themselves and lived a lie—hypocrites—shall be cast into Gehenna.
That awful place is a place of torment, as we have previously seen. It is a place of darkness and a place of utter loneliness. There, the Antichrist and the false prophet shall be eternally consigned. The beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur [Revelation 19:20]
John writes, then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire [Revelation 20:11-15].
May I say that though I deserve death, in Christ I have discovered life. Though I deserve judgement, I have found mercy. In Christ, I have discovered the truth of the apostolic words, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me [Galatians 2:20]. Man cannot hurt me, for I am a dead man. If you threaten me with loss of home, I have an eternal home made without human hands. If you threaten to take my wealth, I have treasures laid up in heaven, where neither moths can destroy nor rust can corrode. If you threaten me with loss of friends, I have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. If you threaten me with death, I will respond that I am alive in Christ. Do not fear man, and do not be a hypocrite any longer.
A Call to Openness — Do you hear the words of the Master in verses two and three? 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. Jesus referred here primarily to His own teaching, but the principle applies to other areas of life. The Twelve might be tempted to cover or compromise the truth so that neither the crowds nor the Pharisees would be offended. God’s truth is like light, not yeast, and it must not be hidden. The lies of the hypocrite will one day be revealed, so why go on pretending. Let your light shine!
We disciples have a message to deliver. Though we think we have whispered it in the ear, it shall be trumpeted from the roofs. Our message, though we thought it was spoken in the dark, shall be shouted in the light.
It is time to come into the open. It is time to cease playing church. It is time that the masks were taken off! For the moment, you may think you can hide your Faith, but if you are a disciple of the Lord Christ, you shall be exposed for who you truly are. Just as the hypocrites shall be exposed as fraudulent, so the children of the light shall be forced into the open by the Word of God. Everything, whether evil or good, will be exposed.
Therefore, beware the yeast of the Pharisees—beware of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy has destroyed the witness of the Pharisees, and it may well destroy your witness lest you deal with it now. If you permit this yeast to continue working in your life, it shall destroy your witness and condemn others to hell. You will be responsible to either live open and true, or to continue to live a lie.
Remember, even though you speak with fear and trembling, the truth, though uttered in the darkness and within the inner rooms, will ultimately eventuate in victory. Truth shall at last be revealed, though you spoke in fear and with deepest humility, and when that truth is revealed it shall be victorious, just as hypocrisy shall be unmasked.
An Antidote to Hypocrisy — We may continue to play church, or we may live as the redeemed church of the Living God. We may continue to wear the masks of hypocrisy, or we may strip away the masks and live powerfully and gloriously. Which shall it be? Shall we continue to be slaves to fear? Or shall we live in demonstration of the power of the Spirit? If we will honour God, we must do what God commands. In the remainder of this pericope recorded in Luke’s Gospel the Saviour maps out the steps which are necessary if we will live pure and without guile or without hypocrisy.
Reject fear of man. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows [Luke 12:6, 7]. There is a point at which each of us must choose. What will it be? Will you choose the fear of man to dictate your life? Or will you choose to fear God? The one you fear is the one to whom you are a slave. If you fear man, you will always be a slave to that fear. If you fear God, you will be His slave, but you will discover more than a craven life, you will be received as a dearly loved child with all the benefits of that sweet relationship.
Do you believe the words of the Master? Do you actually believe that you are known by the Father? Do you truly believe that you are worth more than the sparrows? How can you live in fear of man, submitting to the expectations of your colleagues or even religious leaders, if you truly believe that God values you? If you will honour God and if you will cease being a hypocrite, you must reject fear.
Confess Christ openly. I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God [Luke 12:8, 9]. Notice how the Master ties the rejection of fear and the rejection of hypocrisy to open identification with Him. Why do you suppose the Pastor insists on open confession of Christ through believer’s baptism? Indeed, it is because it is taught in the Word of God, but the teaching is given to bring the disciple to the point of open identification with the Master. God has no place for a secret service.
This message will shortly be concluded, and with its conclusion, I will call for open confession of Christ. Some here have yet to openly identify with Him. You claim to honour Him as Master of life, and yet you will not obey His first command to be baptised. Should I press the issue you are yet being hypocritical—you are yet wearing a mask. The fear of what others may say keeps you from obedience and honour of God.
Depend on God’s Holy Spirit. Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say [Luke 12:10-12].
These are serious words, and I should suppose that they deserve a full message of their own. Surely, none among us would lie to the Spirit of God! Surely, none among us would claim to be born from above while living a lie! Surely, none among us will continue in fear of what others may think, but we will rather obey God and serve Him.
Our children should be the objects of our prayers as each of us plead with the Father to keep them from harm and early bring them to faith in the Son of God. Our teenagers should be the objects of our sincere pleas as we urge them to look to Christ and be saved. Parents, you don’t need me to tell you that if your teen would rather skip church than join in worship, or if your teen would rather wander the halls than hear the message of life, there is little reason to believe that that child is saved. You should not give sleep to your eyes until you have spoken openly and urgently with that teen to heed the message of life. I trust that I am agitating you sufficiently to take action. Time is far too short to permit our children to slip into eternity unsaved.
Among us are some who will go to work tomorrow and the environment in which you labour is hostile to the Faith of Christ the Lord. There, men and women ridicule courage and esteem foolishness. There, men and women despise righteousness and admire evil. As you work, you will again be asked to tolerate the filthy mouths of individuals who ridicule righteousness and who despise the Faith of Christ the Lord. Will you remain silent through your fear, or will you speak a word for Him? It all depends upon who is master of your life.
Today, I am asking that you who have feared what others would say if you openly confessed Christ, to come confessing that He is Master of your life. I invite you to receive His gracious gift of life as you embrace Him. The Word of God declares, if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].
I invite you who do believe Christ to come seeking believer’s baptism that you may openly identify with Him. I invite you who have yet to unite with a sound, Bible preaching church, to come to unite with this congregation. Others, you will face the intimidating opposition of sinful men as you again enter the workplace tomorrow may need to come to fortify yourself and to seek the power of God’s Spirit so that you will have words to speak as you again move into the realm of this dying world. As God leads, come and do what the Spirit commands. Amen.
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[1] W. Günther, in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2, Colin Brown (ed.), (Zondervan, Grand Rapids MI 1976) 468-9
[2] G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Luke (Fleming H. Revell Co., Old Tappan NJ 1931) 151
[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Volume 1 (Victor Books, Wheaton IL, 1989) 219
[4] New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America (Thomas Nelson, Nashville TN 1989)
[5] Darrell L. Bock, Luke 9:51-24:53, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Vol. 3b (Baker, Grand Rapids MI 1996) 1136