The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. We are given this truth in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10. A reverent fear of and submission to God is the pathway to true knowledge and wisdom. One of the reasons I am convinced that every child should receive a Christian education is that no other form of education can instill a healthy fear of and reverence for the God of the universe. 

Young people are reckless and careless today when it comes to life-and-death issues. Far too many of them seem not to understand that this life is just the dress rehearsal for all eternity. They have never read or believed the following words from The Revelation 2:11-15: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it. From His presence, earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” 

When was the last time your pastor preached from this passage? When was the last time you heard anyone preach a sermon about the judgment of God upon sinners at the end of time? Most of the sermons in a majority of churches today are self-help sermons. Three steps to a healthier life. Five ways to better manage your schedule. Living your best life now! 

Don’t get me wrong, the Bible is full of ways to improve our lives, but as part of helping us understand how to live a great life here and in the next world, it gives us very difficult truths that must be embraced. I thank God that I grew up in a church culture that helped me very clearly understand that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. I understood from my earliest days that God is an awesome God. He’s not a God to be played with or taken lightly. 

If our children, grandchildren, and students are going to follow the Lord, they must first fully understand who He is and why He is worthy of being followed. They must be made aware that there are dire consequences in this life and the next for rejecting His grace and sacrifice for their sins. Once they understand these things, then grace truly becomes amazing to them. When they realize that, despite their destiny for judgment, Christ has made a way for them to be freed from their certain destruction, they experience a deep sense of gratitude for our Savior’s sacrifice. This is what John Newton experienced and conveyed when he wrote the words, “My sin, Oh the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord oh my soul.” 

Until our young people understand the law of God and the punishment for breaking it, they will never long for God's grace and mercy. May God raise up a new generation of pastors who will preach the whole Word of God so that our young people live with a healthy fear of and reverence for almighty God.