Fear of God Leads to Salvation

The repentant thief on the cross demonstrated a reverent fear of God that actually led him toward salvation rather than away from it. When his companion continued to mock Jesus, the believing thief rebuked him saying, “Do you not fear God? We’re dying! We’re stepping out into eternity!” He understood something crucial: there’s a holy God we will all face in judgment, and we should take that reality seriously. Our culture has largely lost this healthy fear of God. We’ve made God so casual, so comfortable, so much like a buddy that we’ve forgotten He is the Almighty Creator of the universe who will judge every person. But here’s what’s important to understand: the fear of God isn’t about being terrified and running away from Him. As one writer put it, reverent fear is “love on its knees”—it’s recognizing who God is in all His holiness and power, understanding our accountability to Him, and yet knowing that this awesome God loves us and invites us into relationship with Him. This kind of fear is actually healthy because it makes us face reality. We’re all on death row in a sense—we’re all going to die and face eternity. That sobering reality should drive us to seek God while He may be found. The thief’s fear made him turn to Jesus, not away from Him. When you recognize both God’s justice and His mercy, both His holiness and His love, that reverent fear becomes the doorway to salvation. This is what Jesus’ second word on the cross was about: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”