The Church Has Lost the Fear of the Lord

Jude 14–15: “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’” At the beginning of Jude’s letter, he writes that he wished to speak about the joy of salvation, but instead felt compelled to warn believers. False teachings had entered the church, corrupting congregations and leading people astray. Jude understood that protecting sound doctrine was not secondary—it was essential. Today, we are witnessing a similar problem in the modern church. Some would argue the issue is even more widespread than in Jude’s day because false teachings have spread broadly across the West and become normalized in many churches. The church has increasingly lost the fear of the Lord. For decades, many have emphasized grace while neglecting judgment, repentance, holiness, and accountability before God. Grace is glorious, but grace divorced from repentance becomes something Scripture never teaches. This shift may help explain why expository preaching—walking faithfully through the whole counsel of God—has often been replaced with selective topical preaching. Difficult passages about judgment, sin, and the fear of God are easier to avoid when sermons are built around preferred themes rather than Scripture itself. Yet Jesus spoke plainly about who we are to fear: Luke 12:4–5:“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 your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Why then is so much of the Western church afraid of man? Christ was crucified for proclaiming truth. The apostles suffered persecution. The early church endured imprisonment and death. Yet many believers today fear offending culture more than grieving God. The Gospel is offensive because it confronts sin and calls sinners to repentance. But its offense is not cruelty—it is mercy. The warning of judgment exists because God calls people to salvation. My prayer is that church leaders would recover a holy boldness and a reverent fear of the Lord. The world does not need a church that mirrors culture; it needs Christians willing to proclaim truth with conviction, humility, and courage. One day, every one of us will stand before God in judgment. My prayer is that on that day we will hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”