Posted on April 23, 2025, 9:47 a.m. by Rev. Shobayo Kayode, The Gospel Study Centre
“They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” (2 Kings.17:33) It sounds confusing, isn’t it? To fear the Lord and at the same time serve other gods. It is confusing in deed! The story of the people that were brought from Babylon to dwell in Samaria (2 King.17:24-33) gives perspective to the confusion. The people of Babylon that were placed in the cities of Samaria by the king of Assyria were being killed by lions because the people did not know how to worship the God of the land. (2 Kings.17:26) The king thereby sent a Samarian Priest to dwell among the people and teach them how they should fear the God of the land. As the people were being taught how to fear the Lord, every nation continued to make gods of its own. They were taught how they should fear the Lord, (2 Kings.17:28) not how they should love Him. From the biblical story, it is evident that it is possible that one can fear the Lord and serve another god. The people only fear God as a result of the situation and circumstances they were faced with. No wonder both the old and the new testaments of the Bible were so emphatic on the need to love the Lord. “You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deut.6:5, Matt.22:37) Our Lord Jesus Christ described the love for God as the great commandment in the law. (Matt.22:36,37) The call to love God is to be devoted whole heartedly to God. It means making Him the foundation of one’s thought that comes from the soul, the decision from the mind, the action that comes from the heart and the strength with which to serve and live a life that reflects God. The ability to love God is rooted in His love for us. The Bible says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John.4:19) Our love for Him is based on His love that was manifested towards us, that He sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John.4:9) We can only live through Him when we let Him be the foundation of our thoughts, our actions and our decisions. One should be motivated by love for God rather than fear. The story of the people brought from Babylon to Samaria shows that the people fear God because of the circumstance they were faced with. The Bible says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (1 John.4:18) The people have no love for God. Believer’s love for God should not be based on circumstances or conditions, but be so strong that it even eliminates any fear of God’s wrath or judgement. God is not to be seen as someone that is fear-driven. The Bible tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim.1:7) One can be more obedient to God when one truly loves Him. It is natural that one doesn’t want to offend someone that one truly loves, but tend to avoid someone that one fear. Brethren, Jesus Christ told us that loving God is the great commandment in the law, we should therefore make loving Him our desire. We should think about Him always, spend time in His presence through reading His word, praying to Him, and ensuring that everything we do is done out of love for Him. May the good Lord grant us the desire to truly love God in Jesus precious name. Amen Evangelism God loves you even as you are yet to give your life to Him. I encourage you to give your life to Him. Rev. Shobayo Kayode The Gospel Study Centre
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