Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
As a Pastor I am afraid that many Christians have lost
their fear of God and His coming judgment. While many Christians work hard in
their Reverence of God and in their need to be good servants of God, others
lack both. As Solomon said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter”
he is saying, of all I have written, this is what is most important for you
all. As a Minister teaches, there is normally some conclusion to the end of our
sermons. Something most important about the sermon or study that you need to
carry with you in your mind. This is Solomons conclusion is, “Fear God, and
keep his commandments” because “this is the whole duty of man..” Not
only Christians but the entire population of the earth. Now the lost will not
fear God because God said on them, Rom. 3:18 “There is no fear of God
before their eyes.” Lost people do not serve God, and neither are they
required to because they are condemned already. Therefore, David wrote in Psa. 36:1 “…The
transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God
before his eyes.” Therefore, their judgment will be at the Great White
Throne at the end of the world, and their judgment will be condemnation “because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.”
John 3:18b However, all Christians
will stand before Jesus for our judgment, and our judgment will not be with
grace as our salvation was, it will be bold. God said through Solomon, “…for
this is the whole duty of man.” because we have been delivered by the grace
of God and the sacrifice of Jesus and cleaned through His blood. God has done
everything for us in our salvation, nothing was required on our part. However,
after salvation there is an important and responsible requirement, “If we
live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Gal. 5:25 If you are a
Christian, imagine a day when you are required to stand before Jesus and answer
why you failed to fear God so much that you failed to walk in His grace. That
you rejected His word so much that you did not Reverence Him enough in your
life to walk in the Spirit. So, why is this judgment without grace, because
after we were redeemed by God’s grace we had many spiritual gifts, spiritual
ears and eyes to see and hear God’s commandments, the Holy Spirit to teach us
His commandments, and yet we did not have enough reverence and love for God to
obey the His word. God has already given us so much grace in making us His
children, that our only responsibility as the recipients is to Reverence God,
Love God, and to obey His commandments. This is why God said, “For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or
whether it be evil.” I do not believe as many commentators have written
that this is speaking to all people, The reason is because lost people are already
condemned, and they have no good works to be judged for. Therefore, it is us,
the Christian that God is speaking too. It is many of the receivers of God’s
mercy and grace and the very souls that God loved so much that He sent His own Son
to die at the hand of wicked souls for our salvation. There are many that are
saved that have shut their eyes and ears to God’s word, and yes even some churches
who no longer fear and love God enough to search the scriptures and walk as the
Holy Spirit teaches us. Beloved, we are responsible to fear God and to walk in
His word, as written and not as we think it is written. We are to remember the
grace that brought us to salvation, and to look at this lost and dying world
and remember that before grace and salvation, this is what we were delivered
from. Therefore, here is my conclusion, “this is the whole duty of man” that
we not only to fear God, but love God so much that we “Fear God, and keep
his commandments” because if we fail, all our good works could be lost in
the fire of judgment. And if so, we shall suffer loss, “If any man's work
shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as
by fire.” 1Cor. 3:15 What is your judgment day going to be like? Will
you have any crowns and rewards from the Lord? Will you be a member of the Bride
of Christ? Now is the time to answer those questions.
