When You Lose the Fear of God: Understanding Humanity's Greatest Threshold

The Beginning of Everything 

To understand why the cross was necessary, we must return to the beginning. In Genesis 3:4-5, the serpent tells Eve, "You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." This moment represents humanity crossing a critical threshold—the boundary of the fear of the Lord. 

Think of a threshold as a boundary that, once exceeded, triggers a change or begins a new process. In the Garden of Eden, that boundary was the fear of the Lord—simple obedience to God. When Adam and Eve's lack of reverence exceeded that boundary, it triggered a new era. Sin took hold, and humanity fell. 

Proverbs 19:23 reminds us: "The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil." This fear isn't about cowering in terror but living in awe-filled respect and obedience to our Creator. 

The Garden's Simple Command 

God placed humanity in paradise with one explicit command. Of everything in the garden, they could eat freely—except from one tree. The pre-fall condition was about enjoying God's goodness while trusting and obeying Him. 

Here's what we often miss: the focus shouldn't be on what was forbidden but on the abundance that was freely given. "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely"—that's freedom in God. Yet our culture fixates on restrictions, claiming Christianity is narrow and limiting. The truth? There's a host of things we can freely do and freely be within the boundaries of God's plan. 

God's command was a loving boundary, a line drawn in love to protect humanity from the burden of self-rule. Eating from that tree wasn't just about fruit—it was about choosing to govern ourselves, to define good and evil on our own terms, apart from God. 

The Same Old Sin 

What happened in Eden wasn't new. Before humanity's creation, Lucifer—believed to be in charge of worship in heaven—committed the original sin. Isaiah 14:12-14 records his five declarations of rebellion: "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God... I will make myself like the Most High." 

Satan, at the most elevated place, beholding God's glory, somehow grew comfortable and casual before God. He exceeded the threshold, his fear of the Lord waned, and pride consumed him. He led away a third of heaven's angels in rebellion. 

The same temptation came to humanity: "You will be like God." It's the sin of self-governance, of determining our own moral compass apart from our Creator. This is what we witness culturally today—a society that has abandoned absolute truth and lost its way morally and ethically. 

Proverbs 14:12 warns: "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Frank Sinatra's anthem "My Way" may be iconic, but doing life your own way leads to death. It's His way—the narrow path to heaven—or your way—the broad highway to hell. 

The Protective Boundaries 

God's boundaries aren't arbitrary restrictions but protective guidelines for our spiritual and physical wellbeing. Consider moral purity. The instruction to abstain from sexual impurity protects us from harm against both spirit and body. Hormonal impacts can generate addiction and corrupt attractions. Destructive relationships form soul-ties that bind us in unhealthy ways. 

Sexual temptations are examples of forbidden fruit. God never intended for sexual pleasure to exist outside the boundaries of His design—marriage between a man and woman. The boundaries aren't about denying pleasure but protecting the gift and design of sex within the proper context. 

Why Redemption Was Possible 

Here's something beautiful: while fallen angels cannot be redeemed, humanity can be. Why? Angels weren't created in the image of God, but humans were. Angels don't reproduce or pass on consequences through generations. They're eternal ministering spirits with no genetic lineage. 

But humanity, created in God's image, fell through one man's sin, affecting all. Yet this same design made redemption possible. Jesus couldn't become an angel to redeem angels, but He could become human to redeem humanity. We have a mediator, an advocate, a high priest who became man and bore our sins. 

The cross wasn't Plan B. Revelation 13:8 speaks of "the Lamb who has been slain from the foundation of the world." Before humanity was created, before sin entered the world, redemption was already planned. The cross was etched into eternity before we ever reached the garden. 

Returning to the Threshold 

God went through extraordinary measures to restore us to that original threshold—to be governed by Him rather than ourselves, to live within the boundaries of His word. Romans 8:29 reveals that those He foreknew, He predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son. 

The fear of the Lord should keep us in perpetual awe and respect. Not just awareness of eternal death without Jesus, but overwhelming gratitude for all He is and has done. Proverbs 8:13 declares: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate." 

The Choice Before Us 

We're called to love God with all our hearts—not some, but all. To fix our eyes on what He says we may freely do, not on cultural opinions or self-derived morality. The cross reveals both the depths of our need and the heights of God's love. 

Jesus is King—the King of all kings. He's returning for those bought by His blood, those now living under the threshold of the fear of the Lord. The question isn't whether we have a king, but whether we'll acknowledge the One who already reigns. 

Say yes to Jesus. Say yes to His ways. Say yes to life eternal. Place your faith and trust in Him, allowing Him to be Lord of your life. The threshold remains: will we live in reverent awe of our Creator, or will we repeat humanity's ancient rebellion? 

The darkness at Calvary was temporary. But light has come. Walk in the Light.