What Keeps You From Sinning?

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” Exodus 20:20

You and I sin when we don't fear God.
When we fear God, our fear of Him keeps us from sinning.
Fearing God.

"But what about Jesus dying for our sins?  We don't have to be afraid of God sending us to hell anymore.  God's not angry with anyone any more because Jesus died for all sin and every sin.  He may be sad.  But God doesn't and can't get angry any more, right?"

Some say or believe or argue this.  But God said through the prophet Malachi,

"I, the LORD, do not change."

And the word of God also says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever."

The blood of Jesus does not decrease God's holiness or His hatred of evil.

Because we honor the blood of Jesus, we even more so fear God.  We love what He loves, and we hate what He hates.  We focus on doing what honors Him, and we dare not dishonor Him.  Not out of a fear of hell, but out of a supreme respect for who God is. 

It's like a child who sheds tears at the mere look of a displeased father, or at the thought of his dishonor.  It's her dad's character that the daughter respects so much that his shame for her sinful actions would devastate her.  It's his dad's love and friendship that the son cherishes so deeply that to betray him would shatter the son.

Yet this daughter and son know their dad as a man of impeccable integrity, that their dad does not and will not tolerate crime or wrongdoing under his roof.  They are not just respectful of his love, friendship, and character.  They respect his fierce devotion to a righteous life.  They respect his anger towards evil, and they dare not be the object of it.

This is how it is to fear God.
This is what keeps you from sinning.