God has given each of us a sense of right and wrong—a moral awareness which speaks of His existence from the very core of our being. This is why people in all civilizations throughout history have felt obliged by their conscience to appease, in one way or another, what they perceive as their god.

But God has given an incomplete revelation of Himself to most men, which has confined them to a limited perception of Him. So they set about instituting religious practices designed to placate this awesome presence, which they don’t understand but instinctively know exists. These practices commonly take the form of works and rituals rooted in fear. In other words, “I have to do something to try to please this god (or gods), in order to avoid their wrath and thus have some hope of blessing in my life.” Fear is the foundation of most religions in our world today, as well as those down through history.

However, fear of an angry, vengeful deity is never what God had in mind in revealing Himself to man. The fear of God— accurately defined as a profound and healthy respect for His awesome Person and power—is indeed the basis for our Christian faith, but it’s not the cowering dread assumed by people in most religions. Why not? Because, along with His many other attributes, the very nature of God is love, kindness, faithfulness, mercy, goodness and holiness. God always intended that He be perceived by mankind in this very way. Right from the start He has wanted us to have a healthy sense of His personal reality.