Naughty or Nice?
Day 3—You don’t stop sinning by trying harder. You stop sinning by staying nearer.
Fearing God Because We Know Him
I think our desire not to sin is often shaped more by Santa Claus than by Scripture. Stay with me. I love Christmas. Not Santa. But the celebration of Christ's birth into our world.
Still, many believers treat God the way children treat Santa.
Do good and He blesses you.
Do wrong and He gives you coal.
Naughty or nice.
Blessing or curse.
Performance equals reward.
But that is not how God sees sin.
And it is not how Israel, God’s chosen people, understood sin.
They didn’t treat sin like a scorecard.
They treated it like a broken relationship.
Sin broke covenant
Israel didn’t see sin through the lens of guilt or feelings. Sin violated covenant. It was treason against the God who rescued them. It tore the relationship they depended on.
Sin created real impurity
Sin wasn’t symbolic. It made a person spiritually unclean. And an unclean person could not enter God’s presence. They needed cleansing before they could draw near again.
Sin required sacrifice
God designed a system that taught them something vital. Sin always costs something. Blood was a painful reminder that rebellion destroys life. Yet God, who sustains life, provided the only path back. And one day, for you and me, He would choose Himself as the ultimate sacrifice.
Sin offended a holy God
Holiness wasn’t an idea. It was a blazing, terrifying reality at the center of their lives. God’s presence wasn’t casual. It was weighty, glorious, overwhelming. Sin was dangerous precisely because God was near.
Sin affected the whole community
Hidden sin defiled the camp. They understood that nothing is private before God. What one man hid eventually harmed everyone around him.
So why did Israel see sin this way?
Because they knew God.
They had seen His power.
They had walked under His cloud, crossed through His sea, and trembled at His mountain.
Their fear wasn’t superstition.
Their fear was relationship.
• They feared God because they knew Him
• The righteous trembled because they experienced Him
• Their fear was relational, not distant
• Their trembling produced obedience, not avoidance
• Their awe grew as they remembered His works
Scripture gives us windows into this kind of trembling awe.
Psalm 119:120
“My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments.”
This is not terror. This is awe. A heart overwhelmed by the holiness, faithfulness, and reality of God.
Job 4:14
“Fear came upon me, and trembling…”
Job tasted the weight of God’s presence. When the holy comes near, humans shake. Not because God is cruel, but because He is real.
Habakkuk 3:16
“My inward parts trembled… yet I will wait quietly.”
Habakkuk trembled and trusted at the same time. That is the mark of the righteous. Trembling fuels surrender.
Psalm 119:161
“My heart stands in awe of Your words.”
Awe is the climax. The righteous fear God because they know His voice and trust His character.
Never Finished Challenge: Confess
Proper fear comes from revelation.
Revelation produces trembling.
Trembling produces obedience.
Obedience produces joy.
Not dread.
Not panic.
Not punishment fear.
But a holy trembling that rises from knowing God is real, near, and worthy.
Next Step for Today
What sin do you need to confess to a trusted friend, pastor, or spouse?
Begin by confessing it to God.
Then ask for strength to bring it into the light with someone who guards your soul.
What does today say about God?
Restorer.
Jehovah Raah is the Shepherd who restores. Over and over, God extended mercy to Israel. Scripture says He is “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” And now, in Jesus, that mercy has stretched across thousands of years.
I don’t know about you, but I can barely extend mercy for twenty minutes. God extends it across generations for thousands of years. Because restoring is what He does. It is who He is.
What a King.
What a Father.
What a Friend.
Thank You, Jesus.
Brother, this message was truly powerful and it spoke deeply to my heart. The way he explained sin as a broken relationship and not just a scorecard is exactly what Scripture shows us. Isaiah 59 : 2 says that our sins separate us from God, but through Jesus we are brought near again just like Ephesians 2 : 13 says we who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. The reminder about holy fear is also so true because Psalm 119 : 120 says my flesh trembles for fear of You and my heart stands in awe of Your words. That kind of fear comes from knowing God personally, not running from Him but drawing closer to Him. Brother, I also want to request your prayers for our ministry here in India. We are doing the work with whatever little we have and trusting God every day for His grace and provision. And sir, I tried to message you many times but maybe my messages did not reach you or got missed. I am not blaming you at all, but just sharing honestly because we truly need your prayers and guidance. Please remember us in your prayers as we continue the ministry. May God strengthen you and bless all the work you are doing for His kingdom.