First, some basic definitions. I'll be using “fear of man” and “respect of persons” interchangeably. These two terms describe the same attitude which holds the opinions/approval of men in higher esteem than they should be held. This concern for man's approval can be motivated by fear of reprisal, but more frequently it's caused by the desire to fit in. The Bible speaks in broad, but clear terms about the fear of man. It is a snare to righteous living (Prov. 29:26), it is sin (James 2:9), and it causes the perversion of justice (Lev. 19:15).
Fear of man promotes the corruption of churches
I want to point out that much of Christian culture actually encourages fear of man. One obvious example of this is the fear of “going against the pastor”. I've seen many churchgoers who are afraid of saying anything contrary to their pastor. They claim the Bible as the ultimate authority, but their fear of one man's opinion makes them hesitate to follow Scripture, their conscience, and the Lord. When you see people who are afraid to discuss doctrine without including a pastor or other authority figure, this is certainly true of them. Similarly, there is a great fear of openly questioning the pastor's judgment or saying anything critical, even if it's constructive. In reality, I dare say every church could benefit from a healthy discussion, even debate, on doctrine. In the parable of the soils, is there only one soil that represents a saved person, or three? Is Calvinism Biblical? What about theistic evolution? In any church, it's unlikely that any two people see everything exactly the same. Imagine how robust our knowledge of Scripture would be if every church member openly and compassionately discussed any disagreement in doctrine! (Hey, you might even convince someone!) But in what church is this standard practice? The church culture promotes silent passive obedience. Anyone who voices a dissenting opinion is branded a troublemaker, no matter how loving their tone. The average churchgoer thinks, “I don't want to be a troublemaker, I'll just show up, smile at everyone, and grit my teeth when the pastor says something I disagree with.” Thus, fear of man dominates the church landscape.
This may sound like a small thing, but it tends to compound other errors. I've recently seen a church fall to such a degree that they're now preaching heresy to the surrounding community. I know for a fact there are men at this church who know better. However, they don't speak up against this problem because they are afraid of rocking the boat, disagreeing with the pastor, and losing their social status. I have to wonder how often this story is repeated around the globe. How many churches have become unbiblical, heretical, silly, or irrelevant even though they had members who were strong in the faith? How many churches have fallen away because men who knew better were too cowardly to stand up for Biblical doctrine? I imagine those cowards will have much to answer for.
Fear of man hinders the spread of the Gospel
While I'm on the subject of cowardice, this leads me discuss evangelism, another aspect of Christian life in which fear of man is accepted by the church culture. It's normal and acceptable for a churchgoer to share the gospel little, if ever. When evangelism is discussed, so much of what is said is just excuses for those who don't share the gospel, often out of cowardice. There is this perception that the average Christian is too weak/timid to share the gospel with the lost, so they need a lot of training, encouragement, and hand-holding. I'm increasingly convinced this is nonsense. The average churchgoer has little/no interest in evangelistic training, and most of those that do get training never put it into practice. They're more than content to show up to church, put money in the offering, and walk away justified that they're doing their part for missions. I don't buy any of the other excuses. “I don't know how.” Well, if you've been a Christian for more than a few months, you've had plenty of time to figure that out. But then again, if you figured it out, you'd lose that excuse, wouldn't you?
There is a great need for someone to stand up and say: “Your fear of man is a sin. Your lack of love for the lost is a sin. You don't need me to hold your hand, you need to repent.” The cold churchgoer doesn't need to be built up, he needs to be broken and humble before the Lord! Yes, there is a place for discipleship/teaching/training, of course. However, if we want churchgoers to get on board with the Lord's mission, it has to start with repentance. If we want zealous men and women with hearts on fire for the Lord and the lost, that doesn't come through training. That comes when we repent of our sin, draw close to the Lord, and say, “I'll start fearing you more than fearing men. I'll do whatever you'd have me to do.” Then and only then will our training/discipleship have any meaningful effect.
How about you, friend? Are you afraid that the world and quite possibly your church might think of you as a zealot? Have you found it enticing that you can earn a sort of respectability with the lost as long as you're quiet about sin, hell, and Jesus? Maybe there's something unbiblical going on in your church, but you've been quiet until now. Well, I dare say that the fear of man is a sin that has rooted itself deeply into your life. Repent. The Lord will forgive your sin and coldness. Draw close to Him, read Scripture, and obey it. Continue in this and you will find yourself developing the heart and mind of Christ, which includes a love for the lost, and a fear of God alone (Matt 10:28-39).
