Fear of God Defined
The fear of God is of
several kinds:
Superstitious, which is the fruit
of ignorance;
servile, which leads to abstinence
from many sins through apprehension of punishment; and
filial, which has its spring in
love, and prompts to care not to offend God and to endeavor in
all things to please him. It is another term for practical piety
and comprehends the virtues of the godly character (Psa. III
:10; Prov. 14:2), while its absence is characteristic of a
wicked and depraved person (Rom. 3:18). It is produced in the
soul by the Holy Spirit, and great blessing is pronounced upon
those who possess this Christian trait: His angels protect them
(Psa. 34:7); they are "under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psa.
91 :5, 6).
This fear would subsist in a pious soul were there no punishment
of sin. It dreads God's displeasure, desires his favor, reveres
his holiness, submits cheerfully to his will, is grateful for
his benefits, sincerely worships him, and conscientiously obeys
his commandments. Fear and love must coexist in us in order that
either passion may be healthy, and that we may please and
rightly serve God. "The fear of the Lord" is used for the
worship of God, e. g., "I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (Psa.
34: II), and for the law of God (19:9). The "fear of lsaac"
(Gen. 31 :42, 53) is God, whom Isaac worshiped with reverent
awe.
The "fear of man" is that dread of the opinions of our neighbors
which makes us cowards in the performance of those duties which
we fancy they do not practice (Prov.29:25).
