Of the Fear of God. [Filial vs. Servile Fear]

Section 1.4. Of the Fear of God.

Hitherto of the exhortation. The direction follows. In the fear of the Lord. [Acts 9:31] This clause is added, to declare partly the means, how men may be brought to submit themselves readily to one another: and partly the manner, how they ought to submit themselves. The fear of the Lord is both the efficient cause that moves a true Christian willingly to perform all duty to man, and also the end whereunto he refers every thing that he does. For the better conceiving whereof, I will briefly declare—

1. What this fear of the Lord is.

2. How the Lord is the proper object of it.

3. What is the extent thereof.

4. Why it is so much urged.

What the Fear of God Is. The Causes of It.

I. First, fear of God is an awful respect of the Divine Majesty. Sometimes it arises from faith in the mercy and goodness of God: for when the heart of man has once felt a sweet taste of God's goodness, and found that in His favor only all happiness consists, it is stricken with such an inward awe and reverence, as it would not for any thing displease his Majesty, but rather do whatsoever it may know to be pleasing and acceptable unto Him. For these are two effects which arise from this kind of fear of God:

Two Effects of Filial Fear of God

1. A careful endeavor to please God, in which respect good king Jehoshaphat having exhorted his judges to execute the judgment of the Lord aright, adds this clause as a motive thereunto, Let the fear of the Lord be upon you: [2 Chron 19:6-7] implying thereby that God's fear would make them endeavor to approve themselves to God.

2. A careful avoiding of such things as offend the Majesty of God, and grieve His Spirit: in which respect the wiseman says, The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: [Prov 8:13] and of Job it is said that he fearing God departed from evil. [Job 1:1; cf. Job 28:28]

Sometimes again, awe and dread of the Divine Majesty arises from diffidence: For when a man's heart doubts of God's mercy, and expects nothing but vengeance, the very thought of God strikes an awe or rather dread into him, and so makes him fear God.

Differences Between Filial and Servile Fear

From this double cause of fear, whereof one is contrary to another, has arisen that usual distinction of a filial or son-like fear, and a servile or slavish fear: which distinction is grounded on these words of the apostle, ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear [Rom 8:15] (this is a servile fear) but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father: this causes a filial fear. The filial fear is such a fear as dutiful children bear to their fathers. But the servile fear is such an one as bondslaves bear to their masters. A son fears simply to offend or displease his father: so as it is accomplished with love. A bondslave fears nothing but the punishment of his offence; so as it is joined with hatred: and such an one fears not to sin, but to burn in hell for sin. Faithful Abraham like a gracious child feared God (as God's angel bears witness, Gen 22:12) when he was ready rather to sacrifice his only son, than offend God by refusing to obey His commandment. But faithless Adam like a servile bondslave feared God (as he himself testifies against himself, Gen 3:10) when after he had broken God's commandment, he hid himself from the presence of God. This slavish fear is a plain diabolical fear (for the devils so fear as they tremble). [James 2:19] It makes men wish there were no hell, no day of judgment, no Judge, yea no God. This is that fear without which we must serve the Lord. [Luke 1:74] In this fear to submit one's self is nothing acceptable to God: It is therefore the filial fear which is here meant.

How God is the Proper Object of Fear

II. Secondly, of this fear God is the proper object, as by this and many more testimonies of scripture is evident, where the fear of God and of the Lord is mentioned. This fear has so proper a relation unto God, as the scripture styles God by a kind of property, with this title Fear: for where Jacob mentions the fear of Isaac, he means the Lord whom Isaac feared. [Gen 31:42,53]

Question. Is it then unlawful to fear any but God?

Answer. No: Men also may be feared, as princes, parents, masters and other superiors; For the apostle exhorting to give every one their due, gives this instance, fear to whom fear is due. [Rom 13:7] But yet may God notwithstanding be said to be the proper object of fear, because all the fear that any way is due to any creature, is due to him in and for the Lord whose image he carries: so as in truth it is not so much the person of a man, as the image of God placed in him, by virtue of some authority or dignity appertaining to him, which is to be feared. If there should fall out any such opposition between God and man, as in fearing man our fear would be withdrawn from God, then the rule of Christ is to take place, which is this, fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. [Matt 10:28]

3. Every Duty to be Seasoned with a Fear of God.

Thirdly, the extent of this true filial fear of God is very large. No one point throughout the whole scripture is more urged than this fear of the Lord. It is often added to other duties, as that whereby they are seasoned, and without which they cannot well be performed: wherefore we are commanded to serve the Lord in fear, [Ps 2:11] to perfect holiness in the fear of God, [2 Cor 7:1] to work out our salvation with fear: [Phil 2:12] and the churches are commended for walking in the fear of the Lord: [Acts 9:31] so likewise particular men as Abram, [Gen 22:12] Joseph, [Gen 42:18] Job, [Job 1:1] and many other: yea the whole worship of God is often comprised under this branch of fear: whereupon our Savior Christ alleging this text, thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, [Deut 6:13] thus expresses it, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. [Matt 4:10] And again where the Lord by His prophet Isaiah says, Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men, [Isa 29:13] Christ thus quotes that text, In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men: [Matt 15:9] out of which places compared together, it is evident, that under the fear of God, is comprised the worship of God. Yea, all that duty which we owe to God and man is comprised under this title, the fear of God: for David when he would in one word declare the sum and substance of all that which a minister ought to teach his people, says, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. [Ps 34:11]

4. Why a Fear of God is So Much Urged.

Fourthly, The reason why the Holy Ghost so much urges the fear of God, and that in so large an extent as has been showed, I take to be this; to show a difference between that integrity and perfection of God's image which was at man's creation first planted in him, and the renovation thereof while here he lives in this world. So complete and perfect was then God's image in man, as he needed no other motive to provoke him to any duty but love. Wherefore when the Holy Ghost would set forth that perfection of God's image first planted in man, he adds this title Love unto other duties, whether they concern God or man. Concerning God, Moses exhorts Israel to love the Lord and serve Him: [Deut 11:13] and again, to love the Lord, to walk in His ways, to keep His commandments, etc. [Deut 30:16] Concerning man, the apostle exhorts to serve one another by love: [Gal 5:13] and to do all things in love. [1 Cor 16:14] Yea, sometimes the Holy Ghost is pleased to comprise all duties under love: In which respect Christ calls this commandment (Thou shalt love the Lord) the great commandment, [Matt 22:38] which comprises all the commandments of the first table under it: and for the second table, Paul says, that love is the fulfilling of the law. [Rom 13:10] But by Adam's fall, and the corruption which thereby infected man's nature, the love of God has waxed cold in man, and though the saints be created again according to that image of God, yet while in this world they live, that image is not so perfect as it was, the flesh remains in the best: in which respect God has fast fixed this affection of fear in man's heart, and thereby both restrains him from sin, and also provokes him unto every good duty.