Vital Godliness: A Treatise on
Experimental and Practical Piety
CHAPTER 13
The Fear of God
God’s word clearly teaches that there is a fear which is
consistent with true religion. Once the Scriptures assert that “the fear of the
Lord is the beginning of knowledge,” (Prov. 1:7); and twice they say that “the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10). There is
no higher wisdom than to fear God, as there is no true wisdom until he is
feared. The fear of God is both alpha and omega in wisdom. “The very first, and
indeed the principal thing, to be instilled into all men’s minds, is a biblical
sense of the divine Majesty, and a solemn regard towards him.” With the
foregoing well agrees the prophet Isaiah: “The fear of the Lord is his
treasure,” (Isa. 33:6). It is the more important to dwell upon this grace, as it
seems not to be much spoken of. Very seldom is it a subject of pulpit discourse;
rarely do we find it treated of at length in modern books; yet the Bible is full
of it. Not only the Old Testament, but the New also, insists upon reverence and
godly fear as essential ingredients of Christian character.
Perhaps one reason why so little is said of it is, that many
minds are confused respecting its qualities. It will therefore be wise to seek
to understand its nature, and the difference between it and all those kinds of
fear which are spurious. Godly fear does not at all consist in servility and
guilty dismay, nor in mere dread and terror. This kind of fear is neither holy
nor useful. Indeed it sadly perverts men, and fits them for a life of sin.
“Fear, if it has not the light of a true understanding concerning God wherewith
to be moderated, breeds superstition,” says Hooker.
Godly fear consists with love. This is so true, that the more
we fear God, the more we love him; and the more we love him, the more do we fear
him. Godly fear is not a destroyer, but a regulator of other graces. Without it
faith might become presumptuous, hope might lose its sobriety, love might
degenerate into fondness or sentimentality, and joy might become giddy. But
where the heart is full of godly fear, all these unhappy results are avoided. So
far from agitating, it calms and quiets the mind. It seems to give both gravity
and cheerfulness. It moderates without depressing; it animates without
intoxicating. It is good ballasts to the ship in her passage through tempestuous
seas.
This fear is a fruit of God’s bounty. It is gracious. “Let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.”
Without an interest in God’s favor, we can never make so excellent an
attainment.
Godly fear is a saving grace. It is declared to be a part of
true religion in all dispensations. “They shall fear you as long as the sun and
moon endure, throughout all generations,” (Ps. 72:5). So that religion without
love is not more spurious than religion without godly fear.
One of the most striking features of synagogue worship for
centuries past has been an evident lack of profound reverence for God in the
entire manner of conducting the religious services of the Jews. The basis of
this fear is found in the nature, word, and works of God. Jehovah is “the great
and dreadful God.” We must gain a knowledge of him. “As the justice of God and
his anger must be apprehended before he can be feared slavishly, so the majesty
of God and his goodness must be understood before he can be feared filially. Who
can stand in awe of a majesty he is ignorant of? Men, knowing not God’s nature,
have often presumed so much upon his mercy, that they have been destroyed by his
justice.”
Any right thoughts of God’s amazing purity of nature will
surely beget a pious fear of him. Because he is “glorious in holiness—he is
fearful in praises.” “As the approach of a grave and serious man makes children
hasten their trifles out of the way; so would the consideration of this
attribute make us cast away our idols, and our ridiculous thoughts and designs.”
And not only God’s majesty and holiness, but also his love and mercy beget a
great fear of him. So says the Psalmist, “There is forgiveness with you, that
you may be feared,” (Ps. 130:4). So says Paul, “We receiving a kingdom, let us
have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear,”
(Heb. 12:28). The same is true of God’s power and government. “You are great,
and your name is great in might; who would not fear you, O King of nations?”
(Jer. 10:6, 7). Jesus Christ told us to fear him who had power to cast into
hell, (Luke 12:5). In like manner, to fear and tremble at God’s word is an
effect produced on the heart of all the pious. So the Scriptures teach; so God’s
people experience.
And how often does God awaken sentiments of fear, not only by
exhibitions of his wrath and displays of his power, but by marvelous acts of his
grace and mercy towards the rebellious and perishing, (Ps. 40:3; Acts 2:43).
There are some remarkable examples of the fear of God recorded in Scripture. One
is that of Moses, mentioned in Hebrews 12:21, where it is said that the giving
of the law on mount Sinai produced the deepest awe and even terror. “So terrible
was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake.” A similar record
is made by Isaiah: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on
a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing
above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he
covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy,
holy is the Lord Almighty; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of
the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with
smoke. Then I said: Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean
lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the
King, the Lord Almighty,” (Isa. 6:1-5)
A still more remarkable effect, if
possible, was produced on the prophet Habakkuk by an unusual display of God’s
glory. The song reads thus: “His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is
full of His praise. His brilliance is like light; rays are flashing from His
hand. This is where His power is hidden. Plague goes before Him, and pestilence
follows in His steps. He stands and shakes the earth; He looks and startles the
nations. The age-old mountains break apart; the ancient hills sink down. His
pathways are ancient. I see the tents of Cushan in distress; the tent curtains
of the
A reason given by Paul for serving God with reverence and
godly fear, is that he “is a consuming fire,” (Heb. 12:28, 29). A very high
degree of holy fear is therefore well founded. There is cause for adoring
reverence for the heavenly Majesty. Although there is not much said in modern
writers respecting the fear of God, yet it is different with those who lived
long ago. Thus says Hall, “There is a trembling that may consist with joy.
Trembling is an effect of fear, but the fear which we must cherish is
reverential, not slavish, not distrustful. I will so distrust myself, that I may
be steadfastly confident in the God of my salvation. I will so tremble before
the glorious majesty of my God, that I may not abate anything of the joy of his
never-failing mercy.”
So also
How clearly too does John Bunyan describe this virtue in his
account of Mr. Fearing. As he says, “No fears, no grace. Though there is not
always grace where there is the fear of hell, yet to be sure there is no grace
where there is no fear of God.” Where this fear of God is genuine, it is not an
occasional exercise, but an abiding principle. “Be in the fear of the Lord all
the day long,” (Prov. 23:17). “Happy is the man who fears always,” (Prov.
28:14). “Rejoice with trembling,” (Ps. 2:11). “Pass the time of your sojourning
here in fear,” (1 Pet. 1:17). We are to “perfect holiness in the fear of God,”
(2 Cor. 7:1). We are to work out our “salvation with fear and trembling,” (Phil.
2:12). When the Holy Spirit rested on Christ, it “made him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord,” (Isa. 11:2, 3). So that it is clear that
there is, there can be no genuine piety—without the fear of God.
Someone may ask how these views agree with the statement of
John, that “there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because
fear has torment. He who fears is not made perfect in love,” (1 John 4:18). The
proper answer is, that John is here speaking of servile fear, which, as he says,
“has torment;” whereas we are speaking of a fear which has no torment.
John Newton says, “The Lord bids me ‘fear not’—and at the
same time he says, ‘Happy is the man who fears always.’ How to fear and not to
fear at the same time is, I believe, one branch of that secret of the Lord which
none can understand but by the teaching of his Spirit. When I think of my heart,
of the world, of the powers of darkness—what cause of continual fear! I am on an
enemy’s ground, and cannot move a step but some snare is spread for my feet. But
when I think of the person, grace, power, care, and faithfulness of my Savior,
why may I not say—I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Almighty is with
us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. I wish to be delivered from anxious and
unbelieving fear, which weakens the hands and disquiets the heart. I wish to
increase in a humble jealousy and distrust of myself and of everything about
me.”
Charnock says, “Men are apt to fear a just recompense for an
injury done to another; and fear is the mother of hatred. God being man’s
superior, and wronged by him, there follows necessarily a slavish fear of him
and his power; and such a fear makes wrathful and embittered thoughts of God,
while he considers God armed with an unconquerable and irresistible power to
punish him.” But the fear which arises from just views of the whole of God’s
character produces very different effects, and is in fact very different in its
nature.
The benefits of godly fear are many and of great value. It is
the best preservative against sinful and dangerous alliances with the wicked.
“do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the Lord Almighty—him you
shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread,” (Isa.
8:12, 13). How many wicked alliances are formed; and for no other reason than
that men are led into them through a lack of sterling religious principle. The
consequence is, misery forever. From how many distressing entanglements men
would be rescued by the fear of the Lord. It also drives away that fear of man.
which brings a snare. Christ says, “Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you
shall fear: Fear Him, who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell;
yes, I say unto you, Fear him,” (Luke 12:4, 5). Christ himself proposes the fear
of God as the great remedy for the fear of man. Nor is there any other that is
found adequate. But this is enough.
How justly does God rebuke that fear of man: “Have you
forgotten the Lord who made you, who stretched out the heavens and laid the
earth’s foundations? Why should you live in constant fear of the fury of those
who oppress you, of those who are ready to destroy you? Their fury can no longer
touch you,” (Isa. 51:12). It is not possible for us to fear God too much, or man
too little. And so surely as we have just conceptions of the eternal power and
majesty of God, we shall have no tormenting fear of the puny arm of mortals.
The fear of the Lord inspires confidence and boldness in a
righteous cause. That this is experienced by all God’s people, has been
illustrated in a thousand striking cases in history, and is clearly declared in
Scripture. “In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and his children shall
have a place of refuge,” (Prov. 14:26). The fear of God is the great
preservative against sin. Nothing could be more important than this. “Keep
yourself out of sin, and fear nothing.” If we can resist all temptations to sin,
and be pure from iniquity, nothing can harm us. This may be done by a proper
fear of God. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the
snares of death,” (Prov. 14:27).
The care of godly men in all ages has been against sin. And
as their spiritual enemies are very many and insidious, they have learned to be
much afraid of that which in others awakens no apprehension. They are cautious
about little sins, and their cry is, “Catch the foxes, the little foxes that
spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes,” (Song 2:15). In ancient
vineyards a tower was erected, and a watch set there for birds, foxes, and
thieves—the three great enemies of the vintage. Birds always, and thieves
sometimes, approached vineyards in the daytime; but foxes commonly came at
night. Larger foxes preyed much on poultry and on smaller animals, but the young
foxes that ventured abroad resorted much to the vineyards. This they did both
day and night. They were numerous, cunning, greedy, and destructive. If there
were many of them, they ruined the vintage. They did their work slyly. Great
vigilance was therefore requisite. Some suppose that in the passage just quoted,
“tender grapes” represent young converts. The truth is that all Christians, and
especially those who have but little knowledge of the deceitfulness of sin and
of the doctrines of Scripture, should be ever on their guard.
But why should we give good heed to little things in the
Christian life? It is a fair question; let it be answered. Many things which
seem to us little are followed by the greatest consequences. One spark of fire
has kindled a flame that burned down a city. A word has often shaped the course
of an empire, or determined the destiny of a soul. Until we see the end of a
thing, we cannot tell whether it is to be great or small in its effects. On
earth we see the end of nothing in moral causes. They are mighty. They take hold
on eternity. Their sweep is everlasting. Their effects are much more certain
than those of natural causes. They work incessantly. Our greatest rivers have
their rise in little springs whose streams are often buried under leaves and
shrubs. The causes now at work in forming men’s character seem contemptible to
many. But a leak, though not larger than a straw, will sooner or later sink a
ship. The smallest opening made by a mole in the bank of a canal, will of itself
grow to a waste of all its waters. One weak link in a chain, causes the vessel
to drift on the rocks. One of the most heroic deeds ever performed was suggested
by the perseverance of the ant. A little white powder or a drop of some poisons
is fatal to human life. A scratch has brought on inflammation that ended in
death. A glance of the eye has led to crimes that will not be forgotten while
eternity endures. A sentence has subverted the labors and schemes of a lifetime.
The greater part of human life is made up of acts that do not seem great in
themselves, but the whole series completes the character. What is lighter than a
word? Yet for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account to
God. What is quicker than thought? Yet as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
As “sands form the mountains, and minutes make the year,” and as syllables
compose the web of the greatest speeches, so many comparatively trivial acts
determine the character.
One harsh word now, another an hour hence, and so on, will
prove a man a churl, [bad mannered; ed.]. A few irreverent words scattered along
through a day mark a man as profane. One stealthy act of pilfering proves a man
a thief. He who would not be convicted of grand larceny, must avoid petty
larceny. He who would not defile his soul with perjury, must shun lying. He who
would not be found a liar, must beware of evasiveness. The sum of human
character is made up of many apparently small things. Every great stream is fed
by many lesser ones.
But what are the “little foxes?” One says they are worldly
thoughts. This is true. Another says they are wrong opinions. This is as true.
Another, no less wisely, says they are our hidden corruptions, our sinful
appetites and passions—which destroy our graces and comforts, quash good
motions, and crush good beginnings. When men fear not little sins—they will soon
fall into presumptuous iniquities. When they are not conscientious about minor
duties, they will soon fail in weightier matters. He who cannot walk well,
cannot run well. Envy is the forerunner of murder, and naturally leads to it.
Covetousness is the fountain of all theft. As a grain of sand will fret a sound
eye and make it weep—so the least sin perceived will tenderly affect a good
conscience. We must take and destroy these little foxes by a right use of the
word of God. The Scripture is clear. It is pure. By it are all God’s servants
warned. We must watch day and night. We must pray frequently and fervently. We
must have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We must make constant application to
the blood of cleansing. Above all, we must be in the fear of the Lord all the
day long. Blessed is the man who avoids little sins and minds little duties; in
the great events of life he shall not be covered with dishonor. His heart is
right. God is with him. Christ will never forsake him. “The fear of the Lord is
clean, enduring forever.”
Another benefit flowing from the fear of the Lord is freedom
from worldly anxiety. In the passage quoted from Habakkuk we saw how wonderfully
the fear of God took possession of the prophet. In the words immediately
following he gives us, that triumphant song: “Even though the fig trees have no
fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the
fields produce no grain, even though the sheep all die and the cattle stalls are
empty, I will still be joyful and glad, because the Lord God is my savior. The
Sovereign Lord gives me strength. He makes me sure-footed as a deer and keeps me
safe on the mountains,” (Hab. 3:17-19)
Thus the greatest degree of holy trembling was followed by
the highest degree of freedom from carking care about temporal affairs. All this
is according to the promise, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, then
contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble,” (Prov. 19:23). The
fear of God also quiets the afflicted soul, and hushes all its agitations on the
bosom of the Eternal. Thus David speaks: “O God, you have rejected us, broken
our defenses; you have been angry; oh, restore us. You have made the land to
quake; you have torn it open; repair its breaches, for it totters. You have made
your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that made us
stagger. You have set up a banner for those who fear you, that they may flee to
it from the bow,” (Ps. 60:1-4).
The fear of the Lord also leads to
communion with God. This is abundantly taught in Scripture. “The secret of the
Lord is with those who fear him; and he will show them his covenant,” (Ps.
25:14). Again, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope
in his mercy,” (Ps.
147:11).
The cultivation of the fear of the Lord is the best means we
can use to promote and retain revivals of genuine religion. Thus Luke,
describing the state of the early church, says, “Then had the churches rest
throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in
the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied,”
(Acts 9:31). On the other hand, if religion be not revived, if the love of many
wax cold, and wickedness abound, here is the way to avoid guilt and to please
God. The prophet Malachi lived in times of unusual and dreadful apostasy and
sin, when men called the proud happy, when they that wrought wickedness were set
up, when those who tempted God were even delivered. Yet he says, “Then those who
feared the Lord spoke often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard
it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the
Lord, and who thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says the Lord
Almighty, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man
spares his own son that serves him,” (Mal. 3:16, 17).
In fine, without the fear of the Lord no service is
acceptable, however decent, however costly, however painful. But with the fear
of God, any commanded service is pleasing to God, however poor our offering may
otherwise be. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter—Fear God and keep
his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
