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"Fear" has a variety of meanings. It may mean the emotional characteristic of the apprehension
of evil; dread, the desire to avoid danger; the wrath or violence of someone, as of God; hence
the dread reverence felt toward God. The writer of Proverbs says, "The fear of Jehovah is
the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10 ASV). "Fear" is used here in the sense of reverence.
One may fear God in the sense of dreading His punishment, or one may fear Him in the sense of
reverencing and loving Him. There is such a thing as trustful fear. Those who put implicit
trust in him through love and reverence may be said to "fear God."
It was said that the Puritan fathers feared nothing but God. This is a fine compliment to them. Jesus taught His disciples to, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28 ASV). It is a well known fact that a great fear can drive out lesser fears from our minds. It may be that Jesus was teaching thus to supplant our fears of man with the fear of God. At any rate, a Christian should not fear to do right. One should not fear the opponents of truth and righteousness. One should fear neither popular applause nor the condemnation of the wicked. Nothing should deter one from doing that which is right and serving God. Jesus was called "Master." He was Master in the sense of "teacher." He was also Master in the sense that He had no fear of man or the devil. He was Master over the situation. Jesus frequently encouraged His disciples by saying, "Fear not." Some translate this command as, "Away with fear!" Jesus taught the multitude in the Sermon on The Mount as He taught His disciples: "Be not anxious" (Matt. 6:25 ASV). As He approached His disciples while walking on the sea, He said to them, "It is I; be not afraid" (Matt. 14:27). Again, He said in the house of mourning, "Fear not, only believe" (Mark 5:36 ASV). And again He said, "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful" (John 14:27 ASV). It seems that no counsel came more often from His lips than the admonition to, "Fear not." Jesus sought to deliver man from the fear of anything but the fear of God. He taught people to trust God. He wanted people to have a holy reverence for God, knowing that this reverence would lead them to loving obedience to His commands. The soul that trusts God and keeps itself in the love of God has no fear of the punishment of the wicked. Those who obey the laws of the land have no fear of the punishment meted out to the disobedient. "For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil" (Rom. 13:3-4 ASV). There is the trustfulness of a child with the one who renders loving obedience to the command of God, but there is a fear of the punishment that is to be meted out by a righteous God on the part of the wicked. One of the saddest and most disturbing conditions of any soul is to be hopeless. Discouragement and despair so often follow hopelessness. But there is joy that accompanies hopefulness. We hope in joy. Hope inspires courage, begets patience, encourages faith, and urges to a life of fuller activities. Jesus knew the sting of the desertion of neighbors, the falsity of friends, the spitefulness of the crowd, and the crucifying pains of injustice, yet through all these He had hope. He died hoping, not hopeless. His disciples are to have the joy, peace, and hope that He had. "We may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us: which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil" (Heb. 6:18-19 ASV). No one can succeed who gives up hope. The Christian's race cannot be run successfully without hope, but the hopeless one is doomed to failure. The darkest moods of the human soul are described by despair and remorse. Remorse grows out of self-reproach, regret, self-pity, and a lack of sympathy. Remorse paralyzes all the nobler powers of the soul and renders it incapable of doing the better things in life. A state of despondency sometimes begets remorse. Fear may lead one to deep sorrow, regret and a hopeless attitude. Remorse looks regretfully and hopelessly back at the past, and turns its face toward the past. Repentance may turn its back on remorse. Remorse feels the frightening clutch of the bad that has been done, while repentance feels the releasing freedom of God who breaks the power of sin. Jesus taught His disciples to be free from the fears rising out of the past. There should be no dread of the punishment of past deeds when one has repented of them. A child of God who is penitent and desires to serve God will have no fear of the punishment for past sins. Jesus stressed the truth of God's forgiveness, and God's forgiving love transforms fear and remorse into repentance, and repentance on the part of the child of God gives assurance of remission of sins. Hence, no energies of the soul should be lost in pining over that which cannot now be helped. There are many who fear death. With the average person, old age has its fears and tragedies. But if one has lived as God teaches, he need have no fear of the results after death. One may dread the ordeal and agony that belong to death. It seems that in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus struggled with the agonies of death. But He overcame them and went calmly and fearlessly to the cross. The trust that we have in God that we have a home beyond death with the angels will take away the sting of death. The agonies of death can continue but for a short time — maybe a few moments. But with the assurance of God's forgiveness, we may pass through the darkness of the tunnel of death to the glorious light that is beyond. The trustful hope of the child of God should take away the fear of death. Everyone must appear before God in judgment. "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged..." (Rev. 20:11-12 ASV). The Heavenly Father holds no unforgiving vengeance against those who live faithfully in this life. Those who love truth and righteousness in this life will love them at the judgment. Thus, there should be no fear with a child of God at the judgment. |