To fear God is to have such a holy awe of God upon our hearts, that we dare not sin. “Stand in awe and sin not.” Psalm 4:4. The wicked sin and fear not; the godly fear and sin not. “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Gen 39:9… He who fears God will not sin, though it be ever so secret. “You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind—but shall fear your God.” Lev 19:14.
Suppose you should curse a deaf man, he could not hear you; or suppose you were to lay a stumbling-block in a blind man’s way, and cause him to fall, he could not see you do it. But the fear of God will make you forsake sins which can neither be heard nor seen by men! The fear of God destroys the fear of man.
The three Hebrew children feared God, therefore they feared not the king’s wrath. Dan 3:16. The greater noise, drowns the less; the noise of thunder, drowns the noise of a river. Just so, when the fear of God is supreme in the soul, it drowns all other carnal fear. It makes God to be God to us, when we have a holy filial fear of Him." And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon the earth” (1 Peter 1:17)
“Labor to get the fear of God into your hearts. As a levee embankment keeps out the flood waters, so the fear of the Lord keeps out moral uncleanness. Those who lack the fear of God, lack a bridle that should check them from sin. Bernard calls holy fear, janitor animae, the door-keeper of the soul. As a nobleman’s porter stands at the door, and keeps out vagrants, so the fear of God stands and keeps sinful temptations from entering.”
~Thomas Watson
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