FEAR GOD

"Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." — Hebrews 4:1 [KJV]

Fear without faith enslaves the soul to wrath and bondage. Faith without fear tends to licentiousness. But a loving, filial fear of offending our dear Father and precious Saviour, ever accompanies the grace of faith in the heart. Jesus is the rest of His people. This rest is by promise: and therefore it is sure to all His spiritual seed. They now enter into it and enjoy it by faith. But, from awful instances of others falling away from the hope of Jesus, the apostles ever exercised a loving fear and a godly jealousy over their dear converts, lest any of them should even seem to come short through unbelief. 

The Lord only knoweth who are His elect according to the covenant of grace. This did not lie open to the eyes even of His chosen apostles. It could only be made manifest by their faith and its fruits. Hence they were continually exhorting disciples to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. To work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Not with a fear of suspicion of the love and faithfulness of a covenant God; but nothing doubting the finished work of Jesus' salvation, or the safety and security of every believer in Him. These are truths of the greatest certainty and are to be held with the strongest confidence. 

But so to fear, lest their own souls should at any time be so captivated by the devices of Satan, so enslaved by the snares of the world, so allured by the lusts of the flesh, and the pleasures of sense, so kept from Jesus by the workings of unbelief, that their conduct should give sad evidence of their state. Lest it should seem they sought other lovers but Jesus, other rest but in Him, other hope and other comforts beside those which the gospel affords. So the apostles were excited to a godly fear over their professing brethren. Blessed also art thou, disciple, who thus fearest continually. By this evangelical fear, verily thou shalt be kept from departing from the Lord. 

Count not this fear LEGAL, as though it tended to bondage. Nay, but it is a fruit of thy Father's love, a grace of the gospel-covenant. It is as essential to the health of thy soul as faith is to thy being a disciple of Jesus. "Be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long." If at any time this fear is cast off, thou art that moment in danger of falling. But "in the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge."— Proverbs 14:26.

Praise, everlasting praise be paid 

To Him that earth's foundation laid; 

Praise to the God whose strong decrees 

Sway the creation as He please.

Praise to the goodness of the Lord, 

Who rules His people by His word; 

And there, as strong as His decrees, 

He sets His kindest promises.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)