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 wer...