← How to Love God
Contents · 36 / 57
  1. Opening Scripture
  2. Preface
  3. How to Use This Book
  4. Study Features and Diagrams
  5. The Greatest Commandment
  6. What Does It Mean to Love God?
  7. With All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength
  8. Why God Is Worthy of Our Love
  9. We Love Because He First Loved Us
  10. The Gospel and the Transformation of Love
  11. Why We Do Not Naturally Love God
  12. A New Heart That Loves God
  13. Seeing the Glory of God in Christ
  14. Justification, Assurance, and Love
  15. Love, Emotion, and Obedience
  16. Is Love for God an Emotion?
  17. If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments
  18. Loving God When You Do Not Feel Love
  19. Duty, Delight, and the Formation of Holy Affections
  20. The Practices Through Which Love Grows
  21. Knowing God Through Scripture
  22. Loving God Through Prayer
  23. Worship, Praise, and the Lord's Day
  24. Repentance and the Restoration of Fellowship
  25. Obedience in Ordinary Life
  26. Loving God by Loving People
  27. Evangelism, Mission, and Love for God
  28. Loving God Through Suffering
  29. Obstacles, Counterfeits, and Spiritual Warfare
  30. Idolatry and Rival Loves
  31. Legalism, Moralism, and Religious Performance
  32. Emotionalism and the Search for Spiritual Experiences
  33. Distraction, Busyness, and Digital Formation
  34. Temptation, Spiritual Warfare, and Perseverance
  35. Growing in Mature Love
  36. Love and the Fear of God
  37. Loving God With the Mind
  38. Loving God in Community
  39. A Lifetime of Loving God
  40. The Eternal Enjoyment of God
  41. Study and Practice Resources
  42. Key Bible Passages About Loving God
  43. Frequently Asked Questions
  44. Thirty Days: Growing in Love for God
  45. Seven Days for Spiritual Coldness
  46. Why Does God Feel Distant? A Diagnostic Guide
  47. A Flexible Rule of Life
  48. Prayers for Growing in Love
  49. Small-Group Study Guide
  50. Personal Spiritual Assessment
  51. Pastoral Case Studies
  52. Glossary
  53. Recommended Resources
  54. Endnotes, Source Notes, and Bibliography
  55. Scripture Index
  56. Subject Index
  57. Final Exhortation

Growing in Mature Love

Love and the Fear of God

~3 min read

If perfect love casts out fear, why does Scripture repeatedly command the fear of the Lord?

Key passages

Exodus 20:18–21; Deuteronomy 10:12–22; Psalm 130; Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 6:1–8; Luke 12:4–7; Romans 8:14–17; Hebrews 12:18–29; 1 John 4:13–21.

Chapter thesis

Love excludes the terror of final condemnation for those in Christ, but it deepens reverent fear: awe, humility, moral seriousness, and filial concern not to dishonor the holy Father.

Several kinds of fear

The word fear can name terror, caution, reverence, awe, dread of consequences, or humble submission. Context determines the sense. First John addresses fear of punishment in relation to final judgment; perfected love drives out this condemning terror. Romans 8 likewise contrasts slavery leading back to fear with the Spirit of adoption.

Yet Hebrews calls believers to worship with reverence and awe because God is a consuming fire. Proverbs calls the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom. Jesus tells disciples to fear God rather than human threats while immediately assuring them of the Father’s detailed care.

Servile and filial fear

Christian tradition often distinguishes servile fear from filial fear. Servile fear sees God mainly as a threatening master and obeys only to avoid punishment. Filial fear belongs to children who know the Father’s love and therefore tremble at dishonoring him.

The distinction is useful but not absolute. Consequences remain morally relevant, and Scripture gives warnings to believers. Mature fear, however, is not the anxiety of earning adoption. It is reverent love before the holy God who has adopted us at immeasurable cost.

Awe and creatureliness

Modern familiarity can reduce God to a therapeutic companion whose role is to validate. Biblical encounters produce humility, silence, confession, and worship. Isaiah’s vision exposes uncleanness; grace cleanses him and sends him.

Awe does not make intimacy impossible. The wonder of the gospel is that the transcendent Lord draws near without ceasing to be holy. Christian intimacy is never casual equality. It is bold access through the Son.

Fear of people

The fear of God liberates from the controlling fear of people. When God’s verdict is ultimate, approval and rejection are placed in perspective. This produces truthful speech, courage under persecution, and freedom from image management.

Such freedom is not indifference to others. Love listens and seeks peace. It simply refuses to make human opinion the final authority.

Voice from the church: John Calvin

Calvin often described true piety as reverence joined to love of God arising from knowledge of his benefits. That pairing is useful: reverence without grace becomes terror; gratitude without holiness becomes familiarity. Scripture keeps both together in covenant relationship.

Important distinction

Fear of God is not chronic suspicion that he may suddenly condemn the justified. In Christ, reverence grows within peace, adoption, and confidence at the throne of grace.

Chapter summary

Love and fear are not enemies when fear means reverent awe and filial seriousness. Grace removes condemning terror and creates children who approach boldly while honoring the Father’s holiness.

Reflect and discuss

  1. Is your view of God more casual, terrified, or reverently confident?

  2. Whose opinion most competes with the fear of God?

  3. How would filial fear change one temptation?

Practice for this week

Read Isaiah 6 and Hebrews 12:18–29. Write a prayer that combines awe, confession, gratitude, and bold access through Christ.

Prayer

Holy Father, deliver me from both casual presumption and condemning terror. Teach me reverence within adoption, courage before people, and joy before your majesty. Let your holiness become beautiful to me. Amen.