Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

Solomon began his writing of the proverbs with six sermonic verses for an introduction to his main thought for all the pithy sayings he would offer:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1:7). He says to begin to gain understanding you must start by acknowledging that God is the supreme power over all of life. It's like saying if you want to learn to read you must start by learning the letter A. God is the letter A, the beginning of the knowledge of reading. It is a waste of time to seek wisdom and understanding if you don't have the proper reverence of the almighty God. 

Throughout the scriptures we are told to fear God. The context isn't that we should be emotionally distressed or see God as an impending danger to us, but that we should hold God in such high regard because of His holiness, that it should establish a reverential awe in us of Him. A deep sense of RESPECT and esteem for God's excellence is what the bible tries to deliver to us, not a feeling of dread or apprehension. 

When homes were first provided with electricity there were many who didn't understand the science so they were fearful of it. The power of electricity is to be respected more than feared. The improvements it offered soon turned that fear to adoration. 

Isaiah 11:1,2..There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. We know Isaiah is prophesying the advent of the Christ Jesus. We also know that Jesus and the Father are one and He had a great reverence for His Father, but no dread of Him. This is the "fear" we are to have of the Lord. 

1Jn 4:18.. Perfect love casts out fear... fear is about punishment.... He means that fear is caused by an expectation of impending doom. That's not the concern of a saint. Love is perfected (ideal, the saint is to be a model to be imitated) in the saint, "so that [he] may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as [ Jesus ] is so also are we in this world" (1Jn 4:17). 

Perfect love (God abiding in the believer, God is love) expels, drives out the impending doom (fear of judgment) that was there before regeneration by the Spirit of God. 

The fear of the Lord (the reverential awe and respect) is in the believer to give wisdom and instruction, justice, judgment, and equity; to give subtly to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion (Prov. 1:2-4). 

We're not told to dread God, but to respect (reverence) Him.

February 13 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

In the ideal world that God created, humans were meant to live in a relationship of everlasting, harmonious fellowship and mutual love with God. However, because of the presence of sin in this fallen world, and although humans (especially Christians) are to aspire (in the case of Christians, with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit) to the perfection of which John is speaking, none of them (including Christians) are capable of completely achieving it in this life.

That does not serve as an excuse for not continually striving to attain it, but, just as the reward that will await them in eternity should serve as an incentive in that regard, a fear of discipline or punishment from God (either temporally or eternally) (from a negative perspective), or a fear of disappointing God after His sacrifice of His own Son to make salvation possible (from a positive perspective), should motivate Christians to do their utmost in this life to achieve it (Luke 12:4-5).

February 03 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair

Why yes, we are told that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7) [as per Danny] and that we should “serve the Lord with fear” (Ps. 2:11). The psalmist said, "My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments." (Psalm 119:120).

It is the kind of fear that motivates us to "cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion" (2 Cor. 7:1). The complete verse goes like this: "Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV

It is the same attitude Peter commands when he says, "fear God" (1 Pet. 2:17), and it is the posture the psalmist describes when he writes, "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling" (Ps. 2:11)--showing that reverence and joy are not enemies.

Indeed, the writer of Hebrews perfectly balances these concepts, instructing us to be grateful for the kingdom while simultaneously offering worship "with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29). [28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.] 

This is the fear that Zechariah prophesied would characterize God's people: serving Him "without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days" (Lu. 1:74-75)--a fear that is actually the absence of terror and the presence of reverent devotion.

March 06 2026 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Daniel Veler Supporter

Your question, Why are we told to fear God when perfect love casts out all fear? (1 John 4:18)

If you read verse 17 with 18 you will get a better understanding of what John was talking about. 
1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”

Those who are made perfect in the Love of God have no fear of the judgment to come. The Love that God puts in your heart brings you into the knowledge and understanding of your standing in the Lord. This love gives you confidence of the salvation that has been given to you through Christ. 

Proverbs 14:26 “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

The love that makes you perfect is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that the Lord has bestowed upon you. This love dispels all fears of the judgment that awaits.
This is what John was referring to. There are two types of the fear of the Lord. One type that a person will experience in their lifetime is when they are lost. Whenever someone hears the gospel and its truth is revealed to them, they tremble with fear, knowing they are condemned in the eyes of God. They realize now that they will suffer the punishment God has in store for them. 

This is why it’s important to preach the gospel unto the Lost.
When a person turns to the Lord he is given his Love to cast the fear of judgment from him.
Should we as Christian’s fear the Lord. Absolutely! But it is a reverence fear and not a condemning fear. 
In this life, a father corrects his children when they disobey him. Similarly, our Heavenly Father will correct his children. 

As it is written.
Hebrews 12:7 “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom
the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
This is what Christian fears. Knowing that the Lord will chastise them. As the apostle wrote if you have never been chastised by the Father you are none of his.
As to the phrase everyone points to, “fear of the Lord”. You must come to understand what it means.
It is written that the early Christians walked in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9:31 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Walking in the fear of the Lord is not a trembling fear like many want to to believe. It is much more.
If you lookup every scripture concerning the fear of the Lord and list them you will understand what the apostle meant that they walked in the fear of the Lord.
Do this. That the phrase” walking in the fear of the Lord”, apply its meaning to it and you will begin to see what walking in the Fear of the Lord really means.
Here are some examples.
Walking in the fear of the Lord is wisdom and understanding. The Christian’s were walking with wisdom and understanding. 

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Christians were walking hating the evil they once walked in.

Proverbs 16:6 “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.


What does the scriptures tell us about the fear of the Lord?

Psalms 34:11 “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Verse 12 “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Now there are many more things that refer to the fear of Lord. You just need to come to understand which applies to the children of God and which ones apply to the Lost.

1 day ago • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report