The Fear of God
Main Idea
Pope Shenouda III speaks about the necessity of having the fear of God in the life of a Christian, explaining that this fear does not mean terror or unhealthy fear, but rather awe, reverence, respect, and obedience to God.
Spiritual Message
He emphasizes that speaking about the love of God should not lead a person to take sin lightly or break God’s commandments, because true love does not eliminate the fear of God. Fear is the beginning of the journey, while love represents a higher level in spiritual life, but it does not contradict holy fear.
He explains that perfect love casts out terror, but it does not cast out awe, reverence, and holy fear from the heart. A person begins with the fear of God, then keeps His commandments, and as he grows spiritually, he discovers the sweetness of the commandment and obeys God out of love, while continuing to maintain reverence and awe before God.
He also points out that the New Testament did not abolish the fear of God; rather, it appears in the prayers of the Church and in the teachings of Scripture, through the call to worship with reverence and awe. The person is called to be freed from worldly fear, meaning fear of people or circumstances, and to direct his holy fear toward God.
Pope Shenouda warns that the absence of the fear of God makes a person more bold in sin, while the fear of God becomes a fortress that protects a person from falling. He presents biblical and spiritual examples such as Joseph the Righteous and David the Prophet, as well as examples from the lives of the saints, to show how their fear of God led them to respect His commandments and turn away from evil.
Educational Lesson
The central lesson is that a person should not place the love of God against the fear of God, but should understand their spiritual relationship correctly: fear is the beginning of the journey toward love, and love does not eliminate holy reverence for God.
Practical Application
A person should ask himself: Do I fear people more than I fear God? Do I obey the commands of people carefully while treating God’s commandments lightly? The goal is for the fear of God to enter the heart, helping the person reject sin, keep the commandments, and gradually grow from the fear of God to His love, without losing a spirit of reverence and respect before Him.
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