What effect does the fear of the Lord have on our lives?

We can learn much from the experiences of the fear of the Lord in the lives of the early Church Fathers.

First: The fear of the Lord motivates us to take our spirituality seriously . St. John Chrysostom says, “Such fear had Paul: and therefore he said, I fear ‘lest having preached to others, I myself should be rejected’ (1 Cor. 9:27). For if without the aid of fear temporal things can never be achieved, how much less spiritual matters; for I desire to know, who ever learnt his letters without fear? who has become a proficient in any art, without fear? … And how may this fear be produced? If we but consider that God is everywhere present, hears all things, sees all things, not only whatsoever is done and said, but also all that is in the heart, and in the depth of the soul, for He is ‘quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart’ (Heb. 4:12), if we so dispose ourselves, we shall not do or say or imagine anything that is evil. Tell me, if you had to stand constantly near the person of a ruler, would not you stand there with fear? And how standing, in God’s presence, do you laugh and throw yourself back, and not conceive fear and dread? Let it never be that you despise His patient endurance, for it is to bring you to repentance that He is longsuffering.”³⁵⁷

355 St. Jacob of Sarug, Memre 84: On the saying “Do not swear at all” (Matt. 5:34).

356 St. John Chrysostom, On the Incomprehensible Nature of God (FOTC 72).

357 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Philippians 8 (NPNF I/13:219) amended.

Second: The fear of the Lord offers us a source of joy and eternal happiness . St. John Chrysostom says, “The fear of God contains both these requisites. It is steadfast and immoveable, and sheds so much gladness that we can admit no sense of other evils. For the man who fears God as he ought, and trusts in Him, gathers from the very root of pleasure, and has possession of the whole fountain of cheerfulness. And as a spark falling upon a wide ocean quickly disappears, so whatever events happen to the man who fears God, these, falling as it were upon an immense ocean of joy, are quenched and destroyed. This indeed is most to be wondered at, that whilst things which minister sadness are present, the man should remain joyful. For if there was nothing to produce grief, it would be no great matter to him that he was able continually to rejoice.”³⁵⁸

Third: Through fear of the Lord, we become aware that God is at work within us . St. John Chrysostom says, “Fear not because I said, ‘with fear and trembling.’ I said it not with this view, that you should give up in despair, that you should suppose virtue to be somewhat difficult to be attained, but that you might be led to follow after it, and not spend yourself in vain pursuits; if this be the case, God will work all things. Be bold for it is God that works in you. If then He works, it is our part to bring a mind ever resolute, clenched and unrelaxed.”³⁵⁹

Fourth: The fear of the Lord helps us to enjoy God’s goodness and compassion towards us . St. John Chrysostom says, “For it is with this object that I too discourse so much concerning His goodness, not that we may presume upon it, and do anything we choose, because in that way this goodness will be to the prejudice of our salvation; but that we may not despair in our sins, but may repent. For ‘the goodness of God leads you to repentance’ (Rom. 2:4), not to greater wickedness. And if you become depraved, because of His goodness, you are rather belying Him before men.”³⁶⁰

Fifth: Through fear of the Lord, we take refuge in Him as a solid rock . St. John Chrysostom says, “Let us imitate these [the Apostles], my beloved: let us be undaunted in all our dangers. There is nothing dreadful to him that fears God; but all that is dreadful is for others. For when a man is delivered from his passions, and regards all present things as a shadow, say, from whom shall he suffer anything dreadful? Whom shall he have to fear? Whom shall he need plead to? Let us flee to this Rock which cannot be shaken … What is more wonderful to say, the very things which are thought to cause discomfort, became matter of all joy and gladness … For it is impossible, impossible in words to express how great pleasure falls to their lot, who suffer for Christ’s sake: for they rejoice in their sufferings, rather than in their good things. Whoever loves Christ, knows what I say.”³⁶¹

358 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Statues 18.6 (NPNF I/9:460).

359 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Philippians 8 (NPNF I/13:219–220).

360 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on Ephesians 4 (NPNF I/13:69) amended.

361 St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles 13 (NPNF I/11:84).

Sixth: Through fear of the Lord, we become enlightened by God and learn virtue from Him. One of the desert fathers, Abba James, says, “Just as a lamp lights up a dark room, so the fear of God, when it penetrates the heart of a man illuminates him, teaching him all the virtues and commandments of God.”³⁶² Evagrius Ponticus says, “The custodian of these commandments is the fear of God which is in turn the offspring of true faith. Now faith [purely rational, theoretical faith] is an interior good, one which is to be found even in those who do not yet believe in God.”³⁶³

Seventh: The fear of the Lord is the steering wheel of the soul , which the Holy Spirit grants us, who alone is capable of taking us from glory to glory, and to grant grace for grace, through our fellowship with the Lord Jesus, the Holy One. The fear of the Lord takes us onto the royal path, so that we do not deviate towards sin or self-righteousness. It protects us against both the left-hand blow and the right-hand blow³⁶⁴ until we enter into the bosom of the holy heavenly Father.

Eighth: The fear of the Lord guides the soul to a safe haven . Abba Dorotheos says, “The fear of God urges the soul to keep commandments and by means of the commandments the house of the soul is built. So let us fear God and build houses for ourselves, to find shelter in winter, in times of rain, lightning and thunder, for a man without a house suffers great hardships in winter.”³⁶⁵

Ninth: Through fear of the Lord, we acquire the love of God . St. Ammonas says, “If any man love the Lord with all his heart and all his soul and with all his might, he will acquire awe, and awe will beget in him weeping, and weeping joy, and joy will beget strength, and in all this the soul will bear fruit. And when God sees its fruit so fair, he will accept it as a sweet savor, and in all things he will rejoice with that soul, with His angels, and will give it a guardian to keep it in all its ways as he prepares it for the place of life, and to prevent Satan from prevailing over it. For whenever the evil one sees this guardian, that is, the power encompassing the soul, he flees, fearing to approach the man, and afraid of the power that is about him. Wherefore, my beloved in our Lord, since I know that you, whom my soul loves, are lovers of God, acquire in yourselves this power that Satan may fear you, and that you may be diligent in all your works. For thus the sweetness of God will provide you with possible strength. For divine sweetness is ‘sweeter than honeycomb’ (Ps. 19:10). Not many monks or virgins have great and divine sweetness since they have not acquired the divine power, except some few here and there. For they were not cultivating the power, and

362 Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection , trans. Benedicta Ward (Liturgical Press, 1984): p. 104.

363 St. Evagrius Ponticus, Evagrius Ponticus: The Praktikos. Chapters on Prayer , trans., John Eudes Bamberger (Cistercian Publications, 1972) On the Signs of Apatheia 81: p. 36.

364

Translators’ Note: this denotes spiritual temptations that are obvious and direct (right-hand) or hidden and indirect (left-hand).

365 Dorotheos of Gaza, “Directions on Spiritual Training” in Early Fathers From the Philokalia , translated from the Russian text, “Dobrotolubiye,” by E. Kadloubovsky and G. E. H. Palmer, eighth edition (London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1981) 91: pp. 172–173.

therefore God did not give it to them. For to those who cultivate it God gives it; for He is no respecter of persons, but gives it to those who cultivate it in every Generation. The effect of this divine power, so long as it resides in a man, is that he despises all dishonor, and all honor from men, hates all the needs of this world, hates all the comforts of the body, cleanses his heart of every foul thought and all the empty wisdom of this world, and makes supplication with fasting and tears night and day. And God, who is good, will not delay to give it to you. Once you have received it you will pass all the time of your life in ease and freedom from ”³⁶⁶ care, and you will find great boldness before God, which he will grant you .

Tenth: The fear of the Lord lifts us to the way of perfection . This is the ladder of perfection. The fear of the Lord and His reverence grants us confidence in Him, strength in times of tribulation, and patience to endure the weaknesses of others, so that we may attain the paths of perfection.