No Greater Spur in the Heavenly Race

Thomas Watson is one of my favorite Puritan authors. I did a post a while back on the fear of the Lord, and this is a section from "The Great Gain of Godliness" (by Watson) which also deals with this idea. This was helpful for me...I would definately recommend this book.


"Doctrine: It is an indispensable duty incumbent on Christians, to be fearers of God. "Fear God!" (Eccles. 5:7). "That you may fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God!" (Deut. 28:58). This fear of God, is the very foundation of a saint. One can no more act as a Christian without the fear of God—than he can act as a man without reason. This holy fear is the fixed temper and complexion of the soul; this fear is not servile—but filial. There is a difference between fearing God, and being afraid of God.

The godly fear God as a child does his father; the wicked are afraid of God as the prisoner is of the judge! This divine fear will appear admirable if you consider how it is mixed and interwoven with several of the graces.


1. The fear of God is mixed with LOVE (Psalm 145:19, 20)
The chaste spouse fears to displease her husband, because she loves him. There is a necessity that fear and love should be in conjunction. Love is as the sails to make swift the soul's motion; and fear is as the ballast to keep it steady in true religion. Love will be apt to grow wanton, unless it is counter-balanced with fear.

2. The fear of God is mixed with FAITH. "By faith Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). When the soul looks either to God's holiness, or its own sinfulness—it fears. But it is a fear mixed with faith in Christ's merits; the soul trembles—yet trusts. Like a ship which lies at anchor, though it shakes with the wind, yet it is fixed at anchor. God in great wisdom couples these two graces of faith and fear. Fear preserves seriousness, faith preserves cheerfulness. Fear is as lead to the net—to keep a Christian from floating in presumption; and faith is as cork to the net—to keep him from sinking in despair.

3. The fear of God is mixed with PRUDENCE. He who fears God has the serpent's eye in the dove's head. He foresees and avoids those rocks upon which others run. "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." (Proverbs 22:3). Though divine fear does not make a person cowardly—it makes him cautious.

4. The fear of God is mixed with HOPE. "The eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love" (Psalm 33:18). One would think that fear would destroy hope—but it nourishes it. Fear is to hope, as the oil to the lamp—it keeps it burning. The more we fear God's justice—the more we may hope in his mercy. Indeed, such as have no fear of God do sometimes hope—but it is not "good hope through grace" (2 Thess. 5:26). Sinners pretend to have the "helmet of hope" (1 Thess. 5:8)—but lack the "breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14).

5. The fear of God is mixed with INDUSTRY. "Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). There is a carnal fear, which represents God as a severe Judge. This takes the soul off from duty, "I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground" (Matthew 25:25).

But there is also a fear of diligence. A Christian fears—and prays; fears—and repents. Fear quickens industry. The spouse, fearing lest the bridegroom should come before she is dressed, hastens and puts on her jewels, that she may be ready to meet him. Fear causes a watchful eye—and a working hand. Fear banishes sloth out of its diocese. "The greatest labor in true religion," says holy fear, "is far less than the least pain the damned feel in hell." There is no greater spur in the heavenly race—than the fear of God."

The Fear of the Lord

The concept of the fear of the Lord can be found all throughout the Scriptures. If you were to open your Bible you would discover that both the Old and New Testaments address it frequently. Just recently I have had the privilege and the blessing of spending a bit of time in the book of Proverbs. It seems that every time I read a passage from that book, I am amazed at the scope of content covered in those 31 chapters. While the deep well of wisdom that can be found in Proverbs is shocking, I have been struck specifically by the verses in Proverbs dealing with the fear of the Lord. While the children of God rejoice that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) and while we are told to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence because we have such a great high priest (Hebrews 4:16), we must also remind our souls on a daily basis (or more) that God is God!

"It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers" (Isaiah 40:22);
"The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 40:28b); and
"Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases" (Psalm 115:3).

The book of Proverbs deals with the fear of the Lord in an amazing way. In a sense it shows that the journey of the child of God begins with the fear of the Lord, is sustained by the fear of the Lord, and is carried through by the fear of the Lord.

When God reaches down to rescue a soul, He gives him new life. In this new life we are given eyes and ears to see and hear the truth.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 1:7)
When God saves us, we recognize that He is holy, awesome, and powerful and that we are sinful, lost, and weak. This right comprehension of the reality of who God is and who we are will result in the fear of the Lord. This salvation wrought by God is where the person begins in wisdom; this is where for the first time the person truly fears the Lord.

"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil" (Proverbs 8:13)
As we walk in this world it is God's will that we be sanctified (I Thessalonians 4:3). This sanctification is a work of grace by the Spirit in our lives. As we grow in Christ-likeness (Romans 8:29) the Spirit convicts us of sin, and shows us what we must put to death in our lives. If we do not hate evil, we will not be as eager to put the remaing evil in our lives to death. Therefore, the fear of the Lord sustains and motivates us in our battle against sin as we seek to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

"The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom" (Proverbs 15:33)
We are not only to be people who hate evil, but we must also seek instruction in wisdom. We, as the children of God, must humbly and joyfully submit to the instruction that has been revealed to us in God's Word. We ought to be children who delight in the law of the Lord! (Psalm 1:2) We must cling to the testimonies of the Lord (Psalm 119:31) and run in the way of His commandments (Psalm 119:32). We must hate evil and love the instructions of God.

"The fear of the Lord leads to life" (Proverbs 19:23)
Not only is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom, the hatred of evil, and instruction in wisdom; but it also leads to life! The destination of those who fear the Lord is a place of eternal bliss in the glorious presence of the Most High God! Because of Christ's righteousness that covers us and death that paid for us, we can be assured that even as he rose again, we are no longer subjected to the fear of death! (Hebrews 2:15) For in fact,
"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life" (Proverbs 14:23).
The reward for walking in the fear of the Lord is life eternal...

Are we walking in the fear of the Lord?

"The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)