βWhy should we fear God (2 Cor. 7:1)?β
Our apostle Paul says we should be βperfecting holiness in the fear of God.β Christians neednβt fear that God will take away our salvation if we donβt perfect holiness in our lives, for we are saved and eternally secure (Rom. 8:35-39). But Paul says to βwork out your own salvation with fear and tremblingβ (Phil. 2:12) because we must never forget the majesty of the God who gave us our salvation.
Consider that when God appeared on Mt. Sinai, βall the people that was in the camp trembledβ (Ex. 19:16). God was not angry with His people here, so it was not His wrath that induced their terror. It was the thunder and lightning and the βexceeding loudβ voice of God, the manifestations of His majesty, that struck such fear in their hearts. God is not angry with us either, but we should be just as mindful of His awesomeness, from what we know of Him in His Word, even though we cannot see or hear the physical manifestations of His majesty.
We might compare how every time an angel appears to men in the Bible, the first words out of his mouth are usually βfear notβ (Matt. 28:4,5; Luke 1:12,13; 2:9,10, etc.) Thatβs because angels are so awesome in appearance that men naturally cower before them. Well, if they cower before angels, and angels are mere creations of Almighty God, how much more would we fear the Creator Himself were we to be able to see Him.
Finally, you might also compare how a husband who has a godly wife fears to hurt herβnot because he is afraid sheβll leave him, for she has vowed she never will. But rather because he is afraid to presume on her grace by grieving her. Similarly, God would never leave us, but we donβt want to presume on His grace by grieving the very Spirit that seals us (Eph. 4:30). source
