[3.2.27] 兒女的敬畏和奴僕的畏懼
《基督教要义每日灵修版》呂沛淵牧師編著DAY 134
（卷 三 論領受基督恩典的方式及其恩福，和隨恩典而來的效果
第二章 信心的定義及其特異性質）
使徒約翰說：「愛裏沒有懼怕；愛既完全，就把懼怕除去。因為懼怕裏含著刑罰，」（約壹4：18）。這與我們所說的「兒女的敬畏」沒有衝突。約翰所說的「懼怕」是出於不信的恐懼，與信徒的敬畏截然不同。因為惡人懼怕神並非怕招惹神的不喜悅，他們要的只是避免受懲罰；他們怕神是因他們知道神有報應他們的大能，當他們聽到神的怒氣時，就會恐懼顫抖。他們之所以如此懼怕神的烈怒，是因為他們知道神的烈怒必會臨到他們，害怕隨時會來。
然而，信徒們害怕得罪神勝過怕受懲罰，不像非信徒懼怕神的刑罰迫在眉睫。這使得信徒更小心謹慎，免得得罪神。所以保羅教導信徒說：「不要被人虛浮的話欺哄；因這些事，神的忿怒必臨到那悖逆之子」（弗5：6；西3：6）。他並非威脅說神的忿怒會降在信徒身上，乃是勸誡信徒思想神的忿怒，是為惡人預備的，根據他們惡行的罪案，免得信徒仿效行惡而招致神的忿怒。
然而，若單單是威脅警告，惡人很少理會。當神從天上以如雷貫耳的話語警告他們時，他們遲鈍剛硬的心仍然頑梗不化。當神的手一旦伸出擊打他們，他們就不得不恐懼害怕。此種恐懼是一般稱之為「奴僕的懼怕」，與神兒女「真誠自願的敬畏」作為強烈對比。
有些人提出取巧的說法：介於上述兩者之間，有另一種畏懼，是奴僕的且不敢過份作惡，有時此畏懼會征服惡人的心，使他們願意悔改，開始對神有正確的敬畏。其實，這不過是神改變罪人的「奴僕的畏懼」，來拯救他成為神的兒女，開始有「真誠的敬畏」。這只是罪人悔改過程中的經歷而已，並非另一種畏懼。
John
Calvin:
Institutes
of the Christian Religion
A New
Translation, by Henry Beveridge, Esq
Book
III. The Way in Which we Receive the Grace of Christ: What Benefits Come to Us
From It, and What Effects Follow.
Chapter
2. OF FAITH. THE DEFINITION OF IT. ITS PECULIAR PROPERTIES.
27.
There
is nothing repugnant to this in the observation of John: "There is no fear
in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear has torment," (1
John 4: 18.) For he is speaking of the fear of unbelief, between which and the
fear of believers there is a wide difference. The wicked do not fear God from
any unwillingness to offend him, provided they could do so with impunity; but
knowing that he is armed with power for vengeance, they tremble in dismay on
hearing of his anger. And they thus dread his anger, because they think it is
impending over them, and they every moment expect it to fall upon their heads.
But believers, as has been said, dread the offense even more than the
punishment. They are not alarmed by the fear of punishment, as if it were
impending over them, but are rendered the more cautious of doing anything to
provoke it. Thus the Apostle addressing believers says, "Let no man
deceive you with vain words; for because of these things, the wrath of God
cometh upon the children of disobedience," (Eph. 5: 6; Col. 3: 6.) He does
not threaten that wrath will descend upon them; but he admonishes them, while
they think how the wrath of God is prepared for the wicked, on account of the
crimes which he had enumerated, not to run the risk of provoking it. It seldom
happens that mere threatening have the effect of arousing the reprobate; nay,
becoming more callous and hardened when God thunders verbally from heaven, they
obstinately persist in their rebellion. It is only when actually smitten by his
hand that they are forced, whether they will or not, to fear. This fear the
sacred writers term servile, and oppose to the free and voluntary fear which
becomes sons. Some, by a subtle distinction, have introduced an intermediate
species, holding that that forced and servile fear sometimes subdues the mind,
and leads spontaneously to proper fear.