培養對上帝的敬畏Fostering Fear of God
[每日靈修] 11/5/2018, 駱鴻銘編譯
我最近聽到一個年輕基督徒的評論，「我不怕死。」當我聽到這個評論時，我心想，「我希望我也能這麼說。」我並不怕死。我相信對基督徒來說，死亡是朝向天堂的榮耀過渡。我不怕去到天堂。讓我害怕的是那個過程。我不知道我會以什麼方式死去，或許是藉著一個痛苦的過程，這叫我心驚膽跳。我知道即使是這樣，也不應該害怕。有許多讓我心驚膽跳的事，其實不應該嚇到我。聖經宣告，愛既完全，就把懼怕除去（約壹四18）。但愛仍然是不完全的，就仍然會有懼怕。
然而，有一種懼怕，是我們許多人所缺乏、卻是我們應該擁有的，那就是對上帝的敬畏。我們不僅被允許要敬畏上帝，我們也被命令要敬畏上帝。被上帝遺棄的記號就是不敬畏在我們眼前的上帝。
馬丁路德對敬畏上帝作出了重要的區分。他區分了卑賤的畏懼（servile
fear）和兒女般的敬畏（filial
fear）。他將卑賤的畏懼描述為就像囚犯對折磨者的恐懼。兒女般的敬畏是出於一個愛他的父親、並且不想冒犯他或讓他失望的兒子的敬畏。這是一種出於尊敬的敬畏。當聖經呼召我們敬畏上帝時，它是在發出一種呼籲，要我們因為敬愛、肅然起敬和敬拜而敬畏。這是最高等級的尊敬。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
求上帝賜給你兒女般的敬畏，一種出於敬愛、肅然起敬和敬拜的態度。
進一步研讀：
箴一7 敬畏耶和華是知識的開端；愚妄人藐視智慧和訓誨。
箴十27 敬畏耶和華使人日子加多；但惡人的年歲必被減少。
箴十六6 因憐憫誠實，罪孽得贖；敬畏耶和華的，遠離惡事。
Fostering
Fear of God
I
recently heard a young Christian remark, “I have no fear of dying.” When I
heard this comment I thought to myself, “I wish I could say that.” I am not
afraid of death. I believe that death for the Christian is a glorious
transition to heaven. I am not afraid of going to heaven. It’s the process that
frightens me. I don’t know by what means I will die. It may be via a process of
suffering, and that frightens me. I know that even this shouldn’t frighten me.
There are lots of things that frighten me that I shouldn’t let frighten me. The
Scripture declares that perfect love casts out fear. But love is still
imperfect, and fear hangs around.
There
is one fear, however, that many of us do not have that we should have. It is
the fear of God. Not only are we allowed to fear God, we are commanded to fear
Him. A mark of reprobation is to have no fear of God before our eyes.
Martin
Luther made an important distinction concerning the fear of God. He
distinguished between servile fear and filial fear. He described servile fear
as that kind of fear a prisoner has for his torturer. Filial fear is the fear
of a son who loves his father and does not want to offend him or let him down.
It is a fear born of respect. When the Bible calls us to fear God, it is
issuing a call to a fear born of reverence, awe, and adoration. It is a respect
of the highest magnitude.
Coram
Deo
Ask
God to give you filial fear for Him, an attitude of reverence, awe, and
adoration.
Passages
for Further Study
Proverbs
1:7
Proverbs
10:27
Proverbs
16:6