Book Review | The Fear of God by John Bunyan

By C.J. McIntosh

“But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honour as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” (Isaiah 8:13)

Have you ever wondered what the Bible means when it speaks about fearing God? Scripture repeatedly tells us that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psa 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10). We all want wisdom, and some of us clearly need it, but we seldom understand its source. What is the fear of the Lord?

I am convinced that our ignorance of the fear of God is due, at least in part, to a churchwide loss of robust covenant theology. Without a Biblical understanding of the covenants, it is difficult to make sense of the relationship between the testaments. Given that the fear of God is far less frequent in the New Testament than in the Old, it’s unsurprising that we’ve lost touch with what it means to fear God. More than this, much of the Bible’s teaching of the love and intimacy Christians enjoy with God seems to nullify fearing God. After all, perfect love casts out fear, does it not?

John Bunyan’s book, The Fear of God, is just the kind of book the contemporary church needs in order to recover a proper understanding of the fear of the Lord. The Fear of God is a short pastoral treatise published in 1679, just one year after the Pilgrim’s Progress. In it, Bunyan carefully examines and explains the object of Godly fear, its nature, and its fruits in the lives of those who possess it.

The Wrong ‘Fear’ of God: Two Common Problems

In The Fear of God, Bunyan counteracts two common errors befalling Christians concerning the fear of God.

The first error is what Bunyan calls a “slavish fear” of God. This is what many people think of when they consider the fear of God. It’s a joyless anxiety before the anger of an unappeasable judge. It is an ungodly fear that drives men away from God into further sin or self-righteousness. Just like Adam and Eve in Eden, who tried to hide from God and, when caught, justified themselves with excuses.

The second error is a total lack of fear. It is the idea that since God is our Father, Jesus is our Brother, and the Spirit indwells us, we have the right to be chummy with the Triune God. This lack of fear says that Jesus is only gentle and lowly. It forgets the holiness of God. Like the first error, it also leads men into further sin and wickedness. It was because of a lack of fear that Judah continued in sin and did not learn from Israel’s destruction (Jer 3:8).

Both errors are distortions that misconstrue the living God. They take precious truths and twist them into perversions. In Exodus 20:20, when God gave his law from the fire of Mt. Sinai, “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” God commands His people not to fear. However, God doesn’t want them to have no fear, but the right fear instead. 

Steeped in Scripture, Bunyan masterfully charts a course between these two errors, showing that the right fear of God that pleases him is “filial fear.” According to Bunyan, it is the fear of a father; both love and awe mingled together. On one hand, without godly fear, none of our obedience and worship is pleasing to God. On the other hand, no fear or reverence is truly godly unless it is filled with love toward God. Bunyan states:

“Perhaps thou hast got a reproof from the word of God, and art at present a little hindered from thy former and full career after sin; but what of that? If by the fear that thou hast, thy heart is not united to God and to the love of his Son, word, and people, thy fear is nothing worth.” (p.115)

Truly knowing God’s great love, which rescues us from his great wrath, is the only thing that produces this kind of filial fear.

The Goodness of Godly Fear:

One of Bunyan's strengths is describing the beauty and goodness of fearing God in a compelling way. Much of The Fear of God outlines God's blessings on those who fear him. Fearing God results in blessings because it leads us to a right relationship with God. It causes us to trust in God and give Him due reverence. 

Some of these benefits include:

• The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Pro 1:7). 

• The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life (Pro 14:27). 

• The fear of the Lord is clean (Psalm 19:9).

• It will be well with those who fear God (Ecc 8:12).

• Those who fear God shall lack no good thing (Psa 34:9-10).

• The friendship and counsel of the Lord are for those who fear him (Psa 25:14).

• Indeed, godly fear is necessary for our growth and maturity in salvation (Phil 2:12). 

Bunyan explains all these and more with clarity and precision. Bunyan’s work stirred in me a longing to taste this kind of Godly fear. And, Lord willing, may it do so in others, also. As Bunyan exclaims:

“Oh, how happy is the man that feareth God! His good thoughts, his good attempts to serve him, and his good life, please him, because he feareth God.” (p.100)

Conclusion:

One thing to note about The Fear of God is that it is written in Old English, which can sometimes be challenging to read. However, taking the time to read it slowly and reflectively will be very rewarding. 

The Fear of God is a rich and deep treatise that confronts our misunderstandings of the fear of God, while simultaneously providing comfort in a proper fear of our Heavenly Father. Whether you are prone to slavishly fearing God or have a casual love for God, Bunyan’s book has something to offer for every believer. 

I hope that John Bunyan’s The Fear of God will help capture what it looks like for mankind to live in their proper place before God, not in cowardice or carelessness but in joyful reverence before our Father and our Redeemer.