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Duty of Man continued Elder Philip N. Conley
are my children while the others are not. When we honour all men, the approach may
be a reactive one (if we see something or a need that we can help), but with our own
brethren of the kindred in Christ, we should be proactive to them and with them. Love
does not wait to be asked to do something, but rather, it seeks objects of that love.
When I met the woman that would become my wife, I did not wait to talk to her or
see if anything came up. I went after her! When it comes to Christ's kindred in this
world, our love should go after them to sacrifice ourselves for them as we can.
"Fear God." Many times we can get in trouble when we read a word as the same thing
every time. People confuse themselves terribly when they read "saved" or "salvation"
the same way in Scripture every time. While saving is a deliverance, there are many
types and situations, which must be drawn from the context. The word "fear" in
Scripture is that way. Oftentimes, Scripture declares fear as something good that we
should do (like this verse, Psalm 111:10, Ecclesiastes 12:13, and others) while it is a
bad thing at other times (I John 4:18, II Timothy 1:7). How do we reconcile this? Bad
fear is literally a mortal dread and anxiety that can grip and paralyze us. Such a fear
we should seek to avoid, knowing that we have a merciful God in heaven that takes
care of us. The good fear in the Bible literally means respect, reverence, and obedi-
ence.
The fear of God that we should exhibit as our duty on earth does not mean cowering
in the corner hoping He does not kick us on His way by. That is what Adam and Eve
did in the Garden of Eden after the fall. The fear of Him that gives wisdom, knowl-
edge, understanding, and instruction indicates that we have such respect for Him and
His ways that we desire to please Him in all things. If He commands it, so be it. If He
forbids it, so be it. This is the same kind of fear that children should learn and show
for their parents since the parents are charged with their care and upbringing. That
kind of responsibility deserves and demands respect, and how much more for our
Father in heaven for all the care and responsibility that He has taken for us! Surely
one that has done so much and held us so dear deserves all the respect and reverence
that our being can display!
Duty of Man continues
I Peter 2:17 "Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king."