“All authority is given to Me in heaven and on earth... And behold, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age.” - Matthew 28:18, 20
Kempton New Church

December
4

Do Not Be Afraid

But it came to pass that while he served as priest before God in the order of his daily ministry, according to the custom of the priest’s office, it was his lot to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And all the multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of burning incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And seeing him, Zacharias was disturbed, and fear fell on him. And the angel said to him, “Fear not, Zacharias…” (Luke 1:8-13)

There is a kind of fear within all worship called “holy fear.” Holy fear is not so much a fear of hell and damnation as it is of doing or thinking anything against the Lord and against the neighbor, and thus against the good of love and truth of faith. (AC 2826:13)

As regards the fear of the Divine in which they who are in falsities and infest will be, be it known that fear is the only means of restraining the infernals and holding them in bonds. For fear is a common bond, both for those who are upright, and for those who are evil; but for those who are upright the fear is internal, which is fear for the sake of salvation, namely, lest they should perish as to their souls, and so lest they should do anything contrary to conscience, that is, contrary to the truth and good which are of conscience; consequently they have fear lest they should do anything contrary to what is just and fair, thus contrary to the neighbor; but this is holy fear insofar as it is conjoined with the affection of charity, and still more as it is conjoined with love to the Lord. Fear then becomes like that of little children toward the parents whom they love. Then, insofar as they are in the good of love, so far the fear does not show itself; but insofar as they are not in good, so far it shows itself, and becomes anxiety. Such is the “fear of God,” so frequently spoken of in the Word. (AC 7280)

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