The Fear of God: A Forgotten Doctrine, 2nd Edition
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10) When editor Mark Kakkuri invited me to read the manuscript of Dr. Arnold Frank s book for consideration to publish it, I immediately became excited about that prospect, as I had not heard a sermon on this subject and knew it was a neglected and vital doctrine. As the subtitle says, it is (today) the forgotten doctrine of the Church, but certainly was at the forefront of Puritan thinking. After reading it, I knew it had to be published for general consumption and careful study by the Christian community, those genuinely serious about the Word of God and worshiping our Lord. Our first President, George Washington, pronounced: The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained. The father of our country also said: It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible. And President Ronald Reagan affirmed: How can we hope to retain our freedom through the generations if we fail to teach our young that our liberty springs from an abiding faith in our Creator.  The reverence and fear of the Lord is a prerequisite to deep, abiding, and intimate faith. How can we have this faith, fear and awe of God without understanding his character and essence and knowing that our Lord God Omnipotent is a self-conscious Trinitarian God? My friend, Dr. Ted Baehr (founder of Movieguide), exclaimed: Christianity is the only world religion that reveals this. Salvation is found in none other than Jesus Christ. When God became flesh as one of us, it is only as Jesus Christ. When God appears to Moses or anyone else, it is as Jesus Christ. He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. In that sense, to note that the Hebrew word for Truth means, to reveal. Jesus Christ alone reveals completely and totally who the almighty triune God is.  Gerald Christian NordskogChristian statesman Noah Webster, l.l.d., defines Fear in part as:  FEAR, v.t.  1. . . . We have reason to fear the punishment of our sins.  I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Psalm 23:4b.  2. To reverence; to have a reverential awe; to venerate.  This do, and live: for I fear God. Genesis 42:17b.  FEAR, n.  6. In scripture, fear is used to express a filial or a slavish passion. In good men, the fear of God is a holy awe or reverence of God and his laws, which springs from a just view and real love of the divine character, leading the subjects of it to hate and shun every thing that can offend such a holy being, and inclining them to aim at perfect obedience. This is filial fear.  I will put my fear in their hearts. Jeremiah 32:40b.  Slavish fear is the effect or consequence of guilt; it is the painful apprehension of merited punishment. Romans 8.  The love of God casteth out fear. 1 John 4:18b.  7. The worship of God.  I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:11b.  8. The law and word of God.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. Psalm 19:9a.  9. Reverence; respect; due regard. . . .   (Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language, Facsimile 1828.  Chesapeake, VA: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1967, 1995.) Dr. Arnold Frank with excellence expounds on this doctrine, defining it in detail using numerous quotations from the Puritans to educate readers of this crucial doctrine of Holy Scriptures. In this second edition, he has added a Scripture Index and Study Questions by Chapter.  Gerald Christian Nordskog, Publisher --Nordskog Publishing's website (NordPub.com)The Fear of God: A Forgotten Doctrine is a labor of love: love for this precious doctrine of holy fear, love for those Puritans who lived it in a more compelling way than any who came before or after, love for God s people today who walk in shadows because the fear of man is too much with us, and love for the Word rightly preached, which is able to bring the Church back to an attitude of holy fear. Above all, this book is the fruit of filial love for our Savior Jesus Christ, who alone is able to deliver us from all unholy fears and bring us to a place of trusting all His promises to us. If you would face unholy fears head-on, this book will make you strong for the battle. If you long for reformation in the way the Church worships, begin with the wise counsel you will find here.  Linda Wohleber, Christian wife, mother, Bible teacher --Nordskog Publishing's website (NordPub.com)In this insightful treatise on the Fear of God, Pastor Arnold Frank writes as a Puritan born out of time. Frank s love and appreciation for the seventeenth century English Puritans is evident throughout as he carefully sets forth the forgotten and largely misunderstood teaching of Biblical fear. I have personally used Frank s work in my own study and preaching, and commend this book to you, the reader, for similar use. May the Lord be pleased to work in our day not only to give His church a proper understanding of doctrine, but also to give His church the life-transforming reality of deeply knowing and fearing Jehovah God.  Jerry O Neill, President, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA I recommend this book heartily to any Christian wanting to know more about the all-important subject of the fear of God. Dr. Frank unpacks this critical doctrine for Christian life in all its aspects, providing a useful analysis for layman and preacher alike. The reader will come away encouraged to pursue holiness out of love and respect for our Heavenly Father who is worthy of all obedience and love.  Steven Gandy, Christian husband and father, Surrey, England --Nordskog Publishing's website (NordPub.com)