I

“Fearing God” does not mean inexplicable fright and dread, nor evasion, nor keeping a distance, nor idolization or superstition. Rather, it means admiration, reverence, trust, understanding, consideration, submission, dedication, love, as well as unconditional and uncomplaining worship, requital, and surrender. Without genuine knowledge of God, people will not have genuine admiration, nor will they have genuine trust or understanding, genuine consideration or submission, only terror and unease, only doubt, misunderstanding, evasion, and keeping a distance; without genuine knowledge of God, people will not have genuine dedication and requital; without genuine knowledge of God, people will not have genuine worship and surrender, only blind idolization and superstition; without genuine knowledge of God, people cannot possibly follow the way of God, or fear God, or shun evil. Conversely, every activity and behavior that people engage in will be filled with rebellion and resistance against God, with slanders and judgments about Him, and with evil deeds that run contrary to the truth and to the true meaning of God’s words.

II

Once people have real trust in God, they will really follow Him and depend on Him; only with real reliance on God can people genuinely get to know Him and show Him understanding; along with real understanding of God comes real consideration for Him; only with genuine consideration for God can people have genuine submission; only with genuine submission to God can people have genuine dedication; only with genuine dedication to God can people have unconditional and uncomplaining requital; only with genuine reliance, genuine understanding and consideration, genuine submission, genuine dedication and requital, can people truly come to know God’s disposition and essence, and the identity of the Creator; only when they have truly come to know the Creator can genuine worship and surrender arise within them; only when they have real worship of and surrender to the Creator will they be able to truly break free from evil deeds—that is, to shun evil.

from The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. Preface