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Stump, Joseph

"An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism"

[Ps. 5:4]
_How_. As Christians, our fear of God should be a child-like and not a
slavish fear. Child-like fear is fear mingled with love. We should
refrain from evil not simply from fear of punishment, but from fear of
offending the God whom we love. [Rom. 8:15+] "Slavish fear Is afraid God
will come; child-like fear is afraid He will go away."
2. WE SHOULD LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS, "with all our heart, and with
all our mind and with all our soul." [Matt. 22:37] Our first aim and our
highest delight should always be to do God's will. [I John 5:3+] We
should be far more anxious to please Him than to please ourselves or any
of our fellow-men. We should love Him far more than we love any one else
[Matt. 10:37+] (parents, brothers, sisters, friends, etc.), or any
earthly objects [I John 2:15+] (money, pleasure, business and the like).
_Why_. We should love God above all things 1. Because He is most worthy
of our love. [Ps. 73:25, 26+] 2. Because He first loved us, [I John
4:19+, I John 4:9+] and gave His Son to die for us.


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