A Little with Fear in Christ is More than Enough

Some proverbs can seem confusing without reading them through the Finished Work of the Cross:

"Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith." (Proverbs 15: 16)

But the fear of the Lord is not a source of poverty -- not in the slightest:

"The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether." (Psalm 19: 9)

and

"By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life." (Proverbs 22: 4)

and also

"And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure." (Isaiah 33: 6)

Why so we fear the Lord? Because He will hurt us? Not at all:

"But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." (Psalm 130: 4)

It is because we have redemption in the the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1: 7), therefore we fear Him, and this fear is not one of terror, dread, or despair, but of awe and majesty, that He is the last word, one whose regard we respect against all others. What comes with this redemption? Paul explains:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (Ephesians 1: 3-7)

Because of this redemption, because of his fear, we have all of His spiritual blessings, we have been chosen to be blameless and whole, adopted into the Family of God, and accepted in the Beloved, which means that God sees us as His Beloved, just like His Son:

"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17: 23)

And  of course:

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)