How does one cultivate a fear of God? Ideally, a Christian should

>>598745
>How does one cultivate a fear of God?

By loving God.

What a sick joke.
Why not devote that mental effort toward a productive endeavor that helps yourself and your fellow man instead.

>>598751
Doesn't the fear have to come first?

>>598756
Piety doesn't help me?

>>598760
No, it really doesn't. It's just self-delusion or more likely, a long-con prank being pulled on you.

>>598760

depends if you want to be a perma-virgin or not

>>598771
You're saying atheism will make me more attractive?

>>598809
It might take your mind off practicing ritualized fear.

>>598814
As opposed to non-ritualized consumerism and sitcoms?

>>598809

>implying implications

Pious people are losers, sorry.

>>598823
Oh no that worldly culture that momma warned you about.
That sex drugs and rock and roll.

>>598837
>implying it's that exciting

>>598844
I dunno it's sounds categorically exciting.
Anyway, it's beside the point.
You are free to do whatever you please.
I just think obsessing over made up sources of stress is counterproductive.
Enjoy your "Fear of God" if it brings you Peace.

>>598855
If it means fearing nothing else, then I think it is productive.

File: gaaaaysea_feba3eae7af0dd3dd65ec521da224194.jpg (18KB, 400x334px) Image search: [Google]

18KB, 400x334px

>>598873
>having fear
What a pussy

>>598745
If you need to fear God, then God is a dick.
If God is a dick you shouldn't worship him

ITT people understand fear by the modern English definition instead of the metaphorical definition of awe-inspiring it had in the past, in the same fashion as misinterpreting Ivan the Terrible as "Ivan the Bad" instead of "Ivan the Ruthlessly Efficient"

>God is infinite love
>wants you to fear him

>>599940
Also we should be "Slaves of Christ" or whatever.

OH WAIT, but not slaves in the bad way, I mean slaves in the deep, meaningful way.

>>600008
Right, because the only form of slavery that ever existed was the purely material form of chattel slavery that we are acquainted with in the modern era.

>>599992
Maybe God is an enlightened absolutist philosopher who realizes that humans are inherently flawed and need firm institutions to secure their stability.

From my copy of the Zohar's commentary:

There are three kinds of fear before the Creator, but only one of them is considered true fear. If one is afraid of the Creator, and observes His Mitzvot so he and his children will be well and prosperous, this constitutes the first kind, the fear of the various punishments in this world. If he observes the Creator’s Mitzvot because he fears punishments in hell, this is the second kind of fear. The Zohar says that neither of these two kinds is true, for man observes the Mitzvot only out of fear of punishment, for the sake of his own benefit, and not because these are the Creator’s Mitzvot.
In this case, his personal wellbeing is the cause of his observance, and his fear is merely a consequence of his will to receive pleasure. Rather, true fear must stem from the Creator’s greatness and omnipotence, for He rules over all and is the source of everything. All the worlds emerge from Him, and His deeds testify to His greatness. And all that He created is nothing compared to Him, for it adds nothing to Him.
Thus, we can plainly see that there is no difference in action: one observes out of the first or second kinds of fear, while the other observes out of the third kind. To an onlooker, they perform the same actions, the Creator’s Mitzvot.
But the enormous difference between them lies only in their intention, their motivation—why they observe the Creator’s decree! Hence, it is impossible to discern man’s spiritual degree by his external observance of the Mitzvot, which is visible to all. Moreover, those who observe them in order to receive an immediate reward from others usually do so with the utmost outward zeal. But one whose intentions and thoughts are directed inwardly, who seeks true observance, as a rule, does not stand out amidst the masses in any way.

>>600060
Those who observe the Mitzva of fear before the Creator not because such is His decree, but because they are afraid of punishment, fall into the impure force’s trap, called “without form.” As a result, they are lost, having no understanding of the Creator’s thoughts and deeds. And this impure force is defined as a rope on man’s neck, blocking the inflow of pure (holy) air to his soul and preventing him from gaining life. And to the extent of man’s ignorance, the impure force strangulates him!
And when he is caught in the impure force’s noose, tightening around his neck, it has the power to control man at its will: to stone, burn, or behead him. Stoning means that impure thoughts befall his head with desired pleasures, thus pulling him down into the deep. There they punish him with darkness (burning), and the impure force turns him on fierce fire until it burns all the pure life-force out of him.

However, he who observes the Mitzva of fear because the Creator is great and almighty unites with Him (becomes equal to the Creator in his properties), so as to not feel shame in receiving from Him. Besides this correction, no other work exists for the creatures.
This is called “fear of the Creator for the sake of life,” for as a result of merging with the Creator, creatures are filled with life.

>>600022
>God is perfect
>God makes humans
>humans are imperfect

>>600072
>God is the first and the last, there are no other gods beside him
>Humans are not God
>Humans are imperfect
Then agani, maybe this God guy is a weeaboo, and into wabi-sabi:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi-sabi

>>600082
*again

>>600072
Maybe God is malicious and delights in human suffering.

Indoctrination through childhood.

>>600091
Or maybe he's not even real!

>>600147
No, it's a proven fact that God exists because a Christian once told me the he felt very strongly in his heart of hearts. No one could ever lie or be confused about something this important.

>>600161
My opinion is that western metaphysics has sufficiently demonstrated that an ultimate being exists, but portraying such a being as having human characteristics or relating to humans in any way is pure imagination.

Essentially, classical theism without the burden of revelation is based.