Fear and Trembling - Not "afraid"

After Adam and Eve were created, they walked in freedom with God. They had no reason to be afraid of God. I imagine that at first they walked in reverential awe and wonder of this God who had created them in His image and was near to them and had given them Life and freedom in paradise. However, immediately after the Fall, they suddenly became afraid of God. God called out to Adam, and Adam replied, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10). Again, before that, Adam had never known "fear" (being afraid of God). I doubt that he had ever previously had the slightest inkling of hiding from God.

In Christ, it's made clear that we've been brought near to God by the blood of Jesus (Eph 2:13). He Himself is our peace (Eph 2:14). "Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (see Rom 5:1-5). There is no reason to be afraid of the One with whom you have peace!

And yet I've seen verses such as Philippians 2:12-13 being greatly distorted by those who have preached it. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

For one thing, from what I understand, "your own salvation" is in the plural sense, as in, "you Philippians as a whole, as a body, as a church, this is something you do together." And with the phrase "work out" added in, the phrase becomes even more widely misconstrued in the church today. In the chapter, Paul is talking about the church being of one accord, having the same mind that Christ had - humbling Himself, making Himself of no reputation, etc. As saved people (not by works, but by grace through faith), they were to, as a body, work out (not work "for") what was already in them in the form of loving and serving one another in humility.  In other words, let there be an outward working (an outward showing) of the inward mind of Christ, through humility and love towards one another.

And they were to do it with fear and trembling. Does that mean "being afraid?" They had peace with God, not enmity. No reason to be afraid. They were to be of one accord with one another, not afraid of each other! With awe and reverence, love and humility - towards God and towards each other - they were to live out this salvation that had been freely given to them. And the last part of the verse is so huge as to how this all works out: "for it is God who works in you to will and to do for His good pleasure." The "working out" of our salvation is really God's work in us!

"There is no fear in love [agape]; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment." (1 John 4:18). The "afraid" kind of fear that Adam had is in diametric opposition to the "awe and reverence" kind of fear that we have in our lives in Christ. God loves us; we love Him. Jesus humbled Himself in order to give us His life. He didn't come to punish us, condemn us or torment us, but to give us perfect agape love. Our salvation is lived out, not from a position of being afraid of God, but from a position of humility, honor, awe and respect for the God who loves us and has given us His life in place of our own.