Genuine Love

Genuine love has got nothing to do with fear. Whenever there's fear mingled with love, that love has lost its trueness.

When it's said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, what's meant there is respect, profound reverence; not fear with regards what the Lord would or can do when one disobeys Him.

When fear is used with respect to the Lord, we should consider critically the context with which it is used. If it's used considering the fact that there are repercussions to one's actions, then it shouldn't be seen as that fear that was meant when it was said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That fear as elucidated by Jesus Christ means love, respect, deep reverence and honour. Jesus Christ, saying time and again that if you love me, you'd obey what I command, Jn 14:15, is aware of the implication that if we fear God to keep His commandment, then love and we have lost our true position in Him.

In Theology there's a word called attrition. What it means is grief for sin, arising only from fear of punishment; lowest degree of repentance. Knowing that with this form of veneration the true essence of son ship would be lost, Jesus continually stated that love of God, rather than fear, would make man live devoid of sin; when he said that if you love me you would obey my commandments. He would rather have said, if you fear me, if it's a true propeller of genuine worship.