8925. And that the fear of Him may be before your faces, that ye sin not. That this signifies holy fear therefrom of the Divine, and the consequent preservation of spiritual life, is evident from the signification of "the fear of God," as being a holy fear of the Divine (of which below); from the signification of "faces," as being the interiors (n. 1999, 2434, 3527, 4066, 4796, 4797, 5102, 5585, 5592); consequently "the fear of God before their faces" denotes a holy fear of the Divine in their interiors; and from the signification of "that ye sin not," as being the preservation of spiritual life, for spiritual life is preserved by not sinning. To sin is to do and think what is evil and false intentionally and from the will, for the things which are done intentionally and from the will are such as come forth out of the heart and defile the man (Matt. 15:11, 17-19), consequently which destroy spiritual life with him (n. 8910). As regards the holy fear which is signified in the Word by "the fear of God," be it known that this fear is love, but love such as is the love of little children toward their parents, of parents toward their children, of consorts toward each other, who fear to do anything which displeases, thus which in any way does injury to love. Such fear is insinuated into love during man's regeneration. As this fear is in agreement with love, and can be within and actually is within or united to love, it is for this reason called holy fear, and is the fear of sinning or doing contrary to the commandments, thus contrary to the Lord. But this fear differs with everyone according to the quality and amount of the love (see what has been shown about it in n. 2826, 3718, 3719, 5459, 7280, 7788).