I'm not sure it's necessary. Fear certainly hasn't been a motivator in my life towards anything good. And that kind of fear is exactly what's addressed in 1 John.
Recognizing that I am loved has caused me to avoid far more sin than fear of punishment. In fact, fear of punishment use to feed a vicious loop of sin in my life and it wasn't until I finally prayed for God to reveal His judgment against me that I was set free.
Maybe for some the fear is a necessary ingredient, but to me when I read "the fear of God" I read it as respect/reverential awe.
Recognizing that I am loved has caused me to avoid far more sin than fear of punishment. In fact, fear of punishment use to feed a vicious loop of sin in my life and it wasn't until I finally prayed for God to reveal His judgment against me that I was set free.
Maybe for some the fear is a necessary ingredient, but to me when I read "the fear of God" I read it as respect/reverential awe.
Once your fear is firmly placed in God you have peace because you have come to know of his love and now keep his commandments because you love Him back.
We may not be logically aware that is what has happened, but it is.
Everything we have, has its rightful place.