by Tim Hall

It struck me one day while I was out walking. As is sometimes my habit, I was silently singing some of the old familiar hymns I've known for so long. "Amazing Grace" was the current selection playing in my mind, one of the hymns most loved by Christians. Then I came to the verse that begins with these words: "'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear . . ." Those words suddenly seemed strange to me.

"Grace" and "fear" are opposites in the minds of many. Many who have put the emphasis on the fear of the Lord have often neglected to stress the Lord's grace. Others, especially in more recent times, have emphasized grace to an extreme. For these, fearing the Lord is an antiquated concept. Instead, we ought to approach Him with a casualness not known in previous generations. "Relax, sit down in this comfortable chair and have a chat with your Father" is the tone of many exhortations. "Fear" has been purged from the vocabulary.

What about that line in "Amazing Grace"? Was John Newton having a senior moment when he penned those words? Is there any connection between the grace of God and fearing Him?

In fact, there is a connection. One place where it may be seen is in Hebrews 10. The writer warns us in vivid terms in verse 31: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (New King James Version). If that sentence doesn't teach the fear of the Lord, I'm at a loss to know what we should learn from it. "God is a consuming fire", the writer would go on to affirm in 12:29. You don't play with fire. You develop a healthy respect for it, for it can hurt and destroy.

But fearing the Lord is not the only message the writer had in Hebrews 10. Just four verses later, he would encourage them with these words: "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:35,36). Now, instead of talking about fearful falling, he speaks of confidence and of promises from God. Is this the same God? Indeed it is. But God will show Himself in different ways to different people. How He will show Himself to me depends on how I choose to respond to Him.

While my children were young, I tried to teach them to respect law enforcement officers. On the one hand, they can be our best friends when trouble comes. But for those who live in disregard of the laws of our land, they can become fearful adversaries. Was I being inconsistent to teach such things to my children? No, I was showing grace in teaching them to have a healthy fear of the power of the law. Without such instruction, they might ignorantly walk into some very destructive situations.

Do not doubt this one truth from God's word: He longs to be gracious to each and every soul (Ezekiel 18:23; 2 Peter 3:9, etc.). But when we persist in ignoring and rejecting His good will for our lives, He will become a consuming fire. It is a thought that ought to terrify us enough to keep us on the straight and narrow way. And it is grace that teaches us to have such a fear of the Lord.