By Elizabeth Prata
SYNOPSIS
The hymn “Amazing Grace” presents a dual concept of fear shaped by grace: one where knowledge of Christ sparks terror and another that relieves spiritual anxiety. For believers, this fear of God is a respectful, loving acknowledgment of His majesty, contrasting with the terror experienced by non-believers facing divine judgment.
In the wonderful hymn by John Newton, Amazing Grace, we hear this lyric-
‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
and grace my fears relieved…
Is this a contradiction? How can grace teach our heart to fear, yet grace also my fears relieve? WHat IS this fear the lyric speaks of?
Bunyan said in his Treatise on the Fear of God, that for the believer,
It is called a grace, that is, a sweet and blessed work of the Spirit of grace, as he is given to the elect by God. Hence the apostle says, “let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear” (Heb 12:28). …Because it is that Spirit of grace that is the author, animater, and maintainer of our filial fear, or of that fear that is son-like, and that subjects the elect unto God, his word, and ways; unto him, his word, and ways, as a Father. This fear of God is called God’s treasure, for it is one of his choice jewels, it is one of the rarities of heaven, “The fear of the Lord is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6).” This grace of fear is that which makes men excel and go beyond all men, in the account of God; it is that which beautifies a man, and prefers [God] above all other.”
Fearing God as a pagan is a different fear. It is a proper terror. Picture Jonah’s sailors on the boat in the midst of the terrible storm. Seasoned sailors who had been through storms and knew the ocean, also knew that this particular storm was a supernatural event. They were terrorized, and gave sacrifices and prayers to every god they could think of while begging for their lives. (Jonah 1:5). The pagan fears anything to do with God because they know deep down He exists, and that they are sinners facing judgment. (Romans 1:19-20).
In Exodus 20:18-20, the People heard the thunder and saw the lightning on top of the mountain and begged Moses not to let God speak to them. They were terrified.
However, Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you will not sin.“
Though Moses uses the same word fear two times, he means different things. Michael Reeves explains, “Moses here sets out a contrast between being afraid of God and fearing God: those who have the fear of him will not be afraid of him. Yet he uses the same “fear” word for both. Evidently there is a fear of God that is desirable, and there is a fear of God that is not.” Source, book- What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord? by Michael Reeves.
Fearing God as a believer is a filial, want-to-do-good unto God kind of fear, like you have with your dad. You want to please. You fear disappointing Him. Nevertheless, here is still an element in a terror-fear, because He is God! Apostle John was dearly beloved by Jesus. Yet when John was on Patmos and was entered into a vision in heaven, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.” (Revelation 1:17).
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom says Proverbs 9:10. It is only by God’s grace that we properly fear Him. The unsaved do not fear God in life, but they will when His wrath comes upon the earth (Revelation 6:16-17) and they will when they meet Him after death. (Matthew 10:28; Isaiah 13:6-8). But the world’s pagans go about their business as if God does not exist, (though they know He does, Romans 1:19), never mind properly fearing Him. It is by grace alone that God alerts our soul to its utter depravity in life, and to its future peril upon death.
in the mind of this Pilgrim [there is] a fear of the terrors of that Word, a sense of the wrath to come, beneath the burden of sin upon his soul— The alarms of such an awakened soul are very different from the terrors of superstitious ignorance, which, arising from fright or danger, are easily quitted, or with the silly mummeries [ridiculous religious ceremonies] of priestcraft. (The Pilgrim’s Progress, footnote, chapter 1).
Once grace appears and we become sensible to our fallen estate, we fear God in love. It is God who teaches our darkened heart to fear Him and illuminates our mind with His light. Ah! we say. There is God and He is wonderful!
the-end-time.org 