THE PARADOX OF GRACE
2 Corinthians 8:9
T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
The paradox of grace is that grace teaches us to fear and yet not to fear. Grace teaches our hearts to fear God while emboldening us not to fear evil.
To fear what is right and to have no fear of evil—that’s the work of amazing grace.
FEARING GOD THE WRONG WAY
When Adam and Eve sinned, one of the consequences was fear of the presence of God. The very One whose presence was a source of joy and intimacy was now frightening.
Sin has since been both the source and the cause of wrong fears that torment our hearts.
If you have come to know God, you would have come to know that it is foolish to demand an appearance of God as a basis of belief while still in your sin. It is as foolish as demanding to experience an atom bomb explode in your face before believing in the power and potency of the nuclear weapon. Likewise, demanding to see God while in our sin is nothing short of inviting absolute annihilation.
While we may not have thought about it, it was God’s grace that sent Adam and Eve out of the garden in Eden.
They deserved to die, and in effect, they did in the spirit, as their relationship with God was torn apart. Adam, who was made a spiritual man (Genesis 2:7), no longer could claim the Ruach of God. Dead in their trespass, banishment from the presence of God was the only means to keep the hope of their eventual salvation alive (Genesis 3:15). Thus the fear of the dark and the unknown outside the garden was but a mere scare compared to the danger of their continual presence in sin before the awesome and holy King.
Ever since that walk of shame, the fallen man has demonstrated that his fear of God has been wrong and his love for his sin illegitimate.
However, God, just as He promised and as seen in the redemptive narrative of the Bible, exhorts people to fear the right thing – to fear God by revering Him and nothing else.
FEARING GOD THE RIGHT WAY
In the Old Testament, we are repeatedly reminded to fear the Lord — Job (28:28), David (Psalm 19:9), Solomon (Prov. 1:7), and Jehoshaphat (2 Cor. 19:7).
It was the commendation of God to Abraham (Gen. 22:12); the accusation of Satan about Job’s presumably false motives (Job 1:9); and the final call of the angel to the people on the earth before the falling of the wrath of God on the rebellious (Rev. 14:7).
It was the summary statement of the older Solomon, who having found everything to be vanity under the sun and apart from God, says, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man…” (Ecc. 12:13).
In the New Testament, it continues to remain the clarion call in the proclamation of the gospel (2 Cor. 5:11).
NOT FEARING THE WRONG THINGS
How does one not fear what need not be feared?
It is not by seeking answers in the self-help section. Neither by pulling themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps, nor by grabbing for life the driftwood of daily motivation quips that land in your inbox. Human advice to trust in your inner strength is useless to overcome the problem that was first caused by human disingenuity. We need a higher power, a greater force, a better way — we need amazing grace.
Thankfully, such grace has appeared — being made possible for men and women. For we read,
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11).
AND HIS NAME IS JESUS
It was written about the Messiah that the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him. Among the other characteristics of this “shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots,” is “His delight in the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2-3).
It is said that there are 366 exhortations in the Bible not to fear– one for each day of the year, including the leap year. This is now possible because of Jesus Christ.
We get to enjoy the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) because we now have peace with God (Romans 5:1).
Jesus said, at the cost of His life, to people who He bought back as His own, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
On the eve of His crucifixion when His heart was troubled (John 13:21; Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:33) He told His disciples (and us by extension), “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).
Amazing grace! He was troubled so that in Him, we no longer have to be.
As we come to remember the Lord and to show forth His death, let us come with praise and thankfulness that we “know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…”