Fear

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved. 

I’ve sung those words a thousand times, but never before have they resonated so deeply within me.  

Hebrews 2:15 speaks of Christ, who came that He “might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

The word fear brings to mind other fear in the Bible:

The command to fear the Lord.

The fear of the Israelites when they spied out the land and came back with reports of capable people and strong cities.  

The anxious fear that we’re told to cast upon God.

What is the significance of fearing something?

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” and Proverbs 3:5-6 follows with a command to “trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”  

Fear of the Lord leads to wisdom.  Trust in the Lord leads to wisdom.  

Fear reveals what we really trust.

Though the Israelites had been led out of Egypt by God’s might and power, when they saw the people who lived in the land they were supposed to enter, they feared the people.  Rather than comparing this people with an Almighty God, they compared them with themselves and fell gravely short.  They chose to trust themselves rather than the God who was capable of their deliverance.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our anxiety upon God, “because He cares for [us].”  The context of this verse sheds greater light:

vv. 5-6

“...and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”

Why is a verse about anxiety surrounded with instructions on humility?

Because anxiety (which really is fear) is rooted in trusting ourselves over trusting our faithful God.  Only when we begin to look to ourselves do we begin to feel fearfully incapable.  We take our eyes off of our Almighty God and trust in ourselves.  

Fear reveals misplaced trust.

That “He might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

Before accepting Christ’s gift of salvation we are in caught in the worst fear of all: fear of death.  We are held here because we are trusting ourselves.  And this trust in ourselves places us in bondage.

And here is where the Gospel’s power is astounding:

He came to free us.

When we had chosen to trust ourselves over Him.

At the very pinnacle of our rebellion.

When we looked at Him, said “you’re not enough” and took an inward focus.

He came to free us.

“...While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8)

And so a God that freed us from the very fear that turned us from Him, can be trusted to free us from those fears that now ask for our trust.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  (Rom. 5:10)

And so we can sing:

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.