“But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.” Psalm 130:4
When the Sinner is truly awakened by God to the enormity of his Sin, all he can see is how worthy he is of Judgement. That he is truly deserving of Hell for Eternity. This is not contrived, or forced, or imagined; it is what he feels deep down within his soul! So when Jesus appears, stretches out His hand, and pulls him “out of the depths”, he is overwhelmed. Today’s Verse is what rises to his lips! To be sure, there is Joy, and there is Thankfulness; but more than these, there is Holy and Reverential AWE that eclipses all else!
One of the great dangers to the Church today is a Gospel that presents forgiveness of Sin but doesn’t produce the fruit of godly Fear. May God send His Spirit in a fresh and powerful way to remedy that!