If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtor's ethic - and the effect is to nullify grace.
The debtor's ethic, argued against as biblical, is an effort to pay back the debt we owe to God.
Many OT examples were given as to lack of faith vs. ingratitude being a reason for sin.
The argument seems to be that motivating power between past grace and future obedience was not past oriented gratitude, but future oriented faith.
"fear the Lord" means "fear the terrible insult it would be to God if you do not trust his gracious promises of power and wisdom on your behalf." It is to tremble at the awareness of what a terrible insult it is to a holy God if we do not have faith in his future grace after all the signs and wonders he has performed to win our obedient trust.
Looked for reference in the chapter/book to this verse... Ponder Romans 12: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Is not the obedient presentation of ourselves a consequence of reflective gratitude on the former mercies of God?
Gratitude sends its impulses of delight into faith in future grace. "Embrace more of these benefits for the future, so that my happy work of looking back on God's deliverance may continue."
Faith turns from contemplating the pleasures of past grace and starts contemplating the promises of the future.
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