We have celebrated his birth just last week. When Jesus appeared, he was the grace of God in himself. He was the means by which God could forgive our sins. He was the way God showed his mercy to an undeserving world. He was the way God saved us.
Legalism can never be a sufficient motivator for spiritual change.
But grace can. Knowing that your sins are forgiven, that the slate is wiped clean, means that you need not fear failure. You are free to do right, not because you want to earn God's favour, but because you already have it through faith in Christ. The word feared there means revered and honoured and worshipped. Forgiveness leads to right living before God.