How the Muslim Balances Safety from the Deception of Allah with Not Despairing of His Mercy

Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you good. Our sister is also asking, and she says: How do I balance not feeling safe from the deception of Allah the Mighty and Majestic with not despairing of His mercy? For example, how do I balance hoping for Paradise with the fact that a person cannot feel safe that Allah will not seal his end in disbelief?

Answer:
Balancing this is easy for the one whom Allah makes it easy for, so that he balances between fear and hope. He hopes for the mercy of Allah and fears the punishment of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. If he hopes for the mercy of Allah, he performs the deeds that lead to mercy. If he fears the punishment of Allah, he abandons the causes that lead to punishment, namely sins and evil deeds. Thus, he combines them by performing acts of obedience and avoiding what is forbidden. The fear is of the punishment of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and the hope is for the reward of Allah. It is not fear alone, which would lead to despairing of the mercy of Allah, nor hope alone, which would lead to feeling safe from the deception of Allah, but he combines them. This is the state of the believers. Yes.