KIlling God - Part 40: Fear

Fear:

                Everyone is somewhat narcissistic, self-esteemed, over-indulged, and all the things false gods seem to be.  People fear that their hierarchy of needs won’t be met and that the boogieman will get them. We all have different boogiemen.

                Recently I said to a four-years old, “When I was your age I thought I had monsters under my bed.” She considered that for a while, gave me a knowing smile, and said, “That’s what I was a thinkin’.” As adults we still have monsters under our beds but different types of monsters.  Hers was a rolled-up quilt which in the dim light looked like a person under the bed. I exposed her monster and she was no longer afraid! Let me now expose your monster.

                Your monster is fear itself. Franklin Roosevelt said that, may be not first, but he said it; “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” ⁷⁴⁸ He was right you know. Fear is mostly facing the unknown. Of course, people always look forward to pleasantries but dread what may be dangerous or upsetting. As I write, I dread my first book-signing which commences in four hours. That is what I have always looked forward to but now that it is near, there are many “what ifs”: What if I’m later? What if the book doesn’t sell? What if someone is offended by my opinions which some surely will be?

                Spiritual matters are no different. What is there is no Heaven? What if I was not sincere enough about God to receive a reward. Even before that, the end is fearful. What emotions will I have as I approach death? What will it feel like to die? Will I be afraid? Thus, most people dread dying. I’ve always said, “I don’t’ fear being dead; I fear dying!” Scripture calls that fear, “the sting of death”. ⁷⁴⁹ Also in that passage is that sin is the cause of the sting!

                I fear death because I know I don’t deserve a reward. That same passage disallows the Law as a sacrament and squarely indicates that the blood of God is! If our reward is based on performance, we would all get the Raspberry Award, or a Rotten Tomato awful review. That frightens us all!

                Satan allows us to think, I don’t deserve to go to Heaven. Since he is honest when he needs to be, that is true. However, Satan implies, you need to be doing things to deserve Heaven. Like the Pharisees when we’re busy doing, we don’t have our eyes on God. Doing is a distraction to loving. Christians are to be new creatures having new natures which is doing things willfully with enthusiasm without coercion or force! The Law is still God’s will. The Law is to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. ⁷⁵⁰  In Heaven, people are righteous because of their new nature. The same holds true when on earth. The Law’s benevolence is a difference between having to and willingness. Satan kills us by creating the thought, I have to!  People busy themselves doing good works because it is expected of them by some unknown god. Righteous people do good works because they desire to do God’s will.

                No one will ever reach perfection. Any breach of the Law will be used by the forces of evil against us. Satan’s emissaries often remind me, Larry, you’ll never be good enough. Just give up. Honestly, sometimes I am tempted to do just that. Who hasn’t had the thought, I’m missing all the fun because I am a Christian?  Knowing the truth creates fear. In know that although “my spirit is willing but my flesh is weak.” ⁷⁵¹ Jesus was willing and his flesh was strong even though he could have sinned. Why else would he come and allow himself to be tested? ⁷⁵² In a weakened condition – forty days of fasting – Jesus overcame the temptations offered by Satan.  Ultimately, the three temptations were little different than Adam’s because Satan’s bag of tricks is limited.

                Jesus was perfect because He Is God.  We are not but act as if we are! Church at times seems to be a play, and I’m the poor actor not even in the lead. Satan wants us to believe that. The notion that y righteousness is a poor play on my part is scary indeed! Satan’s method is to raise doubt. My doubt frightens me!

                There will be no fear in Heaven. Fear is of the world only. Since, I trust God, my destiny is Heaven which is without fear. Thus, Roosevelt was correct and we fear, fear itself.

                Hope is the antidote for fear. Hope, faith, and love are the three virtues of the Bible. Hope is the expectation of eternal life. ⁷⁵⁸ Fear, on the other hand, is that eternal life will not happen. To counter that fear, Christians must not forget God’s type of love called “grace” – being rewarded for what is not deserved. Because God is “good” is sufficient to allay all our fears. God handles fear and the anxiety which results. ⁷⁵⁴ Dark angels say that God will not.

                Fear increases if not allayed the closer one gets to the event feared. As the clock ticks, I get closer to my book-signing. My fear has increased because of the unknowns. Likewise, as we approach death, fear increases. For some, fear drives them to obedience. I’m sixty-nine years old. Assuming that I am blessed to live until I’m eighty-five, I have sixteen years to become righteous. I fear that I never will be! Satan reinforces that fear. In fact, I’m still committing the same sins I did when I was fifteen. Satan says to give up! God says, I’m covering for you. God has my back, as they say in the modern vernacular. People must understand that we will never be good enough to deserve heaven, and because we are not really gods, neither do we have the power to reward ourselves with it! God does because He is the Living God! ⁷⁵⁵ God will handle all our fears but Christians too often listen to other voices.

                Since fear is not knowing the unknown or knowing what’s coming and not preparing for it, the reasonable thing to do is plan for a bright future. When riding my motorcycle, I avoided catastrophe by taking care. It was not obeying the laws which prevented accidents but sobriety and vigilance. The same goes for eternal damnation. It can be avoided but Satan says it’s unlikely. God suggests strongly that to avoid collision with the unknown, men must be born-again. ⁷⁵⁶ Rebirth is not optional. Jesus said “must”! However, even many Christians do not know what that entails. It is much more than believing. English words are inadequate for birth is experiential. Until one experiences birth they do not exist. Until one is born-again, he does not spiritually exist.

                Fear is the doubting Heaven is for real and if God Exists. Even if Hell is not real, and it is, the thought of non-existence is frightening. When I was a child I thought death was ceasing to exist. I was afraid. That thought is fatalism and is the utter lack of hope. Fatalism is brought on my doubt. If the idea that there is nothing beyond the grave, Satan wins for then people cease to plan ahead. With nothing but a grave to which to look forward, born-again has no value. The fear of moldering in the grave is as terrible as the fear of Hell. Satan’s ploy is that there is nothing anyone can do about non-existence. That fear destroys the growth of Christianity, and the Church withers. God is not dead but is in the minds of people.

                Heaven is more than wishful thinking, and God is more than a creation of the mind. Sometimes I doubt that is true, then I consider the creation, prophecies, and the continuity of Holy Scripture. Immersion in the Word makes the devil flee. ⁷⁵⁷ Our own safety depends on reading the Word. The truth in scripture sets us free from fear.  ⁷⁵⁸ To protect the Doctrine of God, all Christians need do is study Scripture. While Satan is fleeing he can’t be killing God!

⁷⁴⁸ Presidential Inaugural Address; Roosevelt, Franklin; Mar 4, 1933.

⁷⁴⁹ Holy Bible; 1 Cor 5:55-57.

⁷⁵⁰ ibid; Mat 6:10.

⁷⁵¹ ibid; Mat 26:41.

⁷⁵² ibid; Mat 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13.

⁷⁵³ ibid; Titus 1:2.

⁷⁵⁴ ibid; 1 Pet 5:7.

⁷⁵⁵ ibid; Acts 14:15.

⁷⁵⁶ ibid; John 3:7.

⁷⁵⁷ ibid; James 4:7.

⁷⁵⁸ ibid; John 8:32.