Scared straight?

July 25, 2007

By Jerry Scott

Christian A was taught the world is a terrible place where dangers lurk everywhere. He was taught that God is an angry deity who must be feared, that the devil is a powerful threat waiting to pounce. Christian A is afraid, feels powerless in an environment of uncertainty, builds defensive walls in life, and only relates to people who think and act like Christian A. Christian A is isolated, alone, and convinced everyone is “out to get me.”

Christian B was taught the world is a beautiful place created by God for our enjoyment. He was also cautioned the world contains real dangers and a wise follower of Christ knows how to minimize the impact of those dangers by inviting the Holy Spirit to guide one’s life into good places. Christian B learned God is a loving Father who demonstrated His care for us through Jesus Christ and that He seeks the best for those who love Him. Christian B knows the power of evil is diminished by serving God and living in God’s love. As a result Christian B lives joyfully, hopefully, and effectively engaged as a godly influence before a watching world.

Which kind of world do you inhabit? Is it fear-filled or Spirit-filled?

Preaching a fear-based Christianity is not a new thing. Throughout church history there have been those who majored on hell and the devil. Why? At first fear is a powerful motivator to change. If a preacher can make the fires of hell hot enough, he can scare people into a confession of faith. Fear can also bond people together, getting them to overcome their differences to fight the feared enemies.

But the downside of fear is its diminishing returns. Anyone who lives with fear over time learns to adapt to it, to turn it off. That’s why fear-based Christianity ultimately fails to keep people living for God. Hell fades into the distant future. In time, the bogeymen in the world and even the devil no longer produce the same levels of fear.

That’s why Jesus does not drive people to God with fear. He calls them to God with love!

Over time, love deepens into maturity of faith. As a person walks with God, love intensifies that relationship. To be sure, Jesus recognizes the reality of evil and that people who rebel against God will perish, but that is not His major theme. Jesus’ gospel is not so much a defense as an opportunity. He says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28,29, NKJV).

Here’s the way The Message offers that passage: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.”

John reminds us that love perfects (completes) us. “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first” (1 John 4:16-19, NLT).

How can we miss this wonderful truth? How can we give up the rich promise of acceptance for a paranoid fearful experience of “faith”?

Don’t let your Christianity be shaped by fear! Study the story of the Prodigal Son (or as I prefer to call it, the story of the Waiting Father) and let the Word and Spirit convince you of God’s gracious favor. To be sure, we live in a world where the devil rages and where evil men seek destruction — but we are not afraid because “[we] are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in [us] is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4, NKJV).

Jerry D. Scott is senior pastor of Washington (N.J.) Assembly of God.