Don’t be afraid, be Good

The question of why we ought to behave is as old as people are. The fear of getting caught is as ancient as sin itself when Adman and Eve tried to hide themselves from God. But fast forward to the very first blatant sin of Cain, and this idea is made apparent. He didn’t seem to understand why his act was so wicked in killing his brother, but what he readily grasped was the consequences that God had for him. Cain claimed it was too much to have to labor in such harsh conditions, but murder, well…at least I got what I wanted. So is that it? If we just understood the consequences upfront more, we would straighten up and sail straight. Neitzche inadversly thought so. He critiqued morality because he said it was cowardly. He said it was based on fear; in other words, people are not acting good, they are just afraid of the consequences. Hmm…

Is that such a bad thing?

Now, as Cain showed, Neitzche seems to have a point but it would be a lot more profound if that was the only true thing about it, apart from how sad it would be. But according to a fallen heart, this is all it is. So if I honestly just want to steal, kill, and destroy, then why shouldn’t I? Isn’t a fear of consequence a pretty good starting point, even if there are other reasons? See, if it is true that consequences, sort of, curb our fun. But what if others had different desires and different fears? Adam and Eve were persuaded out of the fear of the consequences unto the result of all our destruction. See, there is an assumed fallenness in all of this, isn’t there, or rather a lack of acknowledging it? The fear of consequences is now normal because of the fall, not necessarily because of external pressure. Yet even our sinful condition can overcome this, with the help of fallen philosophy. If fear is a part of our natural state now, what would happen if our hearts were changed, does it ever become more than fear?

Well, the Word of God acknowledges a healthy dose of fear. It is the beginning of knowledge, after all. Consequences for breaking God’s Law is the very first lesson that mankind learns. It doesn’t do to philosophically trump up notions of people being duped into fear when humanity failed her first test–nobody has ever lived outside of the experience of those consequences. That is not rightly calling some vice of ours, fear, but an ignorance and rejection of the world in which we live. So is fear a fine thing then?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7)

Well, fear can have more than one purpose. It doesn’t have to be the willies and the raised-up spine tinglies that react to Jason or Jaws music. If fear is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom, then it is instructive. In that sense, it is quite useful, and way further reaching than a simple fight or flight response. Even fear is a complex and sometimes paradoxical thing. Fear leads me to consequences, and thus I learn justice, desert, knowledge, and even something of the character of God. But when the lessons don’t follow, sure–I could just be an anxious person.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:8)

God tells us that perfect love casts out fear. So what if we are also told that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom? If God’s perfect love does cast out fear, then we learn of something else. There is a meaningless fear that deals with torment. There are two kinds of fear, and one of them is a healthy scare, keeping you wise, and your hands out of the fire. Just like we hope that our children learn from mistakes and personal injuries, but sigh when they go out repeating the same thing–followed by the same tears.

See, when we are changed by the Spirit of God, the Law is written on our hearts. However, when the Law remains an external reminder, a scary Nun with a big ruler, it may only be a matter of fear that brings about its obeisance. The Christian experience is different. It is when your heart has been changed, the Law is now upon your heart. It is not external fear but an internal compass. That is no longer useless fear, but the knowledge of God being imparted to you, and it is for your good because it is the love of God that did the branding.

Fear comes from the unknown, but if we now know the Lord, understand his ways, and have the knowledge not foreign and external, we just might find that we love his Law. If that idea is weird and foreign, understand it is not a matter of being scared but of having new desires. So unbelievers are speaking of that which they do not understand. What looks like fear, is fearful to them because they are on the outside looking in. They do not have a relationship with their maker. But when my heart is changed, I grow to love God’s Law. I learn to love his ways.

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:27)

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)

Yes, it has standards, but they lead to life. What one man fears, another man glories in. I glory in the knowledge of God, knowing that it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The Christian life is not about walking on eggshells but walking confidently, with an egg burrito in hand (which is great with Chorizo) or whatever egg dish you enjoy without fear. Fear comes from the unknown, and to the unbeliever, this includes God, for his ways are unknown to him. However, the fear of strangers goes away once intimacy is established. You learn his way, embrace his ways, and even learn to love his ways. Don’t be fearful, be good because you know the one who is good.

thanks