We know we will have trouble, strife, persecution, tribulation, distress, affliction, and trials–but we fear none of them.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, will see us through all of them; and He will walk with us through all of them.

By “fear-mongering,” I mean the intentional (or even unintentional) bringing about of consternation in the hearers or readers of a speaker or writer whose words would, under “natural” conditions, produce dread, alarm, or dismay.  Not all fear, of course, is bad, in that all people are to fear the One, True, and Only Triune God.  But all other fear is to be suspect.

Some religious fear makes all the sense in the world.  Adherents of non-Christian religions should fear, since they have good cause to.  As well, all non-regenerate Christians should fear even more–since they (presumably) know the truth of the gospel, but do not embrace Christ in it, by faith.

It is my personal opinion and conviction that Christian fear-mongers send out their alarming and dreadful messages because they are not (really) trusting in Jesus Christ and His gospel of grace.  I am aware that they would likely retort with arguments to the contrary–but the proof of their genuineness and sincerity would be in a peaceful and serene presentation of Christ in His gospel.

Any religious person–Christian or otherwise–whose hope is in government, the financial system, health, family, a job, their religious devotion, or their religious passion, again, has good cause to fear.  All of their hopes will (and must) fail.  God will make sure they do.

Do we read anywhere, especially in the New Testament, of any God-ordained leader of Christ’s church engendering or encouraging fear in the people of God–except for the fear of God Himself?

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