I was sitting in a seminary course in 2022 when I had an epiphany. Fear-mongering has been a part of the Christian religious experience for a long time. Religious entities have forced masses to subjugate themselves under their authority through spiritual and emotional manipulation throughout history. I remember reading about the early Catholic church in the Middle Ages and how fear was used to convince the impoverished masses to give all they had to the church. Their ‘indulgences’ or spiritual practices were exploited, leading congregates to pay fees to receive forgiveness for specific sins as part of their sacrament of penance. These impoverished people were abused spiritually to line the pockets of the Popes, fund wars, fund buildings, and other greedy endeavors. Due to high rates of illiteracy, many believed whatever their religious leaders said regarding their salvation and destination in the afterlife, which furthered their exploitation. These leaders were thought to be the voice of God. The poor lay members could not read the Bible for themselves; therefore, fear of being cursed, going to hell, or even losing their salvation was a way to keep people indebted to the church and its leaders.

Today, we can read the bible in numerous languages, different versions from old English to ebonics, hardcopy or digital, and still struggle to read it for ourselves. We are convinced it's too hard to understand or that we don't have the time to read it, which inevitably allows many to become gullible, believing whatever preaching is popular, sounds good, and seems right. We struggle as a Christian culture to receive the gift of salvation from God because we instead hold on to fear spewed over pulpits, on TikTok, YouTube sermons, etc., instead of resting in the peace and freedom Christ provided with his sacrifice on the cross. I see many online teachers and prophets telling their followers to do things in the Spirit of fear, which opens the door for control, a spirit of religion, and legalism. People are scared if they don’t do this fast or that consecration, they won’t be blessed; if they don’t renounce and denounce this or that, then God won’t give them his promises. Many are afraid to move forward from their past because they have been told generational curses or unrepentant bloodlines are holding them back. If they don't give a certain amount to a ministry, God won't speak. We are told God's judgment is here, there, and everywhere, causing people to live imprisoned within their religion. These thought processes have become louder and more accepted than Christ's sacrifice and his blood enough to cover our past, present, and future. The spiritual practices that should build us up are, in some instances, have become obligatory rituals to keep us from feeling condemned or scared of hell. Our focus should be God’s love, not His wrath that was placed on Jesus ( 1 John 2:2, Romans 5:9). The world may be seeing the consequences of their sin, but God surely isn't spending all his time in judgment when he sent his Son to be judged for us all on the cross. We know there will be a final judgment, but every storm, cloud, or weather disaster that occurs because we live in a fallen world is not God's punishment. These ideologies often promote a humanistic idea of God where we think we can manipulate God and his plan with our good deeds when the Bible teaches us that it's by God's grace that we are saved and have everything we need for godly living. We should serve, obey, sacrifice, fast, pray, and love God not to get anything from him (he's already provided us with everything: blessing, favor, authority) but out of pure love. It is by God’s grace we have access to the promises of God, not because of our works/deeds. We are justified by faith and are declared righteous because Christ places us in the right standing with God, not because we can someday do everything right and become holy. ( Scripture references: 2 Peter 1:3-11, Galatians 2:16, 2 Timothy 1:9, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:22-26, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28) Attempting to prove we are good enough for God out of fear makes us prideful, self-focused, and self-righteous. 

Why is fear so prominent?

 Human nature involves the natural desire to follow a leader. Most find comfort in those who are strong and bold enough to provide answers in times of crisis, guidance in times of uncertainty, and are a figure of strength when our humanity feels weak. In the Bible, Israel begged for a human King, rejecting the opportunity to serve God solely because they felt lost without a leader. They were given a very flawed King named Saul. (1 Samuel 8) We are no different today. Our workspaces seek leadership from managers and bosses. Our nation seeks leadership from the President. We look to pastors, prophets, and ministers to speak for God and explain the Bible. There is nothing wrong with desiring to be led and following great leaders. The issue is many often follow leaders mindlessly out of fear, especially in spiritual settings. We trust the prophet or teacher more than the Holy Spirit/Scripture and are sometimes led astray. 

For many African American Christians, fear has long been a part of our cultural Christian experience. When enslavers pervertedly taught the Bible in a way that would benefit themselves, they forced Black plantation preachers to regurgitate it. We had to fear God by fearing the master. As these oppressors ripped pages out of the bible that taught liberation, we were wise enough to know enslavement was wrong, yet being told we were going to hell for not obeying our masters was engrained so deeply into our psyche. When studying epigenetics, this trauma is often still passed down in our DNA, resulting in fear being intertwined into our doctrines and theology. We are pushed to make spiritual decisions in fear of hell or being cursed and not out of love for God. God is far too often seen as an enslaver ready to damn souls to hell and not a loving, liberating Father.

How do we break this cycle?
1. We must collectively ask God to strip away all the ways we see him that are not true to his character.

Matthew 11:27 27: “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.

2. Again, we must ask the Holy Spirit to be the ultimate teacher in our lives. Our favorite famous preachers, YouTubers, social media ministers, etc., are supplements but not the foundation of our belief systems.

John 16:13 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Galatians 5:16-23 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then, you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

3. Surrender to God loves understanding his word and says He does not give us a spirit of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

4. Acknowledge that fear will only fuel you to make changes for God for a short time. It is the Holy Spirit and God's love that transforms us long term.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

5. Discern the Spirit of everyone you follow or decide to be under leadership.

 1 John 4:4 4 Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Being a fear-filled Christian doesn’t benefit us or help us to serve God. Fear is a tool of the enemy to keep us bound, powerless, and debilitated. Fear leads to torment. I encourage you to free yourself and command the bondage of fear to be removed from your life. Meditate on scripture that reminds you of who you are in Christ, uplifting your Spirit. Understand that fear is a tactic used to keep you small spiritually. You are free in Christ, and this freedom, I declare, won’t be used as a license to sin but as a green light to be used by God liberally! You are free to live boldly for God because condemnation, sin, curses, and shame are not your portion or focus. You will trust that he who began a good work in you will complete the work he started in you, and heaven is your assured home because your seal of salvation, the Holy Spirit, resides within you.