26 July 2001 Editorial:
The Fear Card

Larry Kirkpatrick

Whenever one rubs shoulders for an extended period with "progressive" Adventists, sooner or later one will hear the fear card played.

The fear card is a claim that conventional Adventism (i.e., Seventh-day Adventism holding to the investigative judgment as an actual weighing of character, among other points), induces an unhealthy fear in those who hold it. The claim runs that conservative Adventists are afraid to think, afraid to examine other views, afraid to be saved by grace, afraid to study the Bible, afraid, afraid, afraid. The purpose of this claim is to posit a systemic problem at the core of our theology. Something along the line that, because this system of belief is (supposedly) fundamentally flawed and unhealthy, those who have held to it must either jump ship altogether or undertake drastic reform within the body.

As with any religious group, the degree of personal investment one has in the faith may be the difference between whether one opts out entirely or tries to remodel the faith and remold it to fit the newer theories.

We would propose that nothing in Adventism should make us unusually fearful. Still, it is well for us to remember the scriptural admonitions to fear. Here's one: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." The promise of entering into God's rest is so important that Paul pleads "let us fear to miss this." The rest entered into here is not a paper-rest in which the heart continues to tremble and play with sin. This is a heart, yes, a fallen heart, that chooses to let God do a whole work, to be released from sin.

You see, there is also the question of dodging responsibility--one that is never addressed by those playing the fear card. While some coddle and treasure what they ought not, letting it canker and congeal in their lives, others are seeking to follow on to know the Lord. Sometimes we are scolded for having boundaries, or a 'fortress mentality." But there are reasons for boundaries and fortresses, many of which cannot be faulted. How far will this bold, avant garde philosophy be taken by its advocates? Will they pour water into their gas tank, or sarsaparilla or orange juice? Hey, why not? Who needs boundaries.

Next time you wash you car, instead of a sponge why not use 40 grit sandpaper? What's to fear; be bold, cutting-edge! The truth is that such philosophies are employed only selectively and arbitrarily and in spiritual categories, because they won't work anywhere else. On a temporary basis it can appear to work for the spiritual, but in the long term it is empty.

There is an appropriate fear. But Christians who are simply following Scripture and living for Jesus don't really have a major problem with it. They are not afraid to study the Bible, not afraid to think. The fear card is a phony.

From time to time we meet those who have an undue fear. But not so many. We can live lives by God's power that are a joy to Him, and we needn't focus overly on our own performance. We simply walk through life obeying. If we play with sin, then we can thank God for our conscience and His moral alert system that aids us in turning more fully toward Him. His plan is to convict us of sin, not harass us with fear. We are moral beings and the war is on. We can be grateful for conscience, and wary of fear. After all, "great peace," the Bible says, "have those that love Thy law" (Psalm 119:165).

Christians who just want to obey are fine; don't pull up your stakes and join in with those who just wanna' have fun. The Christian life is a battle and a march. The Christian God is a God of grace and strength, taking us boldly where we've never gone before.

Keep marching.

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