The Gnostic philosophy of George Lucas, creator of Star Wars, missed the mark in expressing the truth of fear. Anakin Skywalker got it right, fear of losing his mother and then the loss of his mother expressed the right conclusion; fear led to murder. This is embodied in the commandment, "Do not kill" (Ex 20:13) as Christ explained the fullness of this commandment in His Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5:21-26). Why does one hate? The quick answer is "fear of God's judgment" (1Jo 4:18).

The lost are steeped in fear and spend much of their effort to reduce or ignore the inner fear that springs from sin. Instinctively the lost know judgment awaits all who reject God, His Truth and His Son's atoning work (Ro 1:18-25; 5:1; Re 20:11-15). Yet, their sin nature, the old man (Ro 6:6), will not accept the inner and outer witness of God's existence and moral truth {Ten Words} (Ex 20:1-17). Man defines fear as a vital response to physical and emotional danger..." {Psychology Today}. While true in this limited context psychology ignores the spiritual aspect of fear because, based on unrighteous man's scientism, God does not exist except as a construct for weaker minds. Claiming to be a science, psychology builds a supposedly empirical scientific explanation for the non-empirical aspect of people; i.e., the soul which is undefinable outside of the Bible. The soul is the non-empirical spiritual aspect of each person that exists eternally once created at conception (He 4:12; 11:3). Thus, each person builds a worldview making themselves the hero of their own story and their viewpoint as the standard for determining truth: right and wrong {morality}. But, this house of cards is incoherent and nihilistic producing fear. This fear, coupled with covetousness, begets violence at every level of existence (Ja 4:1-4). All Christians begin life as lost souls needing redemption. Our old man, sin nature, dies at salvation and we are given a new nature in Christ (2Co 5:17). Being dead to the slavery of sin and having peace with God the question must be addressed, "Why do Christians have fear?"

Paul aptly described this dichotomy of sinful flesh and new nature confronting Christians (Ro 7:15-25). At salvation, each believer is literally a new born from above babe in Christ. We have to grow into our new nature and Christ is our example. He had His godly nature in a body of flesh which He had to control so He would not sin and be disqualified as the sin sacrifice (Ge 4:6-7; 2Co 5:21). Christ did not do this in His own power, much of which He laid aside to abide in the fleshly body, but in the power of the Holy Spirit which He visibly received at baptism (Lk 3:21-22; Ro 8:3-4; Ph 2:5-8; He 4:15). And though the new believer is indwell with the Holy Spirit, he, and she, still seeks to live in their own strength hoping to please God by their works-based mentality. Paul was certainly strong in his faith and would have remained in a wretched, though saved state, if he had not been given a thorn in the flesh, after his stoning at Lystra (Ac 4:19-20; 2Co 12:1-10; Ph 3:3-6). Paul completely and honestly states his dilemma: with his mind {his new nature} he tries to do good; however, with his flesh he serves sin doing evil. He knows what to do for the Moral Law is his guide in knowing what is right and his new nature seeks to live according to the Law in grace since the Law is the epitome of God's nature in abbreviated form. Yet, for all his willingness to do good, his flesh has no intention of doing good since it remains in sin, is hostile to God and will never yield, ever at war with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Ro 8:12-13; Ga 5:17). Thus, the immature Christian falls back on what he knows best: works based on self-reliance. This did not work when lost seeking to prove one was righteous, and it will not work now as one seeks to control one's flesh and please God; it only strengthens the flesh (Col 2:20-23).

Unfortunately, many Christians inhabiting the churches are comfortable in their immature, works-based quandary, passing it off as Christian maturity and denigrating anyone who seeks to correct their error. This rejection of Christ-like maturation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, grieves or quenches the Spirit (Ep 4:30; 1Th 5:19). When a church is primarily filled with immature Christians it also attracts the lost who do not have to change to be comfortable in the church. They can engage in a works-based pietism pretending to be right with God not unlike the Pharisees of Christ's day. This deadly mixture begins the slide into decline for the church as Christ will not contend forever with those who will not follow; He will remove His Spirit from such churches. The first warning sign is the loss of Christ as its firstlove like the church of Ephesus (Re 2:1-7). This means that self becomes one's first love though it may masquerade as allegiance to the church, a denomination or even one's nation. One may even unwittingly substitute a noble political cause in place of Christ; yet, if the Gospel is not being preached, is not the first priority always then Christ is not one's first love. As this continues the church continues its downward spiral becoming like the church of Laodicea (Re 3:14-22). This church, meaning its believers, is characterized as being blind, naked and poor though it perceives itself as being far-sighted, well-clothed and rich in knowledge; but not God's knowledge. They have drank deeply from the scientisms and philosophies of the world seeking to shore up what they perceive to be weaknesses in God's word.