Servile fear and sin

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scrupulousrvrt

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I have recently read that servile fear is not sufficient for reconciliation, that if there was no punishment for sin, a sinner would go right back to sinning without fear breaking God’s law (what would be the point of having a law if there’s no punishment for breaking it?). I look back at my past confessions and wonder which ones I’ve invalidated through servile fear. If fear of hell isn’t sufficient for reconciliation, does that mean I’m hellbound?
 
Where did you read this?
To be honest, I have never heard anything like this.
I would recommend that you seek the counsel of a wise & holy priest to help you with your scrupulosity.
 
OK, I don’t know anything about this website, but I feel I can safely say I don’t think that this means what you think it means.

The way I understand it, this "servile fear"is more like the sin of presumption. The attitude that I can do whatever I want, go to Confession and start over with a clean slate without ever even a half-hearted attempt to change my ways.

As I said before. , I suggest you to talk to a priest about this before you worry about past confessions. Scrupulosity is a terrible burden, please get help.
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
I have recently read that servile fear is not sufficient for reconciliation, that if there was no punishment for sin, a sinner would go right back to sinning without fear breaking God’s law (what would be the point of having a law if there’s no punishment for breaking it?). I look back at my past confessions and wonder which ones I’ve invalidated through servile fear. If fear of hell isn’t sufficient for reconciliation, does that mean I’m hellbound?
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Will you please stop looking back at your past confessions?
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
I have recently read that servile fear is not sufficient for reconciliation, that if there was no punishment for sin, a sinner would go right back to sinning without fear breaking God’s law (what would be the point of having a law if there’s no punishment for breaking it?). I look back at my past confessions and wonder which ones I’ve invalidated through servile fear. If fear of hell isn’t sufficient for reconciliation, does that mean I’m hellbound?
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You misunderstood the article. Talk with your priest and PLEASE believe him when he gives you absolution.
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
I have recently read that servile fear is not sufficient for reconciliation, that if there was no punishment for sin, a sinner would go right back to sinning without fear breaking God’s law (what would be the point of having a law if there’s no punishment for breaking it?). I look back at my past confessions and wonder which ones I’ve invalidated through servile fear. If fear of hell isn’t sufficient for reconciliation, does that mean I’m hellbound?
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I think you misread something. A person who is contrite because of servile fear is not repentant–he does not really want to change, and would readily sin again if it were not for fear of punishment. Those with imperfect contrition are actually sorry for their sins and repentant, even though they fear hell, but they really want to avoid sin and change their ways, and they also know they have offended God and fear hell because they know that. Those with perfect contrition despise sin purely because it offends God, not out of fear of hell.

If you go to Confession and are really sorry for your sins and don’t want to commit them again (even though you may be tempted and fall) you are not in servile fear. You want to change your ways and not commit the sin again. But a person with servile fear would gladly sin again except for the fear of punishment. It is a childish way of thinking–a 3 year old might avoid biting his brother because he knows his mother will punish him if he does, but he really wants to bite his brother and doesn’t see anything wrong with it, and would do it except he does not want to go to time out or lose his toy or whatever.

But you admit you are scrupulous, so you would be better off discussing this with a priest and putting yourself under spiritual direction than trying to figure this out from strangers on a forum.
 
But say someone avoids committing mortal sin out of fear of going to hell alone. If they do this and still end up in hell, it makes little sense to repent because you’re screwed anyway. The end result of offending God through mortal sin is hell, but if someone were to repent because they’re afraid of the punishment, they still go there!?:eek:
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
But say someone avoids committing mortal sin out of fear of going to hell alone. If they do this and still end up in hell, it makes little sense to repent because you’re screwed anyway. The end result of offending God through mortal sin is hell, but if someone were to repent because they’re afraid of the punishment, they still go there!?:eek:
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That is NOT what the article says - that’s your spin on it. And you’re wrong. You have a problem with being scrupulous so you’re apt to read articles like this in a way to point a blaming finger at yourself. I wish telling you to take it easy would help. Would believing that God loves you help at all? Because what you describe is an unloving & vindictive god - and that’s not the God of the Catholic Church.
 
I have posted about the difference between
servile fear and godly fear, the former is con-
demnation and the latter is conviction. The
devil would have us in bondage w/ the fear
of breaking God’s Law, but Grace says that
we have been freed from the Letter of the
Law and become Sons and Daughters of
God, able to reconcile our sins thru the
Sacrament of Confession. It leads us to
Perfect Contrition, not wanting to let God
down by continually sinning. In fact, in the
Parable of the Prodigal Son, he was ALREADY
forgiven by the loving Father, all he had to
do was repent and make his way back to
the Father!!
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
But say someone avoids committing mortal sin out of fear of going to hell alone. If they do this and still end up in hell, it makes little sense to repent because you’re screwed anyway. The end result of offending God through mortal sin is hell, but if someone were to repent because they’re afraid of the punishment, they still go there!?:eek:
Click to expand...
You don’t understand–people who repent of their sins don’t go to hell. People in servile fear are not repentant–they just fear punishment. They would sin in a minute if it wasn’t for fear of punishment. Your scruples are getting in the way of things, you need to get help for that, as people have been telling you. And these forums are not the place to deal with scruples. God bless you. Scruples are a terrible burden.
 
naturally i am tempted to either presume or to despair because of temptation/sin. If i were to commit a sin with the mindset that i can just confess it, it would be presumption and i would be hellbound. Since sins aren’t forgiven with just servile fear, there would be little point in seeking forgiveness and despair would naturally follow.
 
The devil’s main instruments of attack result
in THREE major things: powerlessness,
isolation and self-pity/-indulgence and the
fruition of these rotten fruits is DEATH.
On the other hand the main instruments
of God’s influence in one’s life are:
Meaningfulness, Intimacy and Virtuosity
and the fruition of these is LIFE.
“See, I have set before you today Life
and prosperity, death and adversity…
therefore, choose Life” Deut. 30:15,19
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
I have recently read that servile fear is not sufficient for reconciliation, that if there was no punishment for sin, a sinner would go right back to sinning without fear breaking God’s law (what would be the point of having a law if there’s no punishment for breaking it?). I look back at my past confessions and wonder which ones I’ve invalidated through servile fear. If fear of hell isn’t sufficient for reconciliation, does that mean I’m hellbound?
Click to expand...
YES fear of hell is a form of imperfect contrition that in confession is valid for the Sacrament. As the Catechism notes.
 
Catechism of the Catholic Church

1453 The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance.
 
thanks for the replies, but i’ve got some bad news. My regular confessor that I meet with won’t be available until next Wednesday. i’ll try not to panic or despair, but it’s getting harder as the days go by.
 
scrupulousrvrt said:
thanks for the replies, but i’ve got some bad news. My regular confessor that I meet with won’t be available until next Wednesday. i’ll try not to panic or despair, but it’s getting harder as the days go by.
Click to expand...
Priests are great spiritual counselors, but not all are qualified as mental health counselors. I do hope you are seeing one on a regular basis.
 
GLam8833 said:
I have posted about the difference between
servile fear and godly fear, the former is con-
demnation and the latter is conviction. The
devil would have us in bondage w/ the fear
of breaking God’s Law, but Grace says that
we have been freed from the Letter of the
Law and become Sons and Daughters of
God, able to reconcile our sins thru the
Sacrament of Confession. It leads us to
Perfect Contrition, not wanting to let God
down by continually sinning. In fact, in the
Parable of the Prodigal Son, he was ALREADY
forgiven by the loving Father, all he had to
do was repent and make his way back to
the Father!!
Click to expand...
😃
 
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