Whoops! That’ll teach me to answer back during an advert break in Coronation Street.

Now, I’m in hot water for tapping out an overly-hasty and much-too-brief reply on my laptop to one of my online critics following last week’s column. I’d been accused of peddling a religion of fear, and absent-mindedly replied that “Christianity is about love which casts out fear.”

Now, while this is true for those who love God (1 John 4:18), it isn’t for those who ignore him.

For those who insist on being their own mini-gods, the consequences still have to be faced.

For phone hackers and personal-document blaggers who abuse others, yes, they will have to answer for their cruel actions.

And their judge will not be of puny parliamentary or bewigged status but hail from an altogether more awesome rank.

For the greedy, corrupt crooks responsible for our growing economic woes, punishment should most certainly be feared.

For the murderer of (so far) five patients by injection insulin into saline drips, an Almighty Judge will one day have to be faced; One who doesn’t take kindly to the unlawful taking life which he created.

Fear sits alongside those who live by their own fleshly desires (Galatians 5:19-21), for they shall not inherit all the rich abundance that God has on offer.

They will lose out big time.

Only with the inner acceptance of God’s Spirit comes a peaceful love that sends fear crashing out of sight (Galatians 5:22-25).

Receivers of God’s Spirit will benefit bounteously from other divine fruits such as joy, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Such will inherit the Kingdom of God.