Everyone knows at some level of his/her being that unloving
actions are "not OK", and are disharmonious with God.
Even non-integrous (negative) people know when they "sin";
even people who deny God are aware that God exists, however
deep in their being they may try to hide it, suppress it.
With the - perhaps unconscious - awareness that God is and
that God is aware of one's actions/intentions/thoughts,
automatically arises a conflict in one's self/ego: "OK, I've done
some not very nice things, not just in this life, but also
many previous lives, so the ever-watchful God must be angry or
even mad with me; He may even want to punish me."
This is how the ego operates, as revealed by NET and enlightened
individuals.   Even if you don't believe this at the conscious
level, there is a rigid belief in this in the deep unconscious
(unless it's dissolved by Love, Understanding, NET).

This belief in angry, mad, punishing God is nonsense, of course.
God, your very essence, is pure Love and Peace.   Period.
Anger, resentment, punishment are low-energy things of the
animal/human domain; God allows them to exist for learning
purposes...that's all.   In this physical world misbehaving is
met with anger and punishment, perhaps even death.
Thus the ego projects the same experience/values onto God.
This is incorrect.   As mentioned, God is pure Love that
non-judgementally observes everything.   God is free from
anger and other emotions.   Why would God give you
the freedom to choose your own path and then be angry
with you or even punish you?   God loves you unconditionally.
This does not mean you are not responsible for your actions;
you are responsible for them and feel/experience their
consequences via an automated self-balancing system
set up within Existence (karma).
God's Love and Peace are beyond Existence and thus
not affected by what goes on within Existence.
Divine Love and Peace are not something "out there" or
"somewhere else", while you are "here"; as well,
they don't need to be earned or acquired.   Divine Love and Peace
are your essence, your center - they just need to be given
the opportunity to shine forth, such as when clouds move away
to reveal the shining sun.

So God is not angry or punishment-wielding and there is
no need to be fearful of God.   Actually, fear of God is a sure
way to be stuck spiritually; to fear your own essence, center,
to fear Love and Peace is a falsity and a destructive thing.
If you're going through some tough life experiences, they
are the automatic consequences of your actions/choices
throughout your many lives/incarnations.   God never
abandons you; God never turns away from you.
Re-phrased, your very essence, center, cannot abandon you
or turn away from you; there just can be so much mud
and junk obscuring it that it may seem to the mind
that it's not there.   Well, it is there and it's waiting
for "re-discovery" (NET can help).

This can be an important, and perhaps even necessary,
daily affirmation (to help deprogram the unconscious belief
in an angry, punishing God):   "Divine Love and Peace are
my very essence.   Awareness".