LOST and FOUND
LOST and FOUND
What is your Worst Fear?
What is your Worst Fear?
In God--I boast in his promise--in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men do to me?
Psalm 56:4, NET
What can mere men do to me?
Psalm 56:4, NET
 | What fear do you live with? Perhaps it is not coimetrophobia or nosocomephobia or even pogonophobia? (See a list of 227 phobias here and coping strategies here) The expressions “fear not” or “do not be afraid”, or similar, are repeated time and again in the Bible. Some say it is the command appearing most often in Scripture. In Matthew 10:24-33 Jesus said “do not fear” three times. Consider two of them: |
i) Fear of men: verses 26-27 “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.”
God is a God of JUSTICE. “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household!” (vs 24-25) All the abuse, wrong accusations, lies, and mistreatments against those who stood up for Christ’s name will be revealed in the day of judgment, if not before, “and then everyone will get from God the praise he deserves.” (1 Cor 4:5 Goodspeed)
ii) Fear of death: verse 28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
God is a God of POWER. The disciples need not fear men because they have a greater awesome respect for God who has the power both to resurrect those persecuted and to ‘destroy’ their “Pharisee-like” persecutors. We have already passed from death to life – eternal life (John 5:24).
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Fear is what I feel; faith is what I know
Fear is what I feel; faith is what I know
