Daily Diary - February 12th 2016

Why Do You Fear?

The word fear in the bible means many things.  We have been branded in recent years with the idea that fear is simply being scared of something or in most cases frightened.  When someone or something threatens to harm us we “Fear”. 

Webster’s Dictionary:  fear |fi(ə)r|   noun

an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat, the likelihood of something unwelcome happening

• ( fear for) a feeling of anxiety concerning the outcome of something or the safety and well-being of someone

These are just a few meanings based on the word fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

We learn in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God did not give us a spirit of fear, so it must have came from somewhere else.  This spirit of fear came from the fall and separation of Man from God in the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:9-11 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

¹¹ And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Our disobedience caused us to be afraid.  God did not give us this spirit.  Based on scripture I concluded that at this point people were “separated” from God and they continued to disobey Him and therefore it was accounted as not having “FEAR” of God or the consequences.  The consequences were spiritual death.  The fear came from their own shame.

There are 456 Scriptures with the word “Fear” in the bible.  352 are in the Old Testament and only 104 in the New Testament.  The difference that is explained from old to new is based on “Fearing” God. The interpretation would suggest that people didn’t trust God at His word so therefore they did what they wanted.  This is simply “Sin”.  They continued to go their own way and sin and were more and more afraid of God.

Men ultimately love God and want a relationship so they “Fear” to not obey Him.  This is a reverence fear of God that simply says God is right and I don’t want to disappoint Him or something bad will happen, based on the previous definition of fear.

This never meant that God was a mean God.  It simply meant that God is a just God and those that do not choose to follow Him will perish.  As we have discussed many times God cannot change. (Malachi 3:6).  We perish by “our” choices.

The bottom line is that we must have honor and reverent fear of God because “OUR” fear stems from our inadequacy.  Fear in this since will drive us to the understanding that we are the failure in this relationship with God and He is the “Just and Righteous” one.

In the New Testament the word fear in most scriptures has a much different meaning.  It only references the same as we discussed earlier in a few scriptures, talking about the fear of God. 

John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

God didn’t give us a spirit of fear.  That was our fault.  God also tells us in this scripture that perfect Love casts out fear.  Jesus Christ went to the cross for us as perfect love!  Therefore we should not fear anymore.  Not if we are in Christ Jesus!

Hebrews 12:28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

I had heard the word fear mentioned to me in church many times as a young boy saying that I should fear God.  It made me think that God wanted to scare me or harm me.  This is such a terrible misconception of God.  Until I became a Christian and studied the word for myself did I understand what they were trying to say.  We have got to stop the “FEAR”.  God “loved” us enough to send His son.  I would hear in one instance to fear God and then at the same time how John 3:16 talked about how God so LOVED the world that He sent His only son.  This was a very confusing contradiction to me.

Being in ministry and counseling people I have discovered that people are ate up with fear.  It is running ramped both inside and outside of the church.  Christians are running around displaying their fears to everyone to the point that they are not representing the power, love and sound mind that is talked about in 2 Timothy 1:7.  They are only walking in fear, which is associated with doubt.  When we fear like this as Christians we are basically saying “I don’t trust God”.  This fear is the opposite of Faith.

When we have faith in our Lord and trust His word we should not be in fear.  We would recognize God as our source and savior and good all the time.  We have no reason to fear our “Father”.  Only when we walk away from the truth of God will it bring shame and condemnation that will lead to “fear”. 

Romans 8:14-17 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

This scripture really sums up this message.  Verse 15: for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear.  It implies that bondage is what causes fear.  Bondage is the Old Testament 10 commandments or “The Law” that revealed our inadequacies and drove us to need a savior because of our inability to be righteous ourselves.  If you know Jesus Christ as savior then you have been set free from bondage and walk in HIS righteousness. 

We are not His children if we remain in bondage because our spirit should bear witness with His spirit.  When this happens we become heirs with him.  This means in the here and now and forever. 

Summary:  We must know our identity in Christ and trust the master!  He has not given us a spirit of fear, but the example of perfect love that casts out any fear.  We should be living a joy filled overcoming life in power and love with the Grace of God as our guide that is recognized by His love for us.

I encourage you to read the different references of fear from the Old and New Testaments.  You will discover that when we accept Jesus we should have no fear, yet so many go through life consumed by it.

The Old Testament fear had come from the “Separation” of man from God.  It was based on our failure.  In the New Testament we are purchased back to righteousness by God himself at the cross, creating a new identity in Him, which was born in His love that casts out fear!

Lord God bring us understand and revelation of where fear comes from.  May we choose by faith to walk in the Love, Power and a Sound mind that you gave us.  We break the bondage of fear from your people and your Church in Jesus name! Amen