Timeless Truths. Living Between Faith and Fear

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you!”

John 20:19

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Hebrews 13:6

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:18

Too many people live their lives in fear.
Life decisions tend to be based on fear.
Many worry about safety in their own home, so they purchase locks, shredders, and security systems.

The first-century church found themselves living in fear. They met behind locked doors and feared Jewish reprisal.

Our desire should be to live so fear cannot overtake us.

FOUR Things Fear Does

1. DISTRACTS. 
We take our eyes off God's vision for us.
We focus on the wrong things and so are hit by things unexpected.

2. DEBILITATES. 
It stops us and forces us to freeze.


3. DEHUMANIZES. 
In war, enemies are made less than human by fear.

In daily life, we dehumanize people by the terms we use to describe them.

4. DESTROYS. 
Destruction is the ultimate end of fear.

We are put at odds by those we fear. This destroys relationships.

ONE Fear We Need

Fear of the Lord.

Proverbs provide an abundance of examples.

8:13 - To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

9:10 - The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

10:27 - The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short

14:27 - The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death

15:33 - Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the LORD, and humility comes before honor.

16:6 - Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.

19:23 - The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

Wisdom, life, and truth come from the fear/respect of the Lord.
Fear of the Lord is how it should impact life . . .

 . . . it is the opposite of the fear of man!

The letters John wrote show us how one of the fearful disciples in John 20:19 turned out.
God's love drives out fear!

What's faith go to do with fear?

John writes about overcoming fear through faith in God and His love for/in/through us.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

Faith requires trust.
Faith is not dictated by fear.

Thanks to Dr. Scott Peterson for the primary teaching in this post.

Next Timeless Truth: The Cure for Ailing Christians

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