Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 01.01.2003
Fears
We easily escape fears into lies, but only truth gives peace. A bad conscience produces fears but forgiveness removes them. Some fears are the reverse side of dreams. The fellowship of God gives perfect safety.
Well-grounded fear
Basically fear is uncertainty of our own existence. Because everything exists through the power of God's word only a word of God can remove our fear.
Fear trespassing against God! It is a healthful fear, because only a good relationship with God can guarantee our existence. So we can afford to lose everything else, but the friendship of God.
Jesus says to His own: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him." Luke 12:4
Only God has power to throw you into hell. Notice that Jesus doesn't command you to fear hell, but God who has power to judge you.
God wants that we are ready to give up everything else but His friendship. God's gospel aims at achieving this in us.
After you have experienced God's love in the sacrifice of Jesus your fear of punishment disappears. "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." 1John 4:18
However the perfect love doesn't drive out the fear of God but on the contrary. If you love God you honour and fear Him more than people.
Basically fear is uncertainty of our own existence. Because everything exists through the power of God's word only a word of God can remove our fear.
Fear trespassing against God! It is a healthful fear, because only a good relationship with God can guarantee our existence. So we can afford to lose everything else, but the friendship of God.
Jesus says to His own: "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him." Luke 12:4
Only God has power to throw you into hell. Notice that Jesus doesn't command you to fear hell, but God who has power to judge you.
God wants that we are ready to give up everything else but His friendship. God's gospel aims at achieving this in us.
After you have experienced God's love in the sacrifice of Jesus your fear of punishment disappears. "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." 1John 4:18
However the perfect love doesn't drive out the fear of God but on the contrary. If you love God you honour and fear Him more than people.
Groundless fears
Sometimes we are afraid of something without any known reason. These fears overwhelm us like a surge. We feel that we cannot do anything to stop them. They pull about our life as a gale. Where do they come from? Is it not natural that an untruthful fear of a loss comes from an untruthful ownership? Yes, you have dreamed of being something that you are not of owning, something that you have not? Is it then a wonder, if you also "dream" of losing something that you have? Lusts produce fears.
A lust of ownership and a fear of losing are the other sides of the same coin. Dreaming is an action of your spirit. Be aware! If your imagination loads into your heart strong fancies, it also loads fears!
Lovely dreams are deceitful because they give satisfaction to your spirit, but they don't warn you of fears that come later. Sooner or later the moment of truth will come and you will wake up and be dropped down from your dreams. You will realize your real state and notice what you really have. Then fears can overwhelm you as a hangover overwhelms a drunken.
Instead of dreaming be grateful to God for what you have and ask God for what you need. The difference between dreaming and praying is remarkable. A dreamer takes and a prayer receives. Concrete answers from God encourage the faith and they don't leave room for fears. Removing bad lusts from thoughts also removes groundless fears.
Sometimes we are afraid of something without any known reason. These fears overwhelm us like a surge. We feel that we cannot do anything to stop them. They pull about our life as a gale. Where do they come from? Is it not natural that an untruthful fear of a loss comes from an untruthful ownership? Yes, you have dreamed of being something that you are not of owning, something that you have not? Is it then a wonder, if you also "dream" of losing something that you have? Lusts produce fears.
A lust of ownership and a fear of losing are the other sides of the same coin. Dreaming is an action of your spirit. Be aware! If your imagination loads into your heart strong fancies, it also loads fears!
Lovely dreams are deceitful because they give satisfaction to your spirit, but they don't warn you of fears that come later. Sooner or later the moment of truth will come and you will wake up and be dropped down from your dreams. You will realize your real state and notice what you really have. Then fears can overwhelm you as a hangover overwhelms a drunken.
Instead of dreaming be grateful to God for what you have and ask God for what you need. The difference between dreaming and praying is remarkable. A dreamer takes and a prayer receives. Concrete answers from God encourage the faith and they don't leave room for fears. Removing bad lusts from thoughts also removes groundless fears.
Reasons for fears
Reasons for fears can be many. We have fears for our necessities of life. We are afraid of starvation, illnesses, violence and death. Actually these fears represent to us our fear of God's punishment. Because a bad conscience is the real source of fear, the reconciliation with God removes the base of fear.
Although a believer has peace with God, he can still have fears. Loving this life maintains fear. If we want to live this life we naturally have the fear of losing it. If we have died to this world together with Jesus, we don't hold on to it anymore.
Among sufferings and losses our body rests in the hope of resurrection. The resurrection faith is a medicine against fear. Real life of a Jesus believer is not in this world. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Col.3:2-4
Trusting in God's maintenance comes up from a heart that worships God. Admiration of idols leads first to mistrusting in God and finally it leads under His wrath. Therefore idolaters have no peace.
Who loves his property has fears of losing it. Love of money willingly appears in an armour. The rich are often more patriotic than the poor because they have more to lose. Wars are battles between idols. Nations really have slaved each other, but be not afraid of such slavery. Instead you must be afraid of becoming a slave of sin. If your fear caused you take up arms, you have already lost your fight for freedom. Only God can make you free.
Reasons for fears can be many. We have fears for our necessities of life. We are afraid of starvation, illnesses, violence and death. Actually these fears represent to us our fear of God's punishment. Because a bad conscience is the real source of fear, the reconciliation with God removes the base of fear.
Although a believer has peace with God, he can still have fears. Loving this life maintains fear. If we want to live this life we naturally have the fear of losing it. If we have died to this world together with Jesus, we don't hold on to it anymore.
Among sufferings and losses our body rests in the hope of resurrection. The resurrection faith is a medicine against fear. Real life of a Jesus believer is not in this world. "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." Col.3:2-4
Trusting in God's maintenance comes up from a heart that worships God. Admiration of idols leads first to mistrusting in God and finally it leads under His wrath. Therefore idolaters have no peace.
Who loves his property has fears of losing it. Love of money willingly appears in an armour. The rich are often more patriotic than the poor because they have more to lose. Wars are battles between idols. Nations really have slaved each other, but be not afraid of such slavery. Instead you must be afraid of becoming a slave of sin. If your fear caused you take up arms, you have already lost your fight for freedom. Only God can make you free.
Do not fear people
If you are a messenger of God, it is a part of your ministry that you don't flee. God's men have spoken God's word boldly and have run into difficulties because of it.
Jeremiah spoke to his people God's word. Because of this message people demanded a death penalty to him. He didn't flee away, but said: "As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves." Jer.26:14-15
You can be sure that before this event also he had gone through his own Gethsemane, where he had left his life to the hands of God and not to the hands of people. He believed that God has power also among evil events. Therefore he didn't flee away.
How often have I not said a word of God because I feared people! Often I have regretted this sin. As a fruit of this repentance you can now read these my quite straightforward writings of God's word.
Whom you honour in his favour you want to be. If you fear people you want to agree with them. Do you honour people more than God? Do you rather share the same opinion with people than with God?
If people don't like God's word then praises from men or fear of men cause you to be ashamed of the words of Jesus. He says: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:38
Which fear do you select? I think that it would be more fearful, if Jesus will not acknowledge me than if people hate me and push me away from their fellowship.
Apostle Peter sets the bold attitude of Jesus as an example for Christians: "If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1Peter 2:20-21 "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." 1Peter 4:19
Peter had had hard times with this thing. He had roughly disowned Jesus because he was afraid for his life. Although he had badly fallen, he later got strength to overcome his fear. When a persecution against Christians broke out in Jerusalem many believers escaped, but Peter didn't. "All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." Acts 8:1
If you are a messenger of God, it is a part of your ministry that you don't flee. God's men have spoken God's word boldly and have run into difficulties because of it.
Jeremiah spoke to his people God's word. Because of this message people demanded a death penalty to him. He didn't flee away, but said: "As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves." Jer.26:14-15
You can be sure that before this event also he had gone through his own Gethsemane, where he had left his life to the hands of God and not to the hands of people. He believed that God has power also among evil events. Therefore he didn't flee away.
How often have I not said a word of God because I feared people! Often I have regretted this sin. As a fruit of this repentance you can now read these my quite straightforward writings of God's word.
Whom you honour in his favour you want to be. If you fear people you want to agree with them. Do you honour people more than God? Do you rather share the same opinion with people than with God?
If people don't like God's word then praises from men or fear of men cause you to be ashamed of the words of Jesus. He says: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:38
Which fear do you select? I think that it would be more fearful, if Jesus will not acknowledge me than if people hate me and push me away from their fellowship.
Apostle Peter sets the bold attitude of Jesus as an example for Christians: "If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps." 1Peter 2:20-21 "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." 1Peter 4:19
Peter had had hard times with this thing. He had roughly disowned Jesus because he was afraid for his life. Although he had badly fallen, he later got strength to overcome his fear. When a persecution against Christians broke out in Jerusalem many believers escaped, but Peter didn't. "All except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." Acts 8:1
Fears of the last days
I am worried about many fellow believers. Especially martial speeches of many American Christians prove that they have slept through their own Gethsemane. Peter became a disowner, because he took a sword. If he had gone through his own Gethsemane, he would have disowned a sword.
Jesus asked his disciples to get swords, because He knew that His disciples were transgressors, whose hearts were not yet changed. Therefore it is written about Jesus: "He was numbered with the transgressors." Luke 22:37 I get rid of the transgressor living in me only by dying together with Jesus.
People have been filled with fear of terrorists. Indeed, governments feed their people with fears to push them supporting their war. The fear of terrorism serves the coming of the world wide dictatorship. If they are so much afraid of Bin Laden how much are they afraid of the Beast of the Revelation!
Nobody can use weapons of mass destruction without the permission of God. Therefore do not fear politicians but God. If your conscience witnesses that you are guilty, it is natural that you fearfully wait for something terrible to happen. If your conscience has been washed clean with the blood of Jesus, you wait for the judgement of God to wash away godless people from this world.
Do not fear the Beast and do not fight against it! God has sent him and He has given him authority over every nation, tribe and language. You, man of God, take it easy. Remain at your post. Don't flee away! Don't build a hiding place! Worship only God, for He has full control in all your situations.
Without hiding anything be open, be bright, for Jesus Christ, the Winner is with you.
I am worried about many fellow believers. Especially martial speeches of many American Christians prove that they have slept through their own Gethsemane. Peter became a disowner, because he took a sword. If he had gone through his own Gethsemane, he would have disowned a sword.
Jesus asked his disciples to get swords, because He knew that His disciples were transgressors, whose hearts were not yet changed. Therefore it is written about Jesus: "He was numbered with the transgressors." Luke 22:37 I get rid of the transgressor living in me only by dying together with Jesus.
People have been filled with fear of terrorists. Indeed, governments feed their people with fears to push them supporting their war. The fear of terrorism serves the coming of the world wide dictatorship. If they are so much afraid of Bin Laden how much are they afraid of the Beast of the Revelation!
Nobody can use weapons of mass destruction without the permission of God. Therefore do not fear politicians but God. If your conscience witnesses that you are guilty, it is natural that you fearfully wait for something terrible to happen. If your conscience has been washed clean with the blood of Jesus, you wait for the judgement of God to wash away godless people from this world.
Do not fear the Beast and do not fight against it! God has sent him and He has given him authority over every nation, tribe and language. You, man of God, take it easy. Remain at your post. Don't flee away! Don't build a hiding place! Worship only God, for He has full control in all your situations.
Without hiding anything be open, be bright, for Jesus Christ, the Winner is with you.
The Bible version used in references is NIV