ANITIDOTES FOR FEAR 2
ANITIDOTES FOR FEAR 2
August 11, 2022
We all have various fears to deal with in life but as established in my first article on this subject, fear did not originate from God. God’s perfect love as expressed in the finished work of Christ has freed us from the fear of eternal judgement and of God’s wrath.
As God’s children, we must not live in the dread of judgement in the afterlife but should be assured with the blessed assurance of eternal security for as long as we continue to hold on to the truth of the redemption that in the cross of Christ and in His sacrifice alone. This frees us from the fear of death also.
Death has lost its power over us and therefore, Christ’s finished work guarantees victory over physical death till our appointed time, victory over the second death which is eternal separation from God and the blessed hope of resurrection at the rapture of church.
The other side of the truth of our justification in Christ Jesus is that God is on our side. Not only is He not against us, He is ‘for us’ (Romans 8:31). God fights for us, defends us, helps us and stands by us. No one can be against us when the most powerful and supreme being is on our side. We need not be afraid of the devil and his cohorts nor of whatever life might throw at us. Our oneness with Christ is the basis for this and not our works. Our perfections and imperfections have no bearing on His faithfulness to His son and His covenant.
Like the psalmist, we should say ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?’… (Psalm 27:1). God’s abiding presence guarantees our freedom from fear. The psalmist declared even in the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear No evil, for ‘thou art with me’.. (Psalm 23:4). God’s abiding presence assures us of victory in battle, strength in weakness, healing in sickness, comfort in trouble and providence in need.
Another antidote for fear is our sense of IDENTITY as sons of God. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear (like it was under the law) but we have received the Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15). Realizing we are adopted as God’s children for whom He cares like we care for our own is so relaxing and assuring.
ANITIDOTES FOR FEAR
Someone made a definition of fear using it as an acronym: "False Evidence Appearing Real", he called it. I can hardly fault the definition as I go down memory lane to recall my adventures with fear from childhood.
Our Heavenly Father loves and cares for us better than our earthly fathers can (Matthew 7:9-11). In assuring Israel of the incomparable nature of His love, He contrasted it with the love of a mother which is more affectionately felt than that of a father. Yet, God assured that even if the mother of a suckling child forgets it at a time when her love is mostly needed, He will not forget His children (Isaiah 49:15). God’s name El Shaddai as He revealed Himself to Abraham in Genesis 17:1 literally means multi breasted or strong nourisher. This name reveals a maternal side to our God and emphasizes His limitless providence.
The entrance of faith is the exit of fear. What we hear determines what we fear. News of the children of Israel crossing the Jordan river supernaturally had filtered into the ears of the residents of Jericho when they ‘heard’ what they did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan (Joshua 2:8-10). As ten out of the twelve spies sent to view the promised land from Kardesh Barnea by Moses brought an evil report, the children of Israel feared and murmured against the Lord (Numbers 13:33-4, 14:1-4). In the same vein, Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word (Romans 10:17).
To overcome fear, we must build our Faith through the hearing of God’s Word. The revelation of the righteousness of faith and all attendant blessings will drive away every fear from the heart.
Uncharted territories remain mysterious and so are unthreaded paths. There is something powerful about daring the unknown and trying the unprecedented. It’s called COURAGE. It is strength in the face of fear. It is a matter of doing what you dread to do despite your fears. DO IT AFRAID if you know it is God’s plan for your life. Go for it if you know it is biblical. You will discover your worst fears unconfirmed and the danger has rather been exaggerated. The four lepers of 2 Kings 7 moved forward in the face of fear. They had nothing to fight with except the remainder of their leprous hands and feet. God used them to deliver an entire nation from their enemies.
Fear asks what if things don’t work out? What if you lose your money? What if you are rejected? What if you fail? Courage turns the questions around and sees possibilities in impossibilities. What if things work out? What if your money multiplies? What if you are accepted? What if you succeed? Courage rises in the face of fear and wins.
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