My last two posts had to do with “taking every thought captive,” a reference to 2 Corinthians 10:5. I said that the scriptures tell us that God has not given us a spirit of fear (timidity), but of love, power, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Romans 8:14, “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.”
Fear and the ability to make the right choice.
Someone recently said to me that we are supposed to fear God. The scriptures do say that, but there are some important differences we need to be aware of. There is a big difference between reverential fear or awe of God’s majesty and glory and fear that produces terror! Those who don’t know God through Jesus Christ should be in terror for Hell awaits them.
However, as Born-again believers in Jesus Christ, we are under the covering of God’s Grace, and we must be in a place of honoring Him. We are sons and daughters under the covenant of Grace, which was purchased by Jesus through His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
We should not be in terror of anyone or anything, for God is with us. I will admit that we may experience the emotion of fear, but fear should not dictate our actions.
- An acronym for the word FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real.
We are new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) the old has passed away, and all things have become new. This means that we must begin to think differently and act differently. We change as we learn to be led by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us.
It all boils down to this- you must decide (make a choice) to follow Jesus. This means to do those things He wants us to do, and to avoid those things He doesn’t want us to do. It is all about the decisions you make in life.
The issue of fear is genuine, but the problem is not with the emotion of fear, but how you respond to the fearful event! Do we act righteously or unrighteously?
It is important to decide before you face a crisis how you will act. The worst time to try and make a righteous decision is while you are in the crisis. So, you must decide before the temptation; I will not lie, I will not steal, I will not cheat, I will honor my parents, I will not covet, I will not commit murder. We must dwell on these things, for Satan wants to tempt you to do evil! In all ways and all circumstances, we must decide to honor the Lord God with our words and our actions!
What happens if you don’t make a decision because of fear?
- If you don’t make a decision the devil will – Judas in the Gospels is an example.
- If you don’t make a decision, others will – Golden calf and Aaron – Exodus 32
- If you don’t make a decision situations and circumstances will – Nabal/Abigail – 1 Samuel 25
We were meant to have dominion.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
- We are not meant to be a “slave to the bondage of fear”; we can make a way out through the right decision. (Romans 8:14 above).
We are not called to be ruled by emotion but by our will!
- Billy Graham is probably the most well-known evangelist in this century, and his success is attributed to bringing people to the point of making the right decision!
- DL Moody had a 30-40% success rate; Charles Finney had a success rate of 60-70%… Finney would often say, “I don’t preach to their emotions; I preach to their will.
- We are called to exercise our will according to God’s Word, and if we do, we will find our way out of our unfavorable circumstances.
Decision is a choice.
The Latin word for character is dokime,̄ and in the New Testament, it means to be tested. In English, it is the word habit. Therefore your character is the sum total of all your habits. You have been tested and the result is good or bad.
- It is not about what you intend to do, but what you actually do. Every person is a Legend in their own minds, but it is in the fires of trial and tribulation that the truth becomes evident, coming through as gold or dross.
- Samuel Smiles (late 1800’s)… sow a thought reap an action, sow an action reap a habit, sow a habit reap a character, sow a character reap a destiny!
- Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” This is what God says and to see the fruit of it you must do it God’s way.
Repeated decision form habits… you never make an unimportant decision because all decisions lead to forming habits. The absence of a decision is a decision not to act! Those habits either build up or tear down your character.
God’s Grace can break bondages, but God’s Grace cannot make decisions for you.
- So many people are waiting for God to do what God has told them to do! It is usually fear that holds them back, fear of failure, fear of consequence,s or fear of loss.
- God’sGgrace makes it available, but it is our decision to bring it to pass.
We are to become more like Jesus every day…
“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.
