Why this title?
People experience fear everywhere and every day. Even those that have accepted Christ as their Savior. Here is the thing though. The Bible states as we come closer to God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ we gain a type of love that overcomes fear.
When it comes to seeking to preserve your own life you have a slight fear that occurs when in an unfamiliar, or even unsafe area or situation. This is natural, this is how the human mind works.
In 1 John 4, there is another view in which “fear” is mentioned.
“17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first.”
I find these verses interesting. For there are three meanings to the word “fear” and I can honestly feel that these verses actually addresses all three views of this emotion.
Now as mentioned above these verses also address a type of “love.”
It is the kind of love that comes from coming to know God through His Son our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. As we grow into this understanding that is bestowed upon us through this love of God that we come to fear less of what we encounter within this temporal world we live within.
We see that this existence, which has its importance in allowing all that come into the age of accountability to either accept or deny Christ. So it is necessary to weed out those that choose not to accept that there is a God and His Son died for their sins as well as everyone else upon this world we live upon.
Many for this reason have a fear of God that causes them to run and hide from Him, as was witnessed by Adam and Eve after eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God came to the garden to commune with His creation, they hid themselves in shame of their nakedness. They feared to be seen unclothed before God, who had created them in His image.
This is one common source of fear for all that are born and come into their age of accountability. For they become aware of their sinful actions. Most do not seek forgiveness, but out of fear wish to destroy their Crestor. So they rebel, deny and then attack those that do see the truth of their Creator and turn to Him. Their fear of God being real causes them to blind themselves with a hatred that is born from this very fear.
Those that have turned to Christ, and as they strive to learn the Word of God become enlightened with an understanding of their universe about them, no matter the imperfection they are greeted with. They learn that this plain of existence we live within is something temporary, fleeting, and ever changing. Do they shed all their fear? No, but more and more of their fears start to diminish, becoming nothing to worry over or about and so love fills the void. A love from their Creator, God. A love that fills them and allows them to strive to become a more pure reflection of Jesus Christ.
They learn not to fear death, but to welcome its embrace when the time finally does arrive at the timing of God Himself. Without this fear within them they learn not to fear those that could, would and actually do hurt them. As was seen in the early years of Christianity and on mass they were brought into the Coliseum to face various types of death. However they met this death even though they were in a state of fear. Why? Because they had and have faith and belief in their intercessor to God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who in His love gave up His own life for our sins. Who had Himself experienced fear mere hours before His arrest. However He turned it over to His Father and accepted His fate. Did His fear leave Him totally? I can’t answer that, but from my own personal experience I would say no for He was human even though He was and is God, a part of the Trinity.
When we turn fear over to God and bear through whatever fear remains, strengthened by our love and faith in God, we become courageous or as the verse above says confident.
What I think is that people fear death because they fear the unknown or as the verse states punishment for not following Christ.
God has given us something true and solid to hold onto. Jesus did walk upon this planet. Jesus did take on human form and walked amongst humanity. This is documented not only in the Bible but outside the Bible as well. So if we take the Bible at face value and accept the truths within it and strive to be Christ-like more and more every single day then we truly have nothing to fear, especially the unknown that lies beyond this temporal existence. Why? Because Christ will be there and we will be with someone that has accepted us into His family and loves us as a family member, because we asked Him to be our Savior. Also by knowing the Bible we do have a glimpse into parts of the future that is to come, up to the point that God creates a new heaven and earth.
By learning from the Bible and coming to fully understand the teaching of Jesus, we will feel His love within us as we grow ever more like His reflection on this earth. By doing so we shine the light of the Lord onto the world and act as a witness to those that sin against God. We in our love for God, His Son and our fellows, Christian first, all others second. However we treat all equally due to this love. Yet we are promised due to our salvation because He replaced us upon the cross, not to partake of the punishment that will be dealt out upon the Day of Judgment that will transpire at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign upon this earth. Where those that rejected Jesus’s love will stand before Him for their accounting. For those that follow Christ will reign at His side during the thousand year Reign of Christ.
Those that do not accept Him do have something to fear, which is why so many fear death, for they are uncertain where they stand with Jesus Christ, due to lack of knowledge and awareness of the truth. But who can remedy this dilemma? Only they themselves by asking Christ to be their Savior and then learning the Word of God and coming to fully comprehend the teachings within. So in time they will become the reflection of Christ, which all true followers seek to be. When this is done their fears will diminish and be not afraid.