Focus: Beware of Fear

Text: 2Tim.1:7

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Paul is talking to Timothy, his son in the faith and a young preacher. He happens to be a timid person by temperament. So Paul is letting him understand that fear is not one of God's gifts to His children. As a matter of fact, fear is a poisonous gift from the pit of hell.

Today, I say to you by the Spirit of God, beware of fear; it is dangerous.

In Genesis 3, fear crept in from the back door of sin. The first mention of fear in the Bible is in Gen.3:10. Adam said, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was AFRAID, because I was naked; and I hid myself." He hid himself from God out of fear. Fear makes us do the wrong things. Just imagine being afraid of the only person in the universe who can save you from evil and the devil!

Sin and fear are one of a kind. Sin makes you fear, and fear makes you sin. As soon as Adam sinned he was afraid - from sin to fear. You know something? Fear is not the direct opposite of faith. Sin is. How do I know that? Paul says, "For whatsoever is not of FAITH is SIN" (Rom.14:23). There you have it. To go against faith is to sin, and to move away from sin is to have faith in Christ. It is sin to be faithless. Faith in God keeps one from sin.

Sin and fear cohabit, and where fear lives, faith cannot thrive. Jesus reprimands His disciples, "Why are ye SO FEARFUL? how is it that ye have NO FAITH?" (Mk.4:40). No-faith disciples and fearful followers of Christ! No wonder the church is powerless! In the face of storm their faith was gone as fear made its way into their lives.

The last mention of fear is in Rev.21:8, and it says, "But the FEARFUL, and unbelieving… shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

In Gen.3:10, fear drives our first parents from the presence of God, and here in Rev.21:8, fear drives the fearful into the lake of fire - from the presence of God into the fires of hell. Beware of fear. It is dangerous. Paul says fear is a spirit, and you have no need of it. The spirit of fear incapacitates and enslaves. God does not have the spirit of fear to give to anybody. Reject fear and eject it from your life.

Here are God's gifts to us:

*The spirit of power

God's power is lodged in your spirit-man. It is the ability to be bold and courageous in the face of trouble. Someone defined courage as fear that has said its prayer.

*The spirit of love

Love is afraid of nothing. Love and fear don't mingle, and as John says, "perfect love cast out fear."

*The spirit of a sound mind

Sound mind in Greek means self-control or self-discipline. Someone described it as "the sanity of saintliness," and another says it is the "control of oneself in face of panic or passion."

You have power, love and sound mind. So keep fear out and let God be God in your life at all times. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter