With fear comes connation's of worry, lack of peace, apprehension, and many more that don't reflect the peace of God that passes all understanding. The Old Testament is filled with verses about fear and especially the fear of the Lord. Just what is that? Why do we have instruction to fear the God who loves us for doing so? Fear is everywhere in the world. Prior to turning our lives over to Jesus so that we have life, we should be in a state of fear of the destruction that awaits those who haven't any respect for God. The Bible tells us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding, Indeed that is true. We need to come to an awareness of who we are as sinners lost to eternal condemnation and that brings about fear. Which is, by the way, a great motivator for us to understand that there is nothing good inside of us prior to Jesus coming in to our lives. Fear goes away for the saved but is still present for the unsaved. I can fear for the salvation of others but I also need to recognize that God is able to deliver those who need salvation. So, why do we fear so much and why does fear immobilize our lives in letting Jesus live through us. The Bible says that we have FEAR when we entertain and engage False Evidence Appearing Real. It's just another way the enemy has designed to distance believers from the Father.
Fear is a matter of conscience. Don't know Jesus? Fear the coming wrath of God. Don't want to live a Christian life? Fear the accountability for your sin before God on that day when we are called to account for all that we've done and left undone. Fear is compelling only if our conscience is still intact. Like cogs on a gear, the conscience is only effective while the cogs remain. Dull the conscience by rationalization and justification and the conscience erodes. Let it go far enough and you need to ask yourself if you are even saved. When we approve of and engage in sin we are dulling the conscience to the fear of the Lord. Thus the peace that exists beyond all understanding in God goes away and you are left destitute. The Bible tells us that "all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Do you believe that? Then, if you don't, why the fear, worry, lack of peace, apprehensions that complicate your life and make you ineffective to bring Jesus to others. Fear of rejection of others sets in where fear of the rejection of God should be the greater priority.
If you are engaging "false" thoughts, ideas or messages, and as a result are holding back in your living for God, you are sinning. Evidence is seen in a negative manner in many TV shows. "Damning evidence that shows the perpetrator is guilty!" is presented and you know the rest. Evidence is two sided. On the one hand evidence is positive when we think of the attributes of God. Remember to talk with God about that when you have your ACTS together. On the other hand evidence can be negative when our sin is revealed. How to live life in this quandary means choosing to let Jesus live through you. In this, you will not make a negative choice. Appearing is a suggestion. "Appearing to be wise they prove themselves to be fools." "When we see him appearing in the clouds we will meet him in the air." Then of course there are the "great cloud of witnesses" who are witnesses to your and my lives. How do we appear to them? "Real" is subjective to man's senses but objective to God's Word. Are you real or do you appear to be real but lack the substance when examined by the Holy Spirit during your ACTS events?
The bottom line is determining whether or not you have Jesus living through you or the world living through you. There is no third choice. Do you react to the fear of the world or the fear of God?
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