Scared of what might happen?

Are you afraid? Does the news scare you as you see the evil of this world?

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18 (NASB)

There is a good fear that protects us and a respectful fear that we should have of God, but I’m talking about the type that steals your joy; fear of what might happen or what we imagine. If fear is stealing your joy, consider why and what that says about your trust in God.

God is good and God is sovereign and He loves you enough to remove all fear of punishment, so if you have fear issues, here are a couple of causes.

A)  You might not be sure of your eternal future.

This is where we all need to start and know for sure if we are Saved and a Child of God. Your salvation is based on the finished work of Jesus on the cross and what you have done with the payment Jesus made that day. As John wrote in 1 John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life.

Jesus said in John 3:16-18 that anyone who has not believed is already judged for not believing in Him, but that God sent Jesus to save the world by believing in Him. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” If you have believed you need have no fear of punishment and you know for sure that you have a certain future with God in Heaven based on the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word.

Perhaps you know that you are saved, but you don’t always feel like it. If so, that is the result of listening to the devil or one of those that speak his lies. Tomorrow we will look at what God is like and what Satan is like and see if that won’t help choosing to walk by faith rather than feelings. Your salvation is affirmed by the Word of God and confirmed by the changes God makes in you and the thing He does through you. Believe what God says, not your feelings or fears.

As a Christ follower you have certainty because of the relationship you have with God through Jesus Christ. You can be confident God is in control rather than fear what might be. You know He can be trusted.

(Tomorrow we will look at God & Satan and some things about them)