Why Are God’s Children So Fearful?
God Has Not Given Us A Spirit Of Fear
Why are God’s children so filled with fear these days? We fear the future. We fear cults. Fearful of heresy and false teachers, we fear and imagine the worst of all possible futures. Yet does not the Bible say that God has not given us a spirit of fear?
Some believers, instead of being conquerors, as the Bible says, are holed up in fenced doctrinal cities protecting what little they have left. Cowering in their doctrine, they hide while the enemy of our souls rampages at will throughout our land. I submit that this mania for protection is fear based and not God based. We will never win this spiritual war with such a defeatist mentality.
Is your safe life more a prison than sanctuary?
The problem of some of us becoming overly concerned with safety is that our place of safety becomes more like a prison than a sanctuary. We are so busy fleeing what we perceive to be sin that we have no time to push outwards and fight the good fight of faith. Our world becomes filled more with what we “do not do” than what “we dare to do.” In the end, our fear of everything sinful separates us from the very people who need us most. Jesus ate with publicans and sinners precisely because they had need of a physician.
Personally, I think ministries whose sole purpose is to expose cults and their errors are a trap of the devil. In highlighting the devil’s works they make their living off the fear they generate. They say, in the name of being safe, that you must scrutinize everything that does not look exactly like what they define as sound doctrine. Away with such people.
Are you full of doubt?
Such thinking breeds fear of error in people to such an extent that they become paralyzed. Afraid of making a misstep they will not hear nor trust God’s voice. Ministers sensationalize the very worst cases of error as if such happenings are commonplace. However, I ask you, “how often in your own Christian walk have you ever encountered the terrible things they warn you against?” This “better safe than sorry philosophy” is, in fact, preparing many to suffer spiritual failure in the future.
Here is a truth,
“There were many false prophets leading up to the coming of Jesus. Yet, eventually, there came a voice crying in the wilderness that was true.”
We act like fearful children exposed to a cruel world when in fact we are protected by the very one who spoke this world into existence. We do not need to worry about all the things we so readily fear because we have a comforter who promises to lead us. Truly, if you are hearing the voice of God you will not hear what false prophets speak.
Stop making God’s people fearful
The problem with those who expose cults and false teachings is that they are not “Spirit led”, but natural minded “fed”. Lacking the indwelling of the Spirit, these self-appointed guardians of truth cannot distinguish between what is and is not of God. Thus they dogmatically lump what they fear together, insisting you fear everything “they” judge to be dangerous. This is simply the Devil working overtime to set Gods people up to reject Him when He does come. I tell you a truth,
“Anti-cult ministries, had they lived in the first century, would have rejected John the Baptist. Yet John was right to call the “normative” religious leaders of his day “a brood of vipers.”
I am disturbed that leaders do not, by and large, allow their people the hear their Father’s voice for themselves. By making them dependent on their teaching they do not learn to be dependent on Gods voice. Fearful theology, while it keeps people close and docile, does not promote strong, independent believers.
The world needs you to be a hero in Christ
In conclusion, we need to cut loose and start to move by faith. Swifter than anyone imagines, America, and the western world, will turn sour on those who profess Christ as their Lord. There is coming a day, in the not to distant future, when we will need heroes of the faith! Men and women who dare great things and believe God in the face of impossible odds. Fight the spirit of fear, boldly proclaiming that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! Yes! Amen!
Yes this county is quickly turning it’s back the God who made it so great! One perspective on church goer’s is they are simply doing religion as to earn a place in Heaven/ think they are! They do good work’s, their not concerned about listening to the voice of truth, let alone; do what He says.
‘While it is yet possible, let us stop preaching fear and start preaching that we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. Teach your people to hear the voice of God themselves and to believe what He says more than what you teach.’
This had me thinking of Pastor’s preaching on Sunday about being fishers of men, that you are not to keep the fish in an aquarium!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNOPyUdLZPk
This is ultimately what people are seeking in God and from Him, in this world of pain on many different levels. They want to know what Love is.
They want to know what Love is, is directly opposed to theology of fear. I don’t believe studying the Scriptures as people do is of much benefit other than seed planting. If people were to study Scripture with the view to asking God to give you revelation in it, then this would be creating a more beneficial, feeding way of understanding what God wants you to, in any givenn Scripture. Scripture has much depth or levels. What I read today I can get a different revelation about, than what I did last time I read it. This doesn’t dismiss previous revelation as irrelevant, it builds on it, making it more 3D.
If perfect love drives out fear, then why is a lot of theology based upon fear?
I do not want to believe in a God and have a relationship based in fear any more than I do with a relationship with anyone on earth. Would be wisdom to work with and on discernment before undertaking theology.
Be spirit led and pray before reading Scripture. Anyone should be able to stand up in a congregation with a word of knowledge or whatever, because the gifts of the spirit are for everyone, not just the person at the front. Follow God’s leading and know the ways in which your spirit manifests or reacts to hearing God’s leading and truth, i.e. hearts burning, stomach etc…It isn’t necessarily audible.
Meditation and contemplation are good stepping stones for slowing your mind down, in preparation for reading Scripture, or just being still and being in a place not just to listen, but to hear God speaking or leading.
We are all kingdoms heirs, sons and daughters of God. When God said about Jesus being His beloved son with whom he is well pleased, this is also to each of us.
We do also as children of God, come under much enemy attack! It seems that the devil can be relentless in trying to cause you to stumble. Tries to destroy your relationship with God and those around you, destroying the very being of relationship in and with anyone and not just God. As a result we can build many defences under the guise of self preservation or protection. Which yes can have the desired effect of receiving less arrows from the enemy, however these walls and barriers of protection often keep God out. The only protection we should be relying on is God’s and not of our own doing. When the Lord builds the house it will not fall. Jesus is our cornerstone.
Lord let You be my vision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CMclLT_Hjg
Hi Kingdomshier,
I really appreciate your posts. They add a further dimension to what has been said and the Holy Ghost says some pretty deep things when you write. I know that why other people write the essay plus they comments the get a much more complete and satisfying meal!
God bless,
Michael
Hi Kingdomsheir,
Yes, a church without walls. The inside of a church is like an aquarium whereas the world is like the ocean full of fish.
God bless,
Michael