There are two types of fear: healthy fear and toxic fear.
If you happen upon a mama grizzly bear with her cubs on a hike in the mountains, and you are not afraid, then you are either crazy, or the “Grizzly Man.” And we know what happened to the Grizzly Man. They put both his and his girlfriend’s remains in a 13 gallon trash bag.
There is healthy fear which acts as a means of pumping adrenaline through our body to give us the boost we need to take ourselves out of danger. Healthy fear is good.
The Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. For true believers in Christ, fear is reverence, honor, and respect for the Lord. It is healthy fear. It keeps us clinging to, trusting in, relying upon, and putting our whole weight upon Him for everything in life.
For unbelievers, the fear of the Lord is real toxic fear. The unbeliever is dead. He will be judged for his deeds. He will be held accountable for his sins which is eternal death. Eternal separation from God. He should be terribly afraid, and yet he is not. For him, toxic fear could turn into healthy fear if it frightened him enough that he ran to God for salvation. Sadly, the devil deceives him into believing that there is no God, no judgment, and no punishment for sin.
What I want to talk about today is toxic fear for the believer. As children of God, we should have no toxic fear.
Here’s why.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could He set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to THE FEAR OF DYING (Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT).
Now this verse is not just talking about the fear of dying dying. Not just the fear of physical death. It is talking about a host of fears: fear of judgment; fear of unworthiness; fear of being less than; fear of being not enough; fear of failure; fear of losing one’s reputation; fear of going broke; fear of being abandoned (shame is the fear of abandonment); fear of embarrassment; fear of rejection; fear of being alone; fear of losing a relationship; fear of losing control… and on and on.
God didn’t give us any of those fears. As a matter of fact, He casts all our fears away if we only allow Him to do so.
Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears (1 John 4:18 NCV).
Is Jesus afraid of any of those things we listed above? No.
If Jesus is your life and you don’t live anymore, and Jesus lives His life in you, through you, for you, and as you, then you are not afraid either. If you are still afraid of these things, then you have not been perfected in His love. In other words, you don’t believe that Jesus is your life. You still believe you are your life even if you are trying to act like Him. You are still asking Jesus to help you live a life like Him. Jesus will not help you live like Him. He will live His life FOR you, but he will not help you live like Him.
Being perfected in love means surrendering absolute control of your life (which you never had to begin with) to Jesus. When He lives in you, through you, for you, and as you, fear is cast out.
Fear is a liar. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is the reason we won’t surrender to Christ’s control.
What fears are keeping you from surrendering your all to Jesus? Don’t you think it is time you faced your fears and fell into the arms of Christ? Don’t know what your fears are? Then ask Jesus. He knows. But let me warn you. He will tell you what they are, and then He will ask you to give them to Him. Once He does, you have to do something about it. Hold onto your delusional control and shrink in fear, or surrender to His perfect love.
Now, what are you afraid of?
Blessings,
Kenny
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