Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order that he could bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit“

1 Peter 3:18

Sin was defeated when Jesus paid the price for it. It was defeated and removed as a barrier between Adonai and humanity (Luke 2:14). What had been spiritually executed before Creation (Revelation 3:18) had now been walked out physically by Jesus (John 19:28-30). It was done. Adonai had been using His trust in this act being done throughout the Old Covenant and then gave us His trust (Mark 11:22) so that WE could do the same and trust in Jesus’ work – the FULL work, spiritual and physical. If we put our trust in that and believe it, accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour, we get to enter into that work and live in restored relationship with Adonai (Romans 10:9–10; Hebrews 10:35; Revelation 3:5). When we focus on Jesus, make Him number one, and rest in Him, we will be fully loving Him and obeying His commands. When we make ourselves number one and despise His commands, we sin. But Jesus doesn’t do the whole work all over again. He did it ONCE FOR ALL. It is OUR position that needs to shift.

We KNOW that if we are resting in Jesus, we are fully and humbly submitted to Him and obeying Him from our love for Him and a desire to do what is right from His point of view. “Everyone who is fathered by God does not practice sin, because his seed resides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God” (1 John 3:9). Once we are born again in Jesus, Sin is no longer part of our nature. We are SINLESS (1 John 1:5-7) because of our NEW NATURE (2 Corinthians 5:21). But if we STOP resting in Jesus and do our own thing, this is sin. This is listening to the devil instead of listening to Jesus. “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Everyone who resides in him does not sin. Everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who is fathered by God does not practice sin, because his seed resides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, namely, the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:4-10). This is our issue. We have been released from Sin, redeemed from a sin nature, but not from our own habits, thoughts, and ideas (Romans 12:2).

Sin for a believer is not something you can’t avoid because you’re an ‘old sinner saved by Grace’. It is a CHOICE to follow YOUR will instead of ADONAI’s will. Period. Sadly, we ALL do that in one way or another. “If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). In some way or another, big or small, we choose to do it our way. We act without kindness. Or gentleness. Or love. Or patience. Or faithfulness. The list of His character (Galatians 5:22-23) shows us the ways we sin by not engaging and participating in that character. We ALL do it. Of course, because Jesus paid for ALL sin before we were even born, we know that He paid for these sins too. Every time we err, we have forgiveness waiting for us. But it is NOT a get-out-of-jail-free card. “What therefore shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, in order that grace may increase? May it never be! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). We do NOT live slaved to sin any longer. Which means EVERY time WE move out of where we DO live (Jesus), we need to make the conscious and active choice to get back IN – repentance.

Repentance isn’t Jesus going to the cross all over again and doing the Work over and over and over. No. It is US recognising His point of view as correct. It is US ceasing to go our own way. It is US submitting to His correction of our hearts, minds, actions, words, and intents. It is US turning around, agreeing with Him (through study of the Word), and doing the OPPOSITE of what we were doing. It means taking responsibility and facing consequences. It means a behavioural change, not ‘being sorry’. Judas felt sorry. Peter repented. They had VERY different ends (Matthew 27:3-10; Luke 22:62 & John 21:15-25). Jesus did the work ONCE, but we need to CONTINUALLY shine His light on our lives and CONSISTENTLY retrain our minds to His way of thinking. When we do that, it becomes harder and harder to choose to sin because we more and more think like Jesus and call good what HE calls good and call ungodly what HE calls ungodly – AND we seek to emulate Him. It does no good to know what to do, but not do it.

Which is where Ruach HaKodesh comes in. Living a godly life from the inside out is not only overwhelming, it is impossible. We NEED to take it one step at a time. Moment to moment. Piece by piece. Ruach HaKodesh knows what piece we need to deal with. What Light we need to shed on it. What we need to study to get it into our hearts. And how to rely on His strength as we go through all of that. It MUST be directed by Him or we will make sweeping decisions we haven’t grown enough to support. Yeah, we could take that mustard seed and turn it into a giant tree in very little time. But it would have no root system to support it and probably fall over as soon as a bird goes to roost in it. We need to go at HIS pace, HIS way, in all the areas HE directs us to. We only succeed by seeking Him and then relying on Him to make it through. Leaning, being corrected, following His lead. Letting Him perform His ministry in us and both listening and obeying what He says. Making sure WE are aligned with HIM, standing in the spot Jesus cleared for all of time the one time. Once for all, once for us. Let’s stay there, resting in Him, abiding in Him, and always seeking to keep our eyes turned to Him so that we won’t step away into our own things anymore.

Daily Affirmation of the Goodness of Elohim: Psalm 23:1-3

“Yahweh is my shepherd; I will not lack for anything. In grassy pastures he makes me lie down; by quiet waters he leads me. He restores my life.” Adonai gives us everything we need to grow. All the spiritual nutrition that we need to truly thrive. He feeds us, hydrates us, and makes sure we go to all the good places He made for us. Because of HIS love and HIS mercy and HIS goodness, we will NEVER lack. ALL of our needs will be met. With Him as our Source, we don’t need to fear want or greed. We will be totally and completely content with HIM, which means what He gives us will ALWAYS be enough. When you aren’t hungry, aren’t thirsty, aren’t lacking clothing or a roof over your head, aren’t lacking heat, and have good things to occupy your time, what else do you need? What else could you want? Sometimes we want upgrades, sure, but only because we like the original thing. We can seek to advance while being content, knowing our GOOD God is doing GOOD things and there will be GREATER things to come as we get CLOSER and more INTIMATE with Him. Spiritual things, relational things, emotional things, and even physical things. We will have NO LACK when HE is our Source and HE is the foundation of how we measure contentedness. He’s been providing for us since the VERY beginning and He will provide for us past the end. When we are focused on Him, we have EVERYTHING. What a GOOD God He is!

Your Daily Confession of Elohim’s Goodness:

I taste and see that Yahweh is good; I am blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Psalm 34:8