Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Yahweh examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. One the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For Yahweh is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face.
Psalm 11:5–7 (emphasis added)

There is a significant difference between being examined and being considered wicked. To examine is to inspect closely, test the condition of (That’s a test to prove correctness not a test to see if you fail), to inquire into carefully so as not to miss anything, to interrogate closely to see what knowledge there is, or to test by questioning in order to determine progress, fitness, or knowledge (Again, seeing where someone is at not seeing if they are going to fail. A positive evaluation.). To be wicked is to be morally very bad, fierce or vicious, disposed to or marked by mischief, disturbingly unpleasant, causing or likely to cause harm, distress, or trouble, going beyond reasonable or predictable limits: of exceptional quality or degree.

Why the two extremes in the verse? Because there are two extremes in the psalm itself. The first half of the psalm is the fear response. The second half is the faith response. The first half is all about fleeing to a safe haven. Being under the threat of arrows. Despairing for even the very foundations of the city have been cracked and threaten to collapse. The second half is about affirming who is your strength. Who is your REAL foundation? Who has your back and how HE reacts when wicked people threaten His children. The fate of the wicked is spelled out. The reason for the faithfulness of the faithful or righteous shown clearly.

“Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men. Yahweh examines the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and him who loves violence. On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For Yahweh is righteous. He loves righteousness. The upright shall see his face” (vs 4–7).

What security in those verses! What a call not to fear! What a call to rest in Him who is our All in All (Ephesians 1:22–23). The Lord is on His throne as KING. He tests us to see how we are, to see what blessings we are ready to walk in, and to see what rewards we have stored away in heaven. He looks down on the wicked and hates their ways. Those who have covenanted with violence have a clock ticking. Sooner or later, the cup of wrath will fill up and the Lord will judge violence — which includes all who participate in it with intent. The Lord did it at the Flood (Genesis 6:5). The Lord did it with the Amorites (Numbers 21:31–25, Joshua 24:8). The Lord promises that He will do it again (Ecclesiastes 3:17, Isaiah 13:11, Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9). The Lord is MERCIFUL and the Lord God is a GOOD FATHER, but when judgment must be judged, He WILL judge.

“For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children!” (2 Peter 2:4–14).

Those that place themselves outside His will or directly oppose the Lord (either because they are against Him or because they refuse all deity) are going to be found wanting when judgment calls. This can often raise the question in a believer: how do I know I am covered? It can give a tingly feeling of ‘you missed it’ when suddenly your spouse or believing friend or child or parent or neighbour isn’t where they are supposed to be. When you look for them and can’t find them, is it proof God came and you missed it? A believer who believes the Word can kick that worry out the door. Or better, never let it inside in the first place. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit when we get born again (Ephesians 1:13). You can’t lose your salvation by accident. In my opinion based on what I have found in the Word, I believe you can only lose your salvation the same way you received it: by conscious confessing and heartfelt belief. It was how the devil fell and I think it is the only way we can fall. Total and absolute rejection of God while knowing completely and totally that He exists and IS GOD. Not many believers — even those who are attacked with doubt — will put themselves in that camp.

Since we ARE saved (Romans 10:9–10) and ARE redeemed (Colossians 1:12–14) and ARE new creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17), we know from today’s verse that though the wicked are looking down a double-barrelled judgment, we are not. God knows how to rescue godly followers. He saved Noah and his family. He saved Lot and all of his family that wanted to be saved — freewill again and shows that it cannot happen by accident. God watches us. Not to catch us out or slap us one. No. He watches us to correct us, yes. To guide and teach. But the purpose is so that we stay within Jesus — the One in whom we are to abide (John 15). He watches us in order to guard and protect us. When we choose to sin we move ourselves out from under His blessing. We don’t have to sin. Not every day. Not even regularly. We have been REDEEMED from sin (1 Corinthians 1:30). We do not sin if we remain in Jesus (1 John 3:5–6). We CAN choose not to sin. We can in EVERY instance, with EVERY thought, EVERY word, EVERY action, and EVERY EVERYTHING talk to Jesus, be led by the Holy Spirit, and CHOOSE to do what the Word says, what Jesus says, and what the Father shows us through the Holy Spirit.

Do we do that? Well…… not so much all the time, right? We are human, after all, and while completed (Colossians 2:9–10), we are not PERFECTED (Philippians 1:6) — yet. And if we do choose to sin? If we are faithful to repent and confess our sin, Jesus is faithful and just. He will forgive that sin (1 John 1:9). Then the Holy Spirit works WITH us to get into the Word and renew our thinking about that sin until we abhor it as much as the Lord Himself does. When we have THAT truth in our heart, what reason would we have to EVER want to do it again? That is repentance. That is how we walk in His righteousness. Not perfect, but always submitting to the Father’s sanctifying work to sanctify us (John 17:17). It is a promise we can really grab hold of. So much of our peace can be founded on that. Doubts will assail you. Worries will rise. Anxiety will try and claim your mindscape. But you do NOT have to let them get purchase in you EVER (Deuteronomy 31:6, John 14:1, Philippians 4:6). We are FREE from fear because we are children of FAITH (Galatians 3:7).

We are able to walk in righteousness when we are in Christ. It is THAT simple. “For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We abide in Jesus! He gives us the spiritual nutrients that we need to bear fruit (John 15:4). We NEED Him to succeed (John 15:5). But HE KNEW THAT and HE PLANNED FOR IT and we HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (Romans 15:13). When we access what the Holy Spirit offers us by submitting to the Word with intent, listening to Holy Spirit with intent, and working to see Jesus on every page of the bible with intent; when we do that, we have the full range of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–24). The most important fruit is the one you need right now. Keeping ourselves connected to Him makes reaching the fruit SO MUCH EASIER. When we have faith in Him, we please Him. When we please Him, we KNOW we are walking in His righteousness. When we please Him by living in faith, we KNOW we are seeking Him.

“Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more” (Psalm 105:4). “When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh”” (Psalm 27:8). David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Do you know why David is called that? He wasn’t perfect. He justified legal murder. He stepped wrong. He indulged some of his kids and it went BAD. But He was a man after God’s heart. Acts 13:22 tells us EXACTLY why: “When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’” David did ALL the Lord’s will. Seek His face. Walk in faith. Aspire to do ALL the will of the Lord. Wouldn’t THAT be a great legacy to leave behind? Wouldn’t THAT be a great office to walk into heaven with? A humble servant who does ALL they are asked to out of love for the Lord God Almighty. Seek His face. You know what the Lord promises? You’ll find it.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Psalm 9:1

Do you know what all the dimensions are? There are the three biggies: length, width, and depth. There is the fourth: time. That’s about all we are taught. That is what WE know and experience on a daily basis. Those are just the 4-dimensional physical spacetime dimensions. Those four ALSO have 4-dimensional internal symmetry space. Then there’s the 8 first-generational fermion particles. And don’t forget the 8 first-generation fermion anti-particles. That’s 26 dimensions. And that is just scratching the surface of our understanding of how things that we cannot see are put together. When we look at all this mathy science the human mind can come up with, how is it that ANY believer ANYWHERE who has EVER been to school can EVER doubt that the Lord can do things that deny our understanding? For all we know everything He has ever done has always been classified as fully possible — from HIS side of things. Yet He speaks of His own faith in Mark 11:22 when Jesus shows His disciples that the Kingdom of God operates by faith. In Hebrews 11:3 He speaks of how He created all the worlds that we can see and experience. The Father speaks, the Son declares, the Holy Spirit enacts. That is the creation story we have in Genesis. All done by FAITH. All done by the unseen material of faith. So when we speak of the marvellous works of the Lord, we too need to have faith. Because we can do more than simply declare what God has DONE. We can look at every promise God makes and praise Him BY FAITH for all the marvellous stuff He has ALREADY done by declaration — but that we haven’t caught up yet in time. The book has been written. He has seen the beginning from the end. Praise His Holy Name that the love story of God to His people, His beloved children — birth and adopted — was written by faith, in faith, and through faith. We have that same faith. We should have the same certainty that the Lord has. The Word declares it, so you declare it too. Praise the Lord for ALL His marvellous works. They’re marvellous in the past. They’re marvellous in the present. And they will be marvellous in the future. Just like Yahweh God Himself. Amen.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.