Fear No Fear

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

The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 32:17 (emphasis added)

It’s so easy to dismiss the Old Testament as not that relevant. After all, it’s a book about the Jews and not the gentiles. It’s full of Law and proscribed sacrifices. Didn’t Jesus come and change all that? No. No, He didn’t. Quite the opposite. He fulfilled all the sacrifices. He taught that instead of following empty rules, we should instead take the principles of righteousness laid down in the Law and apply them to our hearts and mental lives. “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished” (Matthew 5:17–18). “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also” (Matthew 23:23–26). In the Kingdom of the Lord, heart matters. Intent matters. We are responsible not only for our actions, but also our thoughts, desires, and hearts (Matthew 5:27–28).

The New Testament is the fulfilment of the sacrificial system because after Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection to life again fulfils every sacrifice that was required under the Law (Hebrews 9:28). It isn’t that the sacrifices are no longer necessary, but that they have been fulfilled in Jesus. Instead of being repentant and sacrificing an animal or giving an offering of another material for the purpose of being cleansed, we can accept what Jesus did for us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Everything else, however, still stands as a standard of righteousness. Not killing, not committing adultery, honouring our parents, putting the Lord God first and foremost. Dealing with our fellow humans with mercy and justice. Love and kindness. Being fair in our dealings. Not going into debt. Being wise in our stewardship of our resources and the resources of the world. Watching over our orphans and widows. Not being greedy. Resting on the Sabbath. Letting the land rest as well. All of that still has worth. Still matters. We’re enabled to achieve it through Jesus. Through His Spirit within us. It is not us who does the work, but the Lord Himself (John 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:13).

Our job is to get the Word into our hearts. To get the principles of the Lord’s righteousness into our hearts. To let Him renew our minds to His ideas, His standards, and His things. To let it stir us up until we start seeing things His way. To be willing to call sin what HE calls sin. To call good what HE calls good. To submit in humble obedience to Him because the Lord God Almighty is above all and worthy to be worshipped, loved, and obeyed. In fact, if we love Him we WILL obey Him (John 14:15). Because we WANT to. Because we LOVE Him. Because HE is God, not us. It is steadfast love that the Lord desires. Honest love. He never WANTED the sacrifices (1 Samuel 15:22). Our disobedience REQUIRED them (Hebrews 9:22). Sin has a price (Romans 6:23). Disobedience—small or great—is akin to witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23). A perversion of natural order. An attempt to sneak at the power that comes from the Lord and achieve OUR ends, OUR desires, and OUR lusts for power without ANY restriction, obedience, or right to use it. Witchcraft is such a foul form of disobedience, those that go over to it play with their very lives. Witchcraft is a spiritual cancer and should be dealt with accordingly (Leviticus 19:31, Exodus 22:18, Revelation 21:8). Thank the LORD that by Grace we can ALL be saved (Ephesians 2:8–9) and even the taint of witchcraft can be washed off (Psalm 51:1–2).

We were created to work. We were not created for leisure. To have all things go at their own pace, to let it happen, and not worry about anything while you let bygones be bygones. Retirement as it is presented to us, is a very dangerous thing. But then, so is the doctrine of working until retirement. It’s a cyclic system where you work yourself to the bone and then lie back doing nothing but indulging in pleasure until you die—if you survived that long or survived in a condition where you could enjoy retirement. None of that is what the Lord designed us for. It’s a double system of bondage. Bondage to work and then bondage to freedom.

We were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). We were placed in the Garden (paradise on earth, remember?) to TEND and KEEP it. That’s work. Sure, it wouldn’t have been work with hoes and gloves. Desperate wrestling with weeds and briars. We would have worked like God did. Words (Genesis 1:3,9,14). We would make things (Genesis 1:7). We would call things (Genesis 1:10). We would set things (Genesis 1:17). We would form things (Genesis 1:7). But we disobeyed. We Fell. We lost our place a little below God (Psalm 8:5). We lost our ability to tend without toil (Genesis 3:17–19). Things went from work to labour. As long as this world lasts, we will not be free of the cycle—EXCEPT in JESUS. Before the foundation of the world God covenanted with Himself to fix our error and redeem us from our poor choice (Revelation 13:8). The ground was cursed. Our sweat would be required to get anything from it. Jesus fixed that. He went back to a garden (Gethsemane) and sweated blood for us (Luke 22:44). His blood broke the altar of toil. He freed us from it. We can work, and it won’t be laborious. We can tend, and it won’t be toil.

What work are we to do then? All creation fell. We are still in a fleshly body. We cannot go back to the bodies Adam and Eve started with. We must wait for that until we get to heaven and stand fully before the Throne and the Father Himself. In the meantime, what are we to do? This is a world of professions and jobs. Of tasks and errands. Are we to ignore all of that? Or are we to double-down on it? The Lord wants us to abide in Jesus. To be guided by His Spirit (John 14:17). To do everything in faith, not fear. To bring the Lord into every task we do, every thought we have, and every word we speak. To be guided in ALL THINGS by the Lord. To give Him service in all that we do. Not to do things to get reward, but to do all things — especially work — as worship to the Lord. “Servants, obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not just when they are looking, as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:22–24).

We are to do the good things that the Lord puts in front of our steps (Galatians 6:9–10). We’re to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8). We’re to read the Word, meditate on the Word, and walk out the Word as the Holy Spirit guides us (2 Timothy 2:15). We’re to put God before everything and everyone else. To keep Him in His proper place in our hearts, minds, and lives. Not to let ourselves get distracted by the world’s systems, events, and philosophies (Matthew 6:24, 1 Timothy 3:3). In order to accomplish things, we are to seek the Lord. With all the intent we can muster. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). God enables us to do these things because He shows us Grace, gives us His Faith, and offered Himself as sacrifice to atone for our sins (Ephesians 2:8–10, Mark 11:22). “But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39).

Everything we are to do, we are to do in faith. Putting the Father and His Word first. Abiding in Jesus and relying on Him to accomplish what He has set before us. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong! Let all that you do be done in love (1 Corinthians 16:13–14). But now faith, hope, and love remain — these three. The greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). We walk in love in order to walk in faith. Faith is manifested obedience to the Lord. We’re obedient when we love. So faith is manifested obedience (Romans 1:5–6), and obedience is manifested love (1 John 5:1), and we love because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). This is the work of Righteousness. To love the Lord our God first and foremost (Matthew 22:37–38). To love our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). To go to all creation and preach the restoration of the relationship between humanity and God Almighty (Luke 2:14, Matthew 28:18–20, Mark 16:15–18).

When we are walking in love and humble obedience to the Lord God Almighty, His Peace will be our portion. “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful” (John 14:27). “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). We cannot get this peace walking in fear. Dwelling in anxiety and depression. We get this peace only by submitting to Him and casting our cares onto Him — not letting Him see them, then taking them back to gnaw on. With rejoicing and thanksgiving, we turn worry to worship. We turn depression to gladness. We turn anxiety to faithful trust (Philippians 4:4–6). When we walk in His path, the confidence our heart has to reject fear and rely on faith grows. We cannot walk His path if we’re not reading His Word with intent and getting the things of God into us so that they will grow and grow and grow.

It will start tiny. Like a mustard seed of possibility. But if we feed it the Word, hearing it with intent, it will grow until it eclipses everything else in our spiritual garden (Matthew 17:20–21). Peace will rest on you, saving you from all the world’s worries, when we focus on the Lord above all. Peace can be our portion, if the Lord is our provider. Let Him provide. He wants you to accept what He’s offering. Bow your knee, and worship Him for the Loving Father and God that He is. Peace will rest on your shoulders and His righteousness becomes the soil you grow in.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Luke 17:6

This isn’t the first mustard seed Jesus has mentioned. He told a parable about the mustard seed and the two references are intimately connected. “He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field, which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches”” (Matthew 12:31–32). Jesus firmly tells us that our faith needs to be like a mustard seed. It has two meanings. The first—which you have probably heard — is that it does NOT take a lot of faith to accomplish things in the Lord’s kingdom. It is because HE does the work. We only need to BELIEVE He has done it, is doing it, and will do it. It doesn’t take a lot to believe, and if we can, then nothing will be too difficult. He does, we believe He does. It’s simple. The other meaning is that our faith MUST be nurtured. We all have the same measure given to us (Romans 12:3). We need to plant it and nurture it. The Word strengthens it (Romans 10:17). We need to rely on Jesus as the nutrients and the water that grow that seed into a mighty bush capable of sustaining more than itself (John 6:35). It takes effort to get this kind of faith to spring up. Jesus told us Himself that this kind of faith only fully comes up when we are regularly fasting and praying (Matthew 17:20–21). Conditioning the flesh to accept the Lord as our source and bringing to captivity all thoughts of unbelief is the only thing that will get us to where the Lord wants us to be (1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 10:5). We don’t need to be militant about it. We don’t need to overdo it. But we cannot neglect reliance on the Lord and expect things to just ‘happen’. We need to grow our faith so that tiny amount turns by HIS working, leading, feeding, and guiding, into such a great growth that NOTHING will be beyond what He says He can do through us (Matthew 19:26).

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.