Fear No Fear

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

“These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. The son of Pallu: Eliab. The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against Yahweh; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die.”
(Numbers 26:7-11)

“Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.” Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges. Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”“
(John 8:42-51)

Korah and many of his family stood in defiance of the Lord and Moses’ authority. Dathan and Abiram also chose his side in defiance. When the Earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, it seemed like they and their entire families were destroyed because of that defiance. But here we learn that not everyone of the family stood with Korah. Some of his sons refused to defy the Lord and chose to respect the man God had given authority to. They lived different lives. They also authored eleven Psalms (42, 44-49, 84, 85, 87, and 88). They did not see death, but held to the commandments of God. They lived to praise another day.

Jesus is talking about the same thing. God isn’t looking to kill anyone. He wants to save us. He cares so much about us that He was willing to pay the price FOR us. And all that is needed is for us to believe Him and trust in Him. That’s it. A decision to praise another day. To hold to what Jesus has told us so that death doesn’t touch us. So that LIFE is what we get to experience. First here, but also forever – because the life in Jesus NEVER ends.

Summary

Salvation is a decision. It is a decision to believe what God says and then to hold to that. Changing our behaviour, our words, and our thinking to align with what God says is right and good and true. When we make this choice, we avoid death. The big death and all the little deaths, too. We don’t have to lie sick and infirm. We don’t have to put up with the little knives that stab at our minds. We don’t have to be depressed, or angry, or anything else from condition to gender to ideology. We can be as God made us, celebrate our lives, and live in accordance to the principles He set down. We can have ABUNDANT life. It all starts and ends in Jesus.