One of the most important spiritual vital signs is whether you have a low-grade fever of fear. Do you wince easily? Is your mind tangled up with nightmares of all the scenarios of things going wrong? Have you been fretting over all the bad things in the headlines, and letting your emotional state be dictated by oil prices in Saudi Arabia? This sort of fear is rightly described in Scripture as having torment.
Fear will sap your strength and will. It will rob your joy. Your voice will quaver in timidity instead of being raised in praise. Letting fear wander the hallways of your life unchecked will make it certain that you only do the safest of things. You won’t stand up against evil. You won’t venture out of your comfort zone. You’ll be confined to the small chamber of safety, as defined by all your fears.
But where God’s Spirit dwells, there His love dwells too. This love, we are told, casts out our fears. If you know that God has manifested His love to You through Christ, and your sins are forgiven and abundant and everlasting life is your birthright you can walk fearless.
Whereas fear confines you, God’s love is deep and wide and long. This is why the attribute which defined the early church was that of boldness. It is how Acts describes the early Christians, and it is what Paul asks the church to pray that he would have, even in his imprisonment. Now, this boldness doesn’t mean being a loud-mouth. Rather, this boldness is the straightforward declaration of the Gospel, and the fruit of a life assured of this Gospel. The security of knowing that God’s love is upon you and dwells in you, wherever you go makes you fearless regardless of any persecution, famine, distress, or peril you might encounter.
God’s people throughout history have been marked by their fearlessness. They have rebuked kings, faced down armies singlehandedly, put the enemy to flight, and preached righteousness to a stiff-necked people. They have done this because they feared not man, while reverently fearing God Almighty. When we get this backward it cripples our witness, confines our lives, and kills our joy. May God forgive us for trembling before the threats and worries of this world, instead of standing steadfast and certain in His love. And may He grant unto us a true evangelical boldness to live and declare His truth in this dark age we live.
Ben Zornes – February 25, 2024
