So Guess who’s Really Ruled by Fear?

As I understand it, fear rules the lives of many Christians throughout the Western world just as effectively as it does the lives of unbelievers. But the question is, why? How can this be when the Scripture tells us, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:7 ? I can think of one reason – a lack of spiritual maturity perhaps. And if so, then those relatively new in the Lord Jesus can be excused, but how about the rest of us? That’s not to say fear doesn’t come to all spiritually mature Christians sometimes, it does; but should it rule?

The other day on Facebook I read of Christians who practice yoga and of others who see nothing wrong with Christians practicing it. That’s a sign of spiritual immaturity. It’s also a sign that if fear is not yet ruling in the life of these people it will not be long until it does. To justify the practice of it, some Christians call it, “Holy Yoga.” What’s holy about it? The Bible declares, There is none holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God 1 Samuel 2:2. To link the one and only Holy God with some Hindu practice is blasphemy! Besides, it is an assault on God, an assault on the Lord Jesus Christ, an assault on the Bible and an assault on faith. If only such people were as zealous for defending Christ as they are for defending holy yoga!

Meditation is a primary reason for people to practice yoga. Supposedly the more one clears the mind the more effective the meditation is. Not so. Satan’s demons thrive in empty minds just like they do with empty heads! King David’s mind wasn’t empty when he meditated, nor was his head; he filled them with the word of God. His delight was in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditated day and night Psalm 1:2. In other words, his mind was on God and His word moment by moment. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches Psalm 63:6. And again: I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds Psalm 77:12. Yes, King David did experience fear but he also experienced victories galore over it.

Fear rules the lives of Christians charging their fellow Christians with homophobia. It’s a ridiculous word in any case. Phobia means: ‘an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.’ Bible Christians possess no fear of homosexuals and neither do we hate them. It is not fear of homosexuals that causes us to speak out against their practices, it is fear for homosexuals – we fear for their eternal well-being, plus the eternal well-being of the millions who’ve been manipulated and intimidated into accepting homosexual practice as normal. It is not normal any more than adultery is normal. The one grand difference between them though, adulterers will admit their practice offends God when push comes to shove, homosexuals in general, will not.

Fear rules the lives of Christians charging their fellow Christians with Islamophobia. Certainly Bible Christians stand against the manipulative, intimidating, politically motivated, ideological tactics of Islam but we don’t fear those things and we don’t fear the people who practice them. We fear God; and those who do so fear nobody else and nothing else. We know who the real enemy is. In bowing to God, we are made strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. We have put on the whole armor of God, and are able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places Ephesians 6:11-12.    

Fear rules the lives of Christians pro-Palestinian but anti-Israel. Once again, that’s an assault on God, the Lord Jesus and the Bible. Not only is God’s curse upon them for anti-Semitism, it’s also upon them for disbelief and rejection of God’s written covenant promises to Israel. The land of Israel belongs to God every bit as much as the Jewish people belong to Him. In fact, the little strip of land Israelis currently possess will one day be greatly enlarged. On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates…..” Genesis 15:18. That is the original promised land and most certainly one day the Jews will inherit it fully.

Fear rules the lives of Christians submitted to doctrines and commandments of men rather than doctrines and commandments of God. That’s why Roman Catholic people are ruled by fear. They’re taught that their Church Traditions are equal to Scripture, which is why they’ll say, “Yes, we believe what’s in the Bible, but Church Tradition teaches………..” Of course, such a statement isn’t true; when Church Tradition overrules the Bible, that means they don’t believe the Bible. But this is not applicable to Roman Catholic people alone; it applies to all who sit under extra-biblical teaching. There’s another way fear shows up in such people – they elevate their leaders to God-like status. God will make sure fear rules when that happens!

Fear rules the lives of Christians submitted to doctrinal over-emphasis. Take the doctrine of Sinless Perfection for example. It’s a doctrine from hell, but those sitting under it believe it’s a doctrine from heaven. So strong is their belief, it causes them to separate themselves from every other church and Christian. However, the fear that rules them doesn’t necessarily show up because of terrorism, barbarism, rumors of wars and earthquakes. It shows up when they’re in the presence of the gurus ruling over them. When the guru stands before them and declares, “I am the human face of Jesus Christ to you, ” they bow to that declaration unquestioningly. Yes, the fear of man most certainly brings a snare Proverbs 29:25.

Fear rules the lives of Christians whose diligent practice it is to “cherry-pick” from the Bible. In other words, Scriptures that confirm their biases they will cling to like a drowning man clutching at a straw. Those that clash with such biases they’ll discard like they do a worn out garment. Unbelieving people are puzzled by the disunity they see among Christians and they wonder why it’s so. Bible “cherry-picking” is one reason why. “We don’t major on the minors,” so goes the Christian-speak. That sounds good too, until one realizes it’s the embracing of “minors” that are often the stepping stones to one getting released from fear and Scripture bias. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…… 2 Timothy 3:16. All never means “some.” 

Fear rules the lives of Christians who are deceived into serving two masters – especially when the other one is money! Multitudes of Christians are into this. No, God doesn’t want financial poverty for His people, but neither does He want financial prosperity for us to the point where all we think about is money and not God. That’s why Jesus made it clear to all who are in Him, No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon Matthew 6:24. When people in general fail to commit in life, mediocrity becomes the name of the game for them. It’s no less so in the church; that’s why there are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, Christians Revelation 3:16. 

Fear rules the lives of Christians not submitted to righteousness. This too speaks of lukewarm Christians; saved from hell-fire perhaps, but no Holy Spirit-fire to make a difference in their lives or in the life of anyone else who comes into their midst. These people express a ton of spiritual immaturity. Spiritual babies, the writer of NT Hebrews describes them as; unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe Hebrews 12:13. They can’t be relied upon to say something for God, but they can be relied upon to say something for yoga, or homophobia, or Islamophobia, or Palestinian rights, or the doctrines and commandments of men, or over-emphasized doctrines, or Scripture bias or money. Wherever there’s spiritual immaturity, emotional immaturity fills the gap!

Fear rules the lives of Christians until the fear of God rules. And the only way that can be a reality is to be filled with the word of God. But for that to happen we must first be filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth John 16:13. The Holy Spirit is also known as the Comforter. So when fear seeks to manifest its ugly presence, the Comforter moves in with a word of truth to push it out. In a practical sense this means we will speak that Spirit-given word of truth into our situation. Hence, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. That’s the last thing Satan wants us to know; that’s why he works overtime badmouthing God, Jesus Christ and the Bible; so guess who’s really ruled by fear? Forever Oh LORD, Your word is settled in heaven Psalm 119:89. Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to…. Proverbs 30:5.