Episode 6: Fearlessness
There are so many stories in scripture that would have us cowering in fear, if we were to face them today. Daniel and the lions den. David fighting off bears.
It is really hard to understand the kinds of threats that those in the Bible faced. Now it’s not to say that we don’t have our own very valid threats. But for most of us, we are at least a little more protected from some of the elements that were commonplace in Biblical days. And yet as a society we continue to struggle with fear.
What I’ve observed about fear is that it can have two overall causes
It can be spiritual. There is some fear that is a result of an oppressive spirit intended to intimidate you. Which means you just need to pray and cast that thing out!
It can be rooted in mindsets. Therefore, our task is renewing the mind. Sometimes we as believers can think that the strategy we’ve adopted is renewing the mind, but instead it’s more like ‘controlling the mind’. And there is a difference. As Christians can be so hard on ourselves! We can aggressively demand our bodies and minds into submission, and usually exacerbate our problems because we don’t see that all we are doing is either suppressing the fear or condemning ourselves. Have we not noticed that God doesn’t actually deal with us in this way? He is kind and faithful, and gracious to restore us through a process. What renewing the mind really is, is an incremental clarification process of our mindsets and emotions, that leads us to transformation. It results in us naturally defaulting to goodness and love. It is a participatory process with God, that is achieved through consistency and exposure to Him and His love.
So, what is fear?
Fear is a perception of danger. It’s when we feel like something threatens our sense of security. The threat may be real, or it can be imagined. And it is that threat posed by the object of our fears, that produces the terribly uncomfortable emotion that makes us feel like running for the hills.
The Christian world already talks about fear a lot. These are some of the most common verses offered in our battle against fear:
2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT)
I John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”
Philippians 4:6 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”
Matthew 6:25 - “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” We could have discussed this passage in the last episode about contentment.
Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. So essentially be intentional with your thoughts.
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you. Love that one!
With all of these incredible verses that are so rich with meaning. How is it that we can still be so afraid? Is there something missing here? There are two topics that are missing from this discussion of fear, that can help us in our journey toward fearlessness.
Death
Our bodies have this internal mechanism called the fight or flight response, in which its entire purpose is to react emotionally and physically to situations that might represent harm. It is all designed for survival, to avoid death.
But here’s the thing about death: it’s really hard to comprehend. Because death was not a part of our original design. When Adam and Eve were created, they didn’t even have a conceptual understanding of death. They were made to reflect God who is eternal. It must have deeply frightened them. How do two human beings that were designed to be eternal, now conceive an end? Ecclesiastes 3:11 demonstrates this. It says:
“He has planted eternity in the human heart”
Eternity is an internal sense that God has put there. So just summarising: we have this inbuilt mechanism that tells us we are eternal beings, and we have this slowly approaching phenomenon called death that we cannot comprehend. No wonder we can be so afraid! Because the idea of our personhood being discontinued is unnatural.
We can be afraid of a psychological or emotional death too. The death of the psyche might be what we would term a psychological meltdown, or being unable to respond to external stimuli. Like you may have seen in movies when someone goes through a terribly traumatic ordeal and is unable to speak again. Sometimes our fears are rooted in that kind of death. It’s not that we fear we would literally die, we think that our brains would just psychologically shut down if we were to go through that which we fear. Interestingly, Paul mentions this psychological death, in a way in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. He says:
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,
about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia.
We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure,
so that we despaired of life itself.
Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death.
But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
The historical context demonstrates that this “sentence of death” that Paul experienced was not some external entity imposing a death sentence upon them. It was internal. Some theologians believe that Paul was actually describing something like a nervous breakdown.
The early church and the apostles were so often able to endure the persecution and hardship they faced because of their faith in the resurrection. This was a huge revelation for them that fueled their daily living. Now as Christians, especially if you’ve grown up in a Christian community we tend to file this theology away in the back of our minds. We know it, but it certainly doesn’t have any impact on how we live every day. But for the early believers the confidence they had in the resurrection, was what gave them hope in the face of their everyday challenges, including persecution. Now I would argue that this theology of resurrection is supposed to be far more essential to our daily lives than it is. When I say resurrection, I mean that because of Jesus resurrecting from the dead we also rise from the dead. It says in 1 Corinthians 15:23 -
But there is an order to this resurrection:
Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
See according to this statement, death, even physical death, is not final for those who believe. Because Jesus conquered death through the resurrection, we are no longer ruled by it. We don’t have to fear this ominous final day approaching, because we rise again and live. We often talk about these things so casually. But really, really think about this. Give this idea your full attention and focus. What does resurrection mean for us? It means that ultimately we don’t die. Is this not what living forever means? That we don’t die? I know I am talking conceptually. Yes, we do experience a physical death of sorts here on earth. But that physical death is not final. Because the resurrection means that I will rise again. That is why the resurrection is so valuable! In John 6:58 Jesus says:
“I am the true bread that came down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did
(even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”
Jesus is the bread that gives us eternal life. How should that impact our daily experience of faith and living? Death is probably the worst thing that could happen to us here on earth. Even when we have bad days or bad years, there is always this hope that things can turn around. It’s irrelevant whether you believe that. But as long as you are here on earth, there is a chance that things can change. Because one of the blessings of life is that there are seasons. We can see the mercy of God in that simply going to sleep and waking again could hold a whole new set of circumstances for us. In a nutshell, life doesn't necessarily stay the same. With death, there is no hope. It just ends. Especially eternal death. If there is a possibility that our lives just end and there is this eternal nothingness...I can understand why that would be so scary, and therefore anything that we might fear that would eventuate in death. There is plenty of research to suggest that all phobias and fears find their roots in the fear of death. Like when we fear heights, we usually fear that we will fall, and therefore die. When we fear snakes, we fear that they will strike us, and therefore die. When we are afraid of flying, it is usually because we are afraid of crashing...and dying.
So how would this change our experience of living, if we were to grasp that we technically don’t die?
It is really hard to imagine what we could be afraid of. When I had this revelation, I noticed that I cared less about what people thought of me. Because I reasoned that, well what have I got to lose? I don’t die. Nobody gets the final say on my life. Because I don’t die, they can’t really hurt me. God has already determined my future, that I will live forever. Nobody and nothing can kill or stop what God has done in me, and through me. No person or entity can take away the fact that I live forever. I never have to think about what it would be like for my life to end, because it doesn’t end. So if nothing can ultimately kill me, theoretically what could I really be afraid of? As long as I keep staying close to Jesus...what could possibly defeat me, when the worst-case scenario, death, has been defeated by Him? Now statements like “When God is for me, who can be against me?” takes on another level of richness. Whose threat whether real or imagined, could really pose a risk to my life? Even if I have to endure uncomfortable circumstances, it can’t kill me.
2. Punishment
1 John 4:18 says:
“Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.
If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows
that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
In other words, punishment is what we are really fear. When I am afraid to place a boundary on a friend that is hurting me, it’s likely that what I am really afraid of is rejection or exclusion. When I am afraid of what people will think of me for what I wear, aren’t I ultimately afraid of judgement? And therefore not being accepted? Is not all of these situations, really the fear of some kind of reprimand or consequence?
Sometimes, our fears are so deeply rooted that they are really a protection mechanism against our own harsh judgements of ourselves. When I am too stubborn to take on feedback, it might be because I have an inner critic that mercilessly condemns me for making mistakes. When I lie to my spouse about where I’ve been, aren’t I really afraid of seeing their disappointment and feeling that shame? We don’t even realise the degree to which we are ruled by this fear of punishment. Whether that punishment comes from us, or others.
We grow up learning the behaviours that will keep us safe and protected from punishment. How much would you say this fear of punishment would affect our relationship with God? John says:
“And this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love”
Why would we fear reprimand, when God’s perfect love has deemed us completely forgiven? He has removed the consequence of sin. He gives us His grace and mercy and declares us righteous. The one and only punishment that we could ever really receive from God has been annihilated. Verse 17 of the same chapter says:
“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.
So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment,
but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”
We are not paying a price anymore, both now and in the future. This passage tells us that if I am still afraid of being punished by Him it demonstrates that I don’t really understand what He has done through His death on the cross! There is no punishment for those who follow Him. We don’t have to be afraid, because the greatest punishment: death and condemnation, no longer apply. If God is not reprimanding me, EVER, why would I be afraid of anything that man can do to me?
The reason the enemy either attacks or tempts us to fear is because He is afraid of us. The word tells us
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
(1 John 4:4)
The enemy is defeated. So anything he throws at you is more like the tacky last jab a boxer throws after the bell has sounded. It makes no difference to the overall battle. He knows that you pose a greater threat to him, than he does to you.
INTIMIDATION is the enemies real goal. Within every one of us, is the potential to do greater things than even Jesus. John 14:12 says:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me
will do the works I have been doing, and they
will do even greater things than these”
He’s not trying to beat you, He’s just trying to STOP YOU from doing all greater things than Jesus.
This last thought:
When Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 26 that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow, it was a statement from a man who knew exactly what was coming. When he prayed in Gethsemane “not as I will, but as you will” it was a statement by a man who was completely aware of what He would endure and yet still willingly consented to it. Beatings, lashings, mocking, humiliation, abandonment, pain, and degradation. He knew that all of this would be His destiny. And then He dies on the cross.
If He doubted for a second his own resurrection, would He have had the courage to go through with the crucifixion?
If He had lived thinking that God was out to get Him, would He have acted as He did? Would he have taken a chance at roaming the streets to minister for 3 years? Would he have rebelled against the religious authorities of that day? Would he have healed on the sabbath? Would he have hung out with sinners and tax collectors, that his own tradition and culture would have told him were unclean? Would He have interpreted the cross as the moment in history that would free humankind, or would Jesus have been suspicious or wondered if He had done something wrong? It’s possible that he might have held back. Because instead of opportunities He would have seen risks.
What do you see when you look at your future? Opportunities or risks?
But the truth is, he knew that He would rise again, and he knew that His Father was well pleased. And so He lived like one that expected to live forever. He lived like one who anticipated no reprimand from His heavenly father. He actively moved toward the coming humiliation, because He knew He would be crowned in glory. He moved toward the pain because He knew that no pain would ever again touch His body. He moved toward the cross, knowing that death would not hold Him down. He walked toward the greatest power of that day, knowing that their worldly and horrific reprimand would hold no bearing on His innocence.
We can live fearlessly, because Jesus lived fearlessly. Even though real threats knocked at his door. And real people sought to punish Him.
Because our ability to live without fear is not dependent on whether danger exists. It’s dependent on how deep our belief in the resurrection goes. Our ability to live without fear is not dependent on always getting it right! It is dependent on how much we are convinced that no reprimand awaits us. You can follow Him, without fear.