In the previous study, we looked at two key areas of our lives, which God expects us to take charge of, having done all He needs to do. The next key area of our life can be found in the words of Jesus: “See that you are not frightened” (Matthew 24:6). From this text, Jesus leaves the responsibility to not be afraid on us; we are to ensure that we are not afraid. It’s the same truth Jesus shared when He said “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27), that is, our minds, thoughts, feelings, and emotions may want to give in to fear and anxiety, but we should not allow that to happen. How do we do this?
In John 14:1, after Jesus had mentioned that we are not to let our heart be troubled, He showed us how to ensure that: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me”. Having faith in God, the Father and the Son, is how we keep our hearts from being troubled. Also, in Mark 4, after Jesus’ disciples woke him up, asking Him if He cared not that they were perishing, Jesus rebuked the wind and stilled the storm, “And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” (Mark 4:40). Here Jesus diagnosed their problem as fear with the underlying cause being a lack of faith. To walk by faith is to hear God’s word, believe it, and act on it (see Romans 10:17, James 2:14,17, 26, Mark 11:22-24). From the words of Jesus, this is how we keep our hearts from being troubled and afraid.
Jesus also expects that we do not allow our hearts to be troubled nor let it be afraid because of His peace which He has given us (see John 14:27). In other words, abiding in the peace of God keeps our hearts from being troubled and fearful, and that is in addition to walking by faith. We read in Philippians 4:9 that “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you”. This shows that when we practice the Word of God, God Himself shows up in our lives as the God of peace. And His presence with us translates into our peace because He himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:16). Thus, peace is not just a tranquil state of mind or being. It is the presence of God with us, which is our peace. Even so, we are able to walk in peace to the degree that we practice God’s Word. And to the degree that we are able to walk in peace, we keep ourselves from fear.
In 1 John 4:18, we also read that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear”. Therefore to gain the mastery over fear you ought to be a person of love. You must first of all “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”, then “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). This sums up all the commands we need to keep in Christ and is our key to casting out fear from our lives.
To be continued.
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
November 14, 2021.
A Very Important Message:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). Therefore, If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, I invite you to put your faith in Him. Pray the prayer below to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour: “I come to you God in Jesus’ name and surrender my life unto you. I repent of my sins and I ask You to forgive me all my sins. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and I believe with my heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. I thank you God for saving me, in Jesus name, Amen”. If you sincerely prayed this prayer, believe and be assured that you are saved, for the Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 16:31). Find a Bible believing church to attend so that you can be discipled to grow in the ways of God. You can also email me ([email protected]) and I will be happy to grow together with you in Christ.