Do Not Be Afraid

    1. God tells them not to be afraid, that He would give the people into their hands. They were going to win the battle.
    2. And, it occurred to me, God never goes to His people and says, “You should be afraid!”
    3. We’re to fear God and no one else. You never need to ask God, “Should I be afraid?” You know the answer. The answer is always, “No!”
    4. So, why do we fear?
    5. It’s only because we don’t believe in God. We don’t believe He is who He says He is.
    6. To fear is to deny God is who He says He is. Does any of this sound familiar?
    7. How can we be afraid if we know we are perfectly loved?
    8. Why does perfect love cast out fear? (1 John 4:16-18)
      • “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
      • By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
      • There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
    9. The verse tells us that fear has to do with punishment. Why are we free from the fear of punishment? Because we’ve been made perfect in love.
    10. Perfect? I’m not perfect, you say. Then you don’t know Jesus!
    11. In Christ we are made perfect!
    12. Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
    13. Perfected for all time. That’s you!
    14. Yes, we make the choice to walk each day in the gift of holiness given us. Yes, we are working it out.
    15. But, it’s Jesus’ job to present us blameless before the Father (Jude 1:24). That’s not a future tense verb. It’s not “will present you blameless.” Remember, we can approach the throne with confidence now (Hebrews 4:16)! And it’s because we’re blameless. We’re blameless before Him because of the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
    16. Complete sanctification, complete perfection through Christ Jesus…what’s the result?
    17. A life free from fear!