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- God tells them not to be afraid, that He would give the people into their hands. They were going to win the battle.
- And, it occurred to me, God never goes to His people and says, “You should be afraid!”
- 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!”
- So, why do we fear?
- It’s only because we don’t believe in God. We don’t believe He is who He says He is.
- To fear is to deny God is who He says He is. Does any of this sound familiar?
- How can we be afraid if we know we are perfectly loved?
- 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.”
- 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.
- Perfect? I’m not perfect, you say. Then you don’t know Jesus!
- In Christ we are made perfect!
- Hebrews 10:14 “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
- Perfected for all time. That’s you!
- Yes, we make the choice to walk each day in the gift of holiness given us. Yes, we are working it out.
- 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.
- Complete sanctification, complete perfection through Christ Jesus…what’s the result?
- A life free from fear!