“But I say to you, My friends, do not fear those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two assaria? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Luke 12:4-7 (LSB)
We are told not to fear earthly things or other people no matter how evil or violent they are. However, we are told to fear God. Much of the fear Christians have, however, is not based in their fear of God, but in the fear of their own failures being exposed or their own spiritual deficiencies being exploited by the devil’s seed. Of course some of that fear comes from the spirit of fear that dominates some Christians.
There are times that I post things that cause reactions in those in unbelief or those mired in tradition or whatever which result in them responding with comments, emails, and other forms of abuse meant to voice their displeasure or outrage with whatever doctrinal point I was making that caused them much discomfort. I have learned over the years to take this in stride and deal with each one prayerfully that needs to be handled while simply ignoring the rest. This is the product of years of spiritual growth through being transformed through the renewing of my mind as I submitted myself to God each day as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1,2). However, this reaction has not always been then case. <Continue reading post>