Author: imikemedia

If you stop and think about it, fear seems to come from primarily one of three sources:

1. Knowledge. We know and understand the dangers involved.  Therefore, we fear because we know.  For example, just about everyone knows, at least generally, how a Rattlesnake looks and sounds.  And most people also know how dangerous, even deadly, they are.  So, they are “deathly afraid” of Rattlesnakes, and even those who aren’t, have a “healthy respect” for them.
2. Ignorance. We don’t know or understand the dangers involved, but fear the unknown. We fear what we do not comprehend or understand.  Rat snakes (also called Chicken snakes- the only real difference is diet) are harmless to humans.  But, they are often black in color, and if they’ve been eating well, can get to be quite large.  They’re also not afraid of enclosed spaces and are therefore willing to venture into barns, and even houses.  So, people find a big black snake in their shed, on their porch, or even in their house, and freak out and want to burn the house down because they don’t know what kind of snake it is, or understand that it is much more beneficial than dangerous to humans. 
3. Emotion.  Although we have some degree of knowledge, and therefore understand that the fear is irrational, we allow our emotions to override our knowledge/understanding and are fearful nonetheless.  Take Gecko lizards for example.  They have no venom, usually only grow to be a few inches long, are completely harmless to humans, eat mostly gnats and mosquitos, and can be easily squashed without any adverse consequence by even the smallest of people. And yet, despite knowing, understanding, and even acknowledging these things, some people allow their emotions to override their understanding and are terrified of them.  The fear is completely irrational and emotionally based, but is present nonetheless.

The first two are based in knowledge, or the lack thereof, but the latter one is obviously purely emotionally based, and is, therefore, irrational.  But this article isn’t really about snakes and lizards.  What are the spiritual applications of these things?  The fears mentioned correspond to these…

We fear God because we know and understand at least something of His power and nature. And we ought to fear God since He has the power not only over life and death, but eternity. Jesus warned His disciples, “And do not fear those who will the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell,” Matthew 10:28.  But for those who are willing to become God’s children through obedience, “you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as son by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” Romans 8:15.  What does this mean?  When we fear God (with the healthy respect kind of fear) enough to obey Him, we no longer have to fear judgment (to be afraid of or terrorized by kind of fear), condemnation, and punishment, 1John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”   

We fear death because, in ignorance, we think it is the end of everything for us, or because we don’t know what’s on the other side of it.  While death will not be the final end for anyone (cf. John 5:28-29), we don’t have to fear it.  Those who fear and obey God, are delivered from the fear of death, Hebrews 2:15.  Therefore, instead of fearing eternal punishment, they have confident knowledge that eternal reward awaits them on the other side of death, cf. Matthew 25:34.  For the God-fearing, death is but the portal to eternal life.  Fear God in knowledge instead of death in ignorance!

We fear Satan because, despite knowing God’s power over him, and understanding that if we resist him, he will flee from us, we allow our emotions to override our faith.  I realize that Satan is compared to a roaring lion in the Scriptures instead of Gecko, cf. 1Peter 5:8.  But consider this: Why does a lion roar?  One of two reasons: 1) to scare potential prey that he has not yet spotted into running in order to find and catch them; or, 2) to frighten potential prey that he has spotted so badly that they become paralyzed.  In either case, he roars to frighten.  However, we know that if we stand firm and resist him that he will flee from us, James 4:8.  Is your knowledge and faith strong enough to overcome your emotional and irrational fear?  Will you to stand “firm in your faith” knowing that if you do the roaring lion will flee from you?  We have the strength to resist, and need to realize that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet,” Romans 16:20 … dare I say, “like a Gecko”?

So: fear God in knowledge; don’t fear death in ignorance; and don’t allow your emotions to create an irrational fear of Satan! BY PHILIP C. STRONG

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE

Ten instructions which came from the Lord God were of such special significance that the Bible calls them “the Ten Commandments” (Exodus 34:28). Those who are familiar with the Bible are well aware of what those ten commands stated. Many people have even taken the time to memorize them.

To whom were the Ten Commandments given? The Ten Commandments are recorded in two chapters of the Bible. We first read them in Exodus 20. On that occasion, they were not given in written form, but orally. By Moses? No, by Jehovah. The people to whom the Ten Commandments were addressed were those who were at Mt. Sinai – and they were the ones whom God had just delivered out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 19:1; 20:1,2). Now, who would that be? Answer: the children of Israel. The second biblical record of the Ten Commandments is found in Deuteronomy 5. Again, the context makes it plain that the Ten Commandments were given only to the nation of Israel (Deuteronomy 5:1-3,15).

Of which law were the Ten Commandments a part? Answer: the Law of Moses. By the Jews’ counting, that law included over 600 distinct laws. Instead of the law consisting only of the Ten Commandments, in fact, those were only ten of the instructions contained therein. What did Jesus do with the old law? He abolished it (Ephesians 2:15). He took it out of the way in order to establish His own covenant (Hebrews 10:9). Since we are married to the Christ, it would be a form of spiritual adultery to go back and try to follow the old law at the same time we try to follow His new one (Romans 7:1-4).

So, what do you think, should we encourage people to keep the Ten Commandments today? Today we are under the authority of God’s Son and are supposed to observe all things that He instructs (Matthew 28:18,20). God wants the church to be subject unto the Christ (Ephesians 5:24). Those who have fellowship with the Godhead are those who abide in the teaching of Jesus (2 John 9). Again, when Jesus died, He abolished the old law, including the Ten Commandments.

“But Jesus encouraged people to keep the Ten Commandments.” There are recorded incidents in the life of Jesus that show that He really did teach people to follow them. For instance, He told a rich young ruler, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not bear false witness’ . . .” (Mark 10:17). But, remember when Jesus said that. It was during the time that the old law was still in force. During His public ministry, He also told a leper to present an offering based on what Moses commanded (Mark 1:44). Why? Because Moses’ law was still in effect at that time. If you reason that we should tell folks to keep the Ten Commandments because Jesus encouraged such, then should we also exhort people to offer sacrifices which the old law prescribed?! When the Christ died, He took away the old law – all of it.

“But if we say that we are no longer required to keep the Ten Commandments, then that means that it would be okay to murder, to steal, and do all of the other things that the Ten Commandments forbid people to do.” That is a false conclusion. The New Testament condemns stealing (Ephesians 4:28). Stealing is not wrong because the Ten Commandments said so, but because that is what the gospel teaches. Murder is wrong, but not because of the Ten Commandments. Murder is wrong today because the new covenant says so (Galatians 5:21).

What must a person do in order to be in the right relationship with our Creator? The answer that some suggest is that all one must do is keep the Ten Commandments. There are a great number of folks, in fact, who take comfort in the thought that they keep the Ten Commandments (or at least they think they do). Here are a couple of questions for thought. Can one be saved without believing in Jesus as the Son of God? No – belief in the Christ is essential in order to have eternal life (John 3:14-18). But what do the Ten Commandments teach us about the Deity of Jesus? Not one word. What about the forgiveness of sins? What did the Ten Commandments say about salvation or forgiveness? Again, nothing at all. Thus, it is folly to turn to the Ten Commandments in order to find out what to do in order to be saved and to be in the right relationship with God.

Consider one final matter. The fourth of the Ten Commands was the instruction to keep the Sabbath. That meant that the seventh day of the week (Saturday) was a day in which Israelites were not allowed to work (Exodus 20:8-11). Under the new covenant of God’s Son, there is no such restriction on working on Saturday. The Sabbath law is no longer binding. BY ROGER CAMPBELL

“GOD LOVES YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THAT’S THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!” – MIKE