View this email in your browser. Subscribe to receive your own copy of our twice-weekly devotional.
Hello , Are You Fearful? "But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear," Luke 12:5, NLT."For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline," 2 Timothy 1:7, NLT.
1. Fear Him! There is cause for fear in this old world. Bad events surround us. They encroach on our sense of well-being. But, there's another sense in which fear is used. It's spiritual fear. Anyone living a sinful life has reason to fear. That is, to fear God. Why? He has the power to cast lost souls into hell. You may be living in fear right now. You might feel the consequences of your sin, of all the sins you've ever committed, and the sins you're committing now. It's a horrible feeling for sure. A "punctured" conscience takes its toll on your psyche. Oh, if you're living fearfully right now from physical events, you need to learn to trust God for every iota of life. See Proverbs 3:5-6.
2. Wait! What? On the one hand, I'm to live in fear of God; next, I'm not to fear. Which is it? The soul given to God need never fear divine punishment. All sins are washed away in baptism - an act of dying, burial, and resurrection conforming to Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. The soul is clean before God. He accepts you. You're His child. You're in an extraordinary relationship with Him. He is your Father. He provides, protects, and promises eternal bliss in heaven. No shame, no fear. Love, total acceptance.There's no reason for spiritual fear, no reason for timidness, there's every reason for feeling loved, a sense of power knowing the promised resurrection, and an understanding of self-control.3. Love! Perfect love casts out fear, 1 John 4:18. "Perfect" is often used in the Bible to denote complete. Complete, perfect love casts out fear. What's left is this awesome sense of peace. It's a peace that is sure of its place before God and content in life. This is the spark of Christianity every soul wants! We want the peace, the relationship Adam had with God. It's the feeling of being truly alive in God.Tip: follow the trail of love in the Bible.Prayer: Heavenly Father, You give so much to Adam's race. You're perfect love, care, mercy, and compassion. These are beyond our capacity for understanding. We have and live in peace with You, which gives life's fullest richness to our hearts. We do not have adequate words to thank You. Would you please listen to our hearts? They speak of the glory we give to You, O God. Blessings, Father. Blessings. In Your Son's blessed name, amen.
This message is from Garland Van Dyke at Bible Points!Matthews St. church of ChristPO Box 1522, Bay City, TX 774141915 Matthews Street, Bay City, TX 77414(979) 318-2463www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist.com facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchristWant your own copy of our devotional in your inbox? biblepoints.org/bible-points(It's twice weekly and we don't bombard you with stuff!)
