How can Christians overcome the fear and anxiety of living in an increasingly dangerous world?
No Condemnation
How can Christians overcome the fear and anxiety of living in an increasingly dangerous world? Why not start with something from God’s Word and a promise that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”(2 Tim 1:7)? What do we have to fear anymore since Jesus Christ had the wrath of God we deserved placed upon Him at Calvary, so “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 9:1). We know that no one “nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 9:39b). If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31)?
Secure in His Hand
Jesus’ promise to be with the disciples to the end wasn’t just for them (Matt 28:20). These promises are for us too. God says “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5b). God is faithful and cannot fail to keep His promises. Every one of His great and precious promises has never failed, nor will those fail which speak of our future. The Apostle Paul could confidently say, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). God never breaks any promise and His promise is that He “is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude 1:24). We are not able of ourselves, but He is. Jesus said in regards to our security, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). Think anyone can snatch us out of God’s hand? The answer is obviously no!
Love Conquers Fear
Since God has placed His love upon you if you have trusted in His Son, Jesus Christ, you have no reason to fear. The Apostle John says “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” (1 John 4:18). God’s perfect love, displayed through Jesus Christ on the cross, takes all fear of punishment away. We no longer have the wrath of God abiding on us like we once had (Rom 2), so what’s to fear? If we die, we are with the Lord. If we live on, we serve the Lord. Either way, we are with the Lord in once sense or another. We are born from above by an act of God (John 3:3-7; Eph 2:1-5) and God has no aborted children!
Fear of the Lord
Fear is actually healthy in most cases. It can keep us from getting hurt and prevent us from taking risks that we shouldn’t take. A healthy fear can save our lives. Another fear that is actually very good is the fear of the Lord. We cannot even have God’s wisdom until we first fear the Lord (Prov 1:7). The fear I speak of is not a terror-filled life where you fear God’s going to strike you dead at any moment or cast you into hell. The fear of the Lord is a deep reverence, respect and value in the Word of God and in God Himself. What is the fear of the Lord? Solomon says, “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil” (Prov 8:13). The fear of the Lord shows up in obedience to the Lord and His written Word. This is the best fear to have; fearing God and keeping His commandments.
A Healthy Fear
Another fear to take notice of is the fear of an eternal hell for those who refuse to repent and believe the gospel as Jesus said (Mark 1:15). Jesus warned the unrepentant by saying, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). Here’s the One to fear. Our Lord said, “I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him”Luke 12:5)! The “him” our Lord is referring to is God and this fear is realized on Judgment Day (Dan 12:1-3; Rev 20:12-15). Fear God today or fear the future judgment tomorrow (Rev 21:8). The religious leaders feared the people more than God (20:19), thus they had it backwards. Let us fear God then we have no reason to fear man.
Seated With Christ
God did not save you just to lose you again (Rom 8:35-39). Even if we die a tragic death, it’s only the next step into an eternal kingdom where death will be no more (Rev 21:1-5). The Apostle Paul said, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8). A new world is coming; a new Kingdom from above, so why would we fear anything anymore after we’ve trusted in Jesus Christ? Whether we die or we are alive at Jesus’ return, He has already “raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6).
Conclusion
Incidentally, I pray you have put your trust in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but if that has not happened yet, you have good reason to fear. You are in real mortal danger of hell fire right now as you read this. Like all human beings, you are one breath, one heartbeat…one accident away from eternity when it will be too late to repent. This is why today is the best day to believe (2 Cor 6:2) because tomorrow is no guarantee. I plead with you as you read this, repent today and put your trust in Jesus Christ and you will be saved and receive eternal life. If you do not, you will face God’s judgment after your death (Heb 9:27) or at the second coming of Jesus Christ (Rev 20:12-15), which might even come today!
