We would like to begin this message with some word
studies, defining and recognizing fear, and what the Word of God say’s about fear.
Web. Fear (fir) n. alarm;
dread; solicitude; anxiety; reverence towards God; v.t. to regard with dread or
apprehension; to anticipate (as a disaster); to hold in awe; v.i. to be afraid;
Biblically – There are several translations of fear in the Word
of God, and they all have there proper places and meanings. First let’s look at one of the most misunderstood expressions
in the Bible, and that is “Fear of God “ there are four basic translations used in the KJV of the Bible
in relation to the Fear of God . They are as follows:
1. HEBREW LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 3374
3374
yir'ah {yir-aw'} * fear (of God), respect, reverence,
piety, revered
2. HEBREW LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 6343
6343 pachad {pakh'-ad} *
terror, dread, object of dread
3. HEBREW LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 3372
3372 yare' {yaw-ray'} * to fear, reverence, honour, respect, to inspire reverence/godly
fear/awe
4. GREEK LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 5401
5401 phobos {fob'-os} * reverence for one's husband
So when reading God’s
word, we can rightly divide the scriptures and put all things in their proper place. Often pachad was used to speak how the enemies of God would feel when they heard of how the Lord would fight for Israel, it put terror and dread into the hearts of men, and made the enemies of God to think twice of opposing
the Lord. But when yirah, yare and phobos are used it speaks of honor, respect
and reverence. This is something that is lacking in many of our churches today. We don’t honor and respect our God,
for he is a holy God, the one true God. If we truly honored and reverenced Him, we would not treat Him or His house the way
we do! We would not make merchandise of His word and programs like we have, we could go on, but you get the point. So to sum
up this portion of the lesson at hand we will say this. To the unbeliever, and disobedient yes the Lord will be a terror and
a dread to you, because of his truth, but to the believer we do not fear him as the world, or unbeliever does, we honor and
respect him, we fear God, but are not afraid of him!
So now that we have studied
the “fear of God”, let’s look at fear itself. Earlier we gave
a Dictionary definition of fear, but let’s now look to the word of God, and see what the Lord has to say.
I JOHN 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out
fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Here the Apostle and writer
is defining fear as torment, and torment is pain and mental anguish. The translation for fear here is also from
the Grk. Word Phobos ; but in the context it means fear, dread, terror; that which strikes terror. Notice that the John is also exhorting
that ‘there is no fear in love’, why? Because God is Love (1Jn. 4:8), and as John goes on to say that perfect
Love casteth out fear, or being perfected in Love (or God) casteth out fear. Now comes the important point of this lesson,
and that is this; fear causes mental anguish, and it is most definitely not of God, it is born of evil, the devil floods the
mind with negative, false un-truths, and lies, his whole purpose is to get us to take out eyes off Jesus, off the Word and
promises of God. Know this that Satan cannot get to the soul of the believer, but the mind is the neutral ground, and that
is what he attacks. That is why throughout the entire Bible, we are constantly being exhorted and reminded to stay in the
Word, to shun vain conversations, to avoid the very appearances of Evil, to not pollute our lives with the things of the World,
and to give no place to the Devil, just to name a few! But sad to say many believers are guilty of the following.
1.
Listening to the council and advice of unbelievers,
especially when it concerns spiritual matters.
2.
Spending little or no time at all in prayer.
3.
Spending little or no time at all in God’s
Word.
4.
Spending more time in front of televisions or
other media than with the Lord, and the things we take in are not of God, not biblically sound and full of corruption and
lies. We are polluting our minds. Garbage in, garbage out, we are what we live.
5.
Speaking things we should not, being negative,
by doing so we make God and his Word out to be a lie.
6.
Allowing fear and torment to overcome us.
These are just a few of the many things that are happening to believers,
now lets see what the word of God has to say.
PSALMS 1:1-3
1 ¶ Blessed [is] the man that walketh not
in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also
shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
II TIMOTHY 2:15,16
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more
ungodliness.
I THESSALONIANS 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
EPHESIANS 4:27
Neither give place
to the devil.
EPHESIANS 4:29
Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the
use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
MATTHEW 5:37
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay,
nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8
8 Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are]
pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be]
any praise, think on these things.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5
5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus:
So finally, how do we free ourselves from fear? First as a believer
as God to forgive you for your lack of trust, and unbelief, and for allowing the enemy to pollute you mind, and your thought
processes. Re consecrate and dedicate our selves Body, soul and spirit unto the Lord and his purpose, the begin to flood our
mind with scriptural promises and truths, listen to and join in praise unto the Lord, with good Christian bible based music,
and pray often. By doing these things we are ingesting good spiritual truths, and drawing nigh unto the Lord, then our faith
will build up once again, and we will not fear as the world fears, but reverence, respect and honor the Lord.
Sincerely,
B.C.M.
