FREE FROM FEAR Part 24
Before we delve deeper into the principles of the abundant life that is free from fear, I want to take the time today to refresh your memory of all that we have covered so far. In the beginning, we established that fear is not from God and is not for us. The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. 2 Timothy 1:7 Fear is, therefore, a spirit. The spirit of fear produces an electrical and chemical reaction within us that is made possible by a negative perception of life. Fear shows up in the forms of worry, anxiety, depression, fighting for our righteousness, blaming others, the spirit of inferiority and superiority, and the like. The spirit of fear is made possible by believing that your only help comes from self. Trusting in self equals fear; trusting in God equals peace. One of the reasons God does not want us to walk in fear is because it can significantly affect your health in a negative way. Research says that 75-98% of all physical, mental, emotional, and psychological disease comes from stress, which is rooted in fear. We also discussed that fear can put a person at a great disadvantage when it comes to succeeding in any area of life. Fear is not an absence of faith but instead trusting in the wrong thing. Fear is believing in a future negative outcome. Fear always asks, “What if?” While faith always says, “God is.” We determined that fear came into this world through Adam and Eve partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After they had partaken of the tree, they became afraid because of the realization they were naked. What was it that made them realize they were naked? The answer is knowledge. Adam and Eve received the seed of and became intimate with the law of Moses (the law of performance and human effort), the law of self. Receiving the knowledge of good and evil was an act of adultery against God and his love. This thrust Adam and Eve into the world of trusting in self for righteousness and fulfillment.
We also learned that though Adam and Eve were naked before the fall, they were unashamed and felt perfect in God’s sight. We determined that naked speaks of transparency and honesty and complete openness. Before the fall, Adam and Eve lived before God without any form of measurement concerning their righteousness or lack thereof. Therefore, before the fall, they did not make moral decisions. After Adam and Eve partook of the tree, they were immediately bound to a life that depended on their own performance to be right with God. This revelation produced shame, so they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves (the sign of self-righteousness). Because they were now conscious of their sin, Adam and Eve were afraid of punishment and tried to hide from the One who loved them the most.
We also determined that fear has to do with punishment and that the law brings wrath. Through Scripture, we were able to bring about a clear-cut verdict that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that brought fear was, in fact, the law of Moses in consciousness form. We also discovered that there is a higher truth that God has given to us through Jesus Christ to empower us to live the abundant life of heaven, right here on earth. Don’t miss tomorrow because we will discuss a very important spiritual legality that is the determining factor for us entering into the abundant life that is…
FREE FROM FEAR
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