Faith over Fear 8-Week Challenge: Day 12

Week Three:

The Compelling Truth About Faith vs. Fear:

We live in world where few people are lookin for God, yet, anyone who doesn’t have a relationship with the Savior will under God’s judgment for all eternity. As Christ’s ambassadors, we should be ready share the gospel. There are four key words to help us communicate God’s good news:

Need:

People must first recognize that something is wrong betwen them and God, and it’s not something they can fix on their own.“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord ” Romans 6:23 (NKJV).

Provision:

God sent His Son Jesus to pay the debt we owe for our sins. The challenge is for us to see his provision and care, even when it is different than we expect. Because God is God, his ways are higher than our ways.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV). But He graciously, lovingly and mercifully gives us insight into what he is doing in the Scriptures.

Cost:

For our salvation is free; it​’s a gift for the Lord and it comes without a cost. But is was costly to God, who sacrificed His Son. When firmly anchored in faith, the Christian is well-positioned to guide and inform the world for God’s glory.“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:22-23 (NKJV).

Assuarnce:

When we fear, we are believing lies over His truth. We have been made perfect in His love by the sacrifice of Jesus. Knowing what He paid for us gives us the confidence and hope in Him to believe His Word to be true. When we hear the lies, we will recognize them as such and cast them down, making them obedient to Christ. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” Hebrews 10:22 (NKJV).

Compelling Faith:

There is only way to salvation, and that is by trusting in Jesus. On the basis of this virtual deification of human faith, the purveyors of the word-faith message promise health and wealth to those who exercise faith in their faith rather than faith in their God. As has been well said elsewhere, faith is only as good as the object on which it is placed. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6 (NKJV). Faith, as a Christian, means assurance that God loves us and deeply cares about our thoughts and needs.God desires for our faith to grow, and we are instructed through the Scriptures on how to develop a faith that conquers fears. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through t“he word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NKJV). Studying the Word of God is paramount in building strong faith. To know Him and rely on His direction in our lives, we must seek to understand Scripture. Time with God in prayer and quiet worship also builds a relationship with God and opens our hearts to Him. The Psalmist David could experienced fear first hand and wrote to God in response,“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” Psalm 56:3 (NKJV). The Psalms are a great instruction to those who wish to learn how to cast out their fear with faith. Psalm 119 has excellent examples of how David communicated with God and valued His Word: “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” (v. 10); “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (v. 11); “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (v. 15); “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (v. 105). We can now also see that faith must be built on solid ground. When situations arise that may cause us to feel fear, we can bring it before the Lord, thanking Him for who He is, what He’s done before and telling Him what we need now. He is not bothered by our requests. He is a loving Father that longs to connect with us. It’s in His presence that we find peace.

What does the Bible say about Faith vs. Fear?

Our faith continues to grow as we grow in our understanding of God and as we study His character. God is love. His unconditional love for us casts out any fears we may have. Without trials, faith does not mature or strengthen. God understands our weaknesses and fears, but He also commands us to use trials as opportunities to grow our faith. In Scripture, we see many examples of people who experience adversity and lean on God. Each one of us will experience fearful situations that God is able to walk through with us. We can learn to allow God's Word to saturate our thoughts and use trials as stepping-stones to build greater faith that God is good and will take care of us. As children of God, we are capable of taking hold of the promises that God describes in the Scriptures. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will guide you with My eye” Psalm 32:8 (NKJV).” ​When we experience physical ailments or hardships: “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us”Romans 5:3–5 (NKJV). Fear is our human reaction to the trials that we will face in this life, but God promises us that we can experience peace in every situation. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He wants us to fear what will happen or could happen. But the truth is, God already knows what will happen. We can trust in Him as our Protector. We have no reason to fear, because the Lord promises that He will work it all and every thing out for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father”Romans 8:15 (NKJV). Rather than believing for the worst, we can choose to believe God’s Word that He has our best interest at heart and will act on our behalf.