Faith Or Fear – Part 1

This week, Michael writes that living life is a series of choices. These choices are either fear-based or faith-based. God never honors fear. He always honors faith. According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” Faith is the blessed assurance in the object of faith. According to Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path.”

The Apostle Thomas learned this lesson after the resurrection. Jesus had appeared to the other disciples and they said to him, “we’ve seen the risen Christ.”  Thomas replied, “I won’t believe until I put my finger in his nail prints and feel the wound in his side.” Eight days later, Jesus appeared to the twelve and said to Thomas, “Reach for my hand and examine the nail prints.  Put your hand in my side and be not unbelieving (without faith) but believe.” Then Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “You believed because you saw me.  Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe.”

Without God, men and women put their faith in their own abilities and their own performance. They live for their own accomplishments and the praise of others. However, according to Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Not of works lest any man should boast.” The devil’s ploy is to distract our attention away from trusting in the Lord. The most frequent command in the Bible is, “Fear not.”  According to Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” To resolve a crisis of fear, we must pray as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but thine be done.”  

Former Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden said that he and his family had attended an old fashioned Revival. The evangelist had a 2” x 4” plank on the stage, pointed to Bobby and said, “would you walk across this board?” Bowden answered, “of course”. The evangelist then said, “If I took this plank and placed it to between the Twin Towers, would you walk across it?”  Bobby replied, “Of course not.” Then the evangelist said, “If I dangled your child over the edge of the tower, and said, I’ll drop your child if you don’t walk across, then would you walk the plank?”  Bowden thought for a moment and said, “Which child?”  Joking aside, the evangelist’s point was: Do we value life on earth more than we value life in heaven? What does it take to conquer fear and walk by faith? A wise man once said, “People fear death like children fear the dark.”   

Let's continue Michael's message on "Faith or Fear" in the next post.
In Christ, Brian