It is by practicing and maintaining good works that we can be effective for the Lord.

Titus And The Importance Of Good Works

That’s the book of Titus – a personal (yet God-inspired) letter written by Paul to Titus, one of his dear companions in Christian service. They had traveled together to the island of Crete, and Paul had left Titus there so he could “set in order the things that are lacking” (1:5, nkjv) among the Cretan churches. This must have been a daunting task, because even the Cretans’ own classical writings described them as “liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons,” to which Paul added, “This testimony is true” (1:12-13).1

What could possibly be the focus for Christian living in a society like that? The answer is found in the remainder of Paul’s letter, as he outlines what Titus should emphasize while living in Crete. Many important teachings are presented in this short book; but overall, a key part of that answer is this: Crete needed believers in Christ who were energized by the desire to carry out good works.

Getting Started

The phrase “good works” appears six times in Titus. Rather than going through them one at a time, however, we will consider how they fit together into the overall message of the book. Therefore, the first reference we must examine brings us to a different phrase, one used in Titus 3:5. There, Scripture presents the only gate which allows entrance to the path of salvation: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”

This is foundational. While good works are highlighted in other parts of Titus, it is necessary for us to realize that God takes no account of them when it comes to salvation; that is all a matter of His mercy, His cleansing, His regeneration, and His grace. If you are a reader who anticipates that your good deeds will satisfy God on their own merits, stop reading here! Instead, pick up a Bible, and slowly read Titus 3:3-7 over and over again. It is essential to realize that, if this portion is the gate, any attempts to enter the Christian pathway through the good works mentioned elsewhere are as futile as trying to enter a room by climbing the wall rather than using the door.

Three Circles Of Life

Although we cannot please God except by first trusting Christ through “the kindness and love of God our Savior” (3:4), it would be equally wrong if we used the correct gate but then ignored the signs all along the pathway instructing us in good works. The book of Titus indicates that these works should be present in all aspects of a Christian’s life. These areas are summarized in three main categories.

€ The Family Circle: In chapter 2, Titus is told to provide a variety of lifestyle instructions to family members, such as being reverent, sober-minded, loving, and patient. Specifically, he was to address the older and younger men himself; he was also to teach the older women these things, while asking them to teach the younger women about discretion, chastity, and care for their households.2 Now, here comes the key: Titus was to instruct others in all these areas while showing himself to be a “pattern of good works” (2:7). That is, all of these family-oriented issues were to be presented in that context. God expects good works to be produced in the family – not just in some nebulous, undefined way, but in specific areas that will prevent difficulties in those relationships.

€ The Business Circle: Slaves are addressed next in Titus 2, and although we today are not owned by masters in our workplace settings, we must still take these instructions for ourselves. Workers are told to be obedient and submissive to their supervisors, acting honestly and without theft. The glorious review of the grace of God that follows is in this context. That review takes us from the day we first trusted Christ, “the grace of God that brings salvation” (2:11), to the day Christ comes again as universal Lord, “the glorious appearing” (2:13). But then, we are reminded that Christ’s sacrifice has “redeemed us from every lawless deed” – deeds which the workers of verse 10 were just warned against. Instead of committing those acts, we have been purified by Christ to become His own people, “zealous of good works” (2:14). We can thus see the connection between being honest, dependable workers and being active in good works, with the sacrifice of Christ again paving the way.

€ The Social Circle: This circle encompasses our position as members of whichever society and country we live in, taking in our relations with the highest governmental authorities as well as our everyday contacts with neighbors. Titus 3 begins by teaching obedience and submission to government and then moves on to expectations of gentleness and humility to all people. Sandwiched between these thoughts is the instruction, “Be ready for every good work” (3:1). Paul doesn’t say, “Be ready for every chance to witness to unbelievers,” or, “Be ready for any opportunity to correct evil,” although other Scriptures certainly provide principles along these lines, too. But (perhaps especially) because these believers lived in the degraded society of Crete, it’s as though they might not win the right to be heard if their words were not accompanied by lifestyles of good works.

Surely the same is true for us. The Lord Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). Good works are used as a means for pointing others to God and to heaven.

A Defense Of Good Works

In addition to considering these three circles, the letter to Titus brings out the way in which good works are an energetic, yet calm defense against evil. We have already considered the general characterization of Cretan society in Titus 1:12; but that chapter also paints the dark picture of subversive deceivers in particular, especially those of a Jewish background who stirred up useless arguments in order to distract others from the truth (1:10,11,14; 3:9). Titus was to view these influences as coming from unbelievers who were “abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work” (1:16).

These people would be a real challenge to Titus’ teachings of good works, because their efforts would produce exactly the opposite result. Therefore, in Paul’s last two references to “good works,” he emphasizes consistency. Consider the thoughts in these two verses: “These things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men … Learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they (believers) may not be unfruitful” (3:8,14).

Notice the use of the word “maintain” in both instances. It is not enough to think about good works now and then. They are part of our arsenal in the ongoing battle against the enemy, and they must not be given up! Those deceivers want to influence people’s souls just as much as true believers do, and they are very persistent and persuasive. It is by practicing and maintaining good works that we can be effective for the Lord.

Defining Good Works

In this context, we must inquire what is meant by “good works.” Certainly, some meaning has already been given to the term by the specific examples considered: love, patience, honesty, submission, gentleness, humility, and so on. Further light is shed on the idea by the verses just quoted: Good works are profitable to others (3:8) and meet urgent needs (3:14). If you tell me about your family’s need for food, I will have missed the point if I just listen with patience. I ought to see a chance to serve God by helping to meet your need somehow. This can then be used as an opportunity for me to share the personal interest God Himself takes in meeting even the deepest heart-needs of others.

Overall, we might say that good works – the fruit suggested by Titus 3:14 – are present when we are acting like the Lord Jesus. Of no other individual could God have said, “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!” (Mt. 12:18). But when attached to Him like branches on a vine, we produce qualities in our lives which imitate Him, because then life and energy are flowing from His own character (Jn. 15:4-5). What a high calling! Yet the entire Godhead stands ready to work in our lives to produce such a result (Jn. 15:1,5; Gal. 5:22).

Where Will You Begin?

There seem to be many parallels between Titus and ourselves. We have been left here by the consummate Teacher, the Lord Jesus, to represent Him in a dark world populated by a “crooked and perverse generation” (Phil. 2:15). In that world we, too, have families, business contacts, and neighbors. The subversive efforts of the enemy in those areas seem never-ending. But if God placed us here, then there must be some way to be successful for Him – and there is. He has already prepared good works all along our path (Eph. 2:10), like brightly colored flowers strewn here and there along a trail. It remains for us to notice and pick up each one as we arrive upon it, using each good work to point someone to God’s interests and God’s glory. Will you do it?

END NOTES

1. These sharp words of v. 12 were written around 600 B.C. by the poet Epimenides. (MacDonald, W. (1995), Believer’s Bible Commentary, Atlanta: Thomas Nelson Publishers, p. 2138.)

2. It is notable that Titus himself didn’t teach the younger women these things. No doubt, doing so could have placed him in inappropriate situations with them; these were topics more suitably addressed by older sisters than by a younger brother. Of course, brothers can certainly speak publicly of these principles too, but the personal application of them should be followed up and helped along by the encouragement of older sisters.

By Stephen Campbell

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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It was a godly fear that caused Noah to take God at His Word and build the ark.

FEAR OF THE LORD:

A Fear Worth Having

The Bible tells us that “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever” (Ps. 19:9 NKJV). It is therefore not a temporary fear. We are also told that it is “the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10). This fear is not to be found in the ungodly. In his analysis of them, Paul concludes his description with the statement: ‘“There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:18). Believers today often find themselves surrounded by ungodly people who have no fear of God.

The first time that fear is mentioned in the Bible is in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve hid themselves among the trees of the garden because they were afraid (Gen. 3:8-10). They had disobeyed their Creator and felt ashamed of facing Him. Years later the nation of Israel stood beneath Mount Sinai as God communed with Moses. The thunder and lightning, the cloud, the earthquake and the trumpet’s blast filled the people with fear. Like Adam, they did not want to meet with God or hear His voice (Ex. 19:16; 20:18-19).

Although these are Old Testament incidents, God has not changed. The Lord Jesus said that God is to be feared because of His awesome power by which He can “cast into Hell” (Lk. 12:5). When we think about “the fear of the Lord” however, we must not think simply in terms of being afraid. This God, who is “a consuming fire” wants our service. In order to serve Him acceptably, with reverence and godly fear, we need grace (Heb. 12:28-29). “Fear of the Lord” is therefore not a cringing fear that drives us far from Him but is reverence for One who is so great. Without such godly fear we cannot serve God acceptably.

Frequently in Scripture fearing the Lord is contrasted with the worship of idols. The people of Israel were to “fear the Lord” and serve Him rather than the gods of the surrounding nations (Dt. 6:13-14). Idols are the product of man’s imagination and are unable to help anyone. Instead, Israel was to “trust in the Lord,” the One who was “their help and their shield” (Ps. 115:4-9). Fearing the Lord is therefore closely connected with trusting in Him, and it results in experiencing His blessing (Ps. 115:11,13).

Fear Required

Shortly before his death, Moses reasoned with the people of Israel and summarized the divine requirement in this way: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Dt. 10:12). According to 2 Samuel 23:3-4, a king, as leader of the people, had to display this fear of God as he ruled, and Solomon, in his conclusion to the book of Ecclesiastes wrote that the duty of all mankind is to “fear God and keep His commandments” (Eccl. 12:13).

Preachers who proclaimed God’s Word to His people frequently stressed the importance of fearing the Lord. Joshua, in his closing address, reminded the Israelites of God’s goodness and challenged them to “fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth” (Josh. 24:14). Samuel exhorted the people similarly to “fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart” (1 Sam. 12:24).

The Way To Blessing

“The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him” (Ps. 147:11). Indeed, every one who fears Him is declared “blessed” (Ps. 128:1). Solomon assures us that it will be well with those who fear God (Eccl. 8:12), and the Hebrew midwives who “feared God” rather than Pharaoh, and refused to kill the newborn baby boys, experienced God’s blessing themselves (Ex. 1:15-21).

In the New Testament we read about a devout man named Cornelius, whose earnest prayers were answered through Peter’s visit and the accompanying blessing of God that came to his household. All this can be traced back to the fact that he “feared God” (Acts 10:2). Truly, “the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Ps. 25:14). We can read of many individuals in Scripture who enjoyed close fellowship with the Lord and were given a special revelation of His purposes because they feared Him.

Shortly after Saul’s conversion it was noted that God was blessing the Church and building up His people because they were walking in the fear of the Lord (Acts 9:31). God-fearing believers can rejoice in the near presence of the angel of the Lord and can experience His deliverance (Ps. 34:7). It is certain that the only way to know the Lord’s blessing is to fear Him. His great desire is that His people might fear Him and obey Him, so that it might be well with them (Dt. 5:29).

Results Of Fearing The Lord

We have already noted the connection between fearing the Lord and obeying Him. A number of other results of fearing the Lord are described in God’s Word. One of these is praise. When the people of Israel saw how the Lord had defeated the Egyptians at the Red Sea, they “feared the Lord” (Ex. 14:31). Moments later we find them breaking forth into a song of praise to celebrate the Lord’s mighty triumph over their enemy (Ex. 15:1).

Another feature to be noted in connection with this is unity in fellowship. The author of the longest Psalm was obviously a God-fearing person, for he wrote: “They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word” (Ps. 119:74 kjv). Those who truly fear the Lord are glad when they meet other believers who fear Him too. Godly Nehemiah was motivated by “the fear of God” and recognized its importance in the fellowship of God’s people, (Neh. 5:9,15). He entrusted Hananiah with a special responsibility because he knew that he “feared God more than many” (Neh. 7:2). At the close of the Old Testament the Lord took special note of those who feared Him, thought upon His name and spoke often to one another about Him, (Mal. 3:16). How necessary it is today to seek the fellowship of like-minded believers who fear the Lord and are intent on pleasing Him.

If we want to obey God we will be careful to avoid the things that do not please Him. Joseph feared God (Gen. 42:18) and therefore refused the seductions of Potiphar’s wife. To have responded to her invitation would have caused Joseph to “sin against God” (Gen. 39:9). It was the fear of the Lord that kept him from sinning. This is another result of fearing the Lord, and Joseph’s example illustrates well the exhortation: “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Prov. 3:7).

Very Practical

Joseph’s experience shows us that fearing the Lord is not merely an academic activity. It has profound practical effects in our lives. It was a godly fear that caused Noah to take God at His Word and build the ark, thus providing a means of salvation for his whole family (Heb. 11:7). The fear of the Lord is important in our service too. From the days of his youth Obadiah had “feared the Lord greatly.” As a result, he cared for the endangered prophets of God and provided food for a hundred of them hidden in two caves (1 Ki. 18:3-4,12).

Those who fear the Lord are patient and ready to wait for God’s time. When David was presented with an opportunity to kill Saul, his enemy, he would not. Saul was still “the Lord’s anointed,” and David recognized that God would remove him in His own time (1 Sam. 24:4-6).

The practical nature of fearing the Lord should be seen in the workplace where employees obey their employers and serve them well, “fearing God” (Col. 3:22). Daily employment must be carried out recognizing that the Lord is watching what we do, and all our work must be done as unto Him (Col. 3:23).

Much More

The writer of Hebrews could have given more examples of faith but time did not allow it (Heb. 11:32). Similarly, the fear of the Lord is a vast subject that deserves more extensive treatment than this short article can give. As God’s children we need to learn constantly about “the fear of the Lord.” It will affect our speech and our behavior, keeping us from the paths of sin and leading us in a right way that pleases the Lord (Ps. 34:11-14). Interestingly, this same Psalm speaks of the Lord delivering His people from all their fears, (Ps. 34:4). The words of Tate and Brady’s famous hymn might be a fitting conclusion to our consideration of this topic:

Fear Him ye saints; and you will then

Have nothing else to fear;

Make you His service your delight,

Your wants shall be His care.

By Martin Girard

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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TAFJ October 2009 Evangelistic Fiesta at the LWUA Multi-purpose covered court, Balara, Q.C.

Six Steps To Building A Better Home

1. Firm Foundation For The Home
I believe that the foundation of a building determines the stability of that structure. The Lord Jesus is the only firm foundation. He is also the master builder of every relationship: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (Ps. 127:1). The Lord has set His approval on marriage: “Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man” (Gen. 2:22).

It is vital that we who have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord be conscious of our solid foundation, and be rooted and grounded in His love so that we will not be shaken by the enemy’s attacks. Through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to love each other fervently.

2. Fervent Family Prayer
I am convinced that God has answered the prayers of my parents on my behalf. There must be frequent and fervent communication in prayer with our precious Lord for our marriage and our children. If our children are not saved, we ought to be in fervent prayer for their salvation. If our children are trapped in any sort of addiction, we need to fast and pray that God will break every bondage and set them free.

Husbands need to be in harmonious fellowship with their wives, so that they can pray together and confidently commit their children to God. Peter exhorts husbands: “Likewise you husbands, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7). The whole family should pray together as often as possible. There ought to be honest communication with the Lord and with each other in the family.

3. Faithful Reading of the Word
We must not only communicate with God, but we must also allow Him to communicate with us. It is not how much we get into the Word, but how much the Word gets into us and into our daily living that counts. Paul reminds us to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). As we allow the word of God to govern our attitude and approach, we can encourage each other in the family.

4. Filling of the Spirit
I believe that selfishness is one of the major problems affecting marital and family relationships. Any time self is enthroned in our hearts, problems will result in the home. In Ephesians 5, Paul addresses not only the church, but homes and families as well. He commands us: “Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). We must dethrone self and enthrone Christ. Then we will not be filled with self, but with the Holy Spirit – and able to yield our thoughts, temper, tongue and temple fully to the Lordship of Christ.

After commanding us to be filled with the Spirit, Paul then exhorts wives to submit to their husbands, husbands to love their wives, and children to obey and honor their parents (Eph. 5:22-33; 6:1-2). One loving deed done through the Holy Spirit is better than a thousand good intentions of the flesh. When the fruit of the Spirit is displayed in the family, harmony and joy will follow.

5. Full Contentment in the Home
When we are discontent, enough will never be enough. Sometimes we can worry so much that we don’t even enjoy what we have. After the writer in Hebrews speaks of marriage as being honorable, he goes on to say, “Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5). It is often said “Little is much when God is in it.”

6. Favored Responsibility in The Home
God has favored the home with children. As parents, we should perceive our children as gifts from God whom He has entrusted to our care. In these trying times of peer pressure and rebellion, it is quite a challenge to teach and train our children. However, God has not only given us the foundation, but also the formula for maintaining healthy family relationships. “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth” (Ps. 127:4).

It is interesting that arrows are likened to children. The flight, direction and effect of an arrow depend on the way the arrow is polished, pointed and poised. Therefore, we must begin at a very early age to show affection and authority in setting emotional and disciplinary boundaries. We need to teach our children the Word of God, but we must go beyond teaching to training them. Training involves example, instruction, and discipline. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). We can have better Christian homes if we work at these six important steps.

By Emanuel John

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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Four Dimensions Of Submission

The idea of submission is not very popular today, yet for the Christian it should be a way of life. Still, the human nature in each one of us wants to “do its own thing.” Why can’t we?

Submission pertains to authority. Authority means “having rule or control over.” Submission is simply yielding to that authority (or to the will of another). Christ is the perfect example of submission – both to the Father’s will in going to the cross (Mt. 26:39), and also to the human abuse of a trial, beatings and crucifixion (Mt. 26:57; 27:2,26).

How was Christ able to submit to the Father’s will and man’s abuse, when it required Him to deal with sin – something so foreign to His divine nature? Submission requires humility. One’s own will must not interfere with his doing the will of another. Again, Christ is the perfect example: “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8 nkjv).

Is this attitude natural? No! Wanting to do our own thing is natural. Rather than submit, we rebel. Rebellion is the rejection of authority, and it began long ago. Isaiah 14:12-15 describes Satan lifting himself up to God’s level and throwing off God’s authority. Of course God acted swiftly in judgment, casting Satan out of His presence. Rebellion is the outgrowth of pride. Humility and submission go together; so do pride and rebellion.

What’s so bad about a little rebellion? Don’t we all go through a rebellious stage? Maybe so, but listen to God’s opinion of it: “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23). The Old Testament method of handling a rebellious son was simple: stone him to death (Dt. 21:18-21)!

The new nature is of Christ – divine and holy – leading us in a path of humility and submission to God’s will. We are encouraged to have Christ’s attitude (Phil. 2:5-8). The old nature is of Satan, sinful and deceitful (Jn. 8:44), leading us in a path of pride and rebellion, resisting God’s will. Which path will you follow? If we have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20) our desire should be for “things above, where Christ is” (Col. 3:1-3).

Let’s look at four dimensions of submission: divine, family, church and civil, as they are presented in the Bible.

1. The Divine Dimension
According to James 4:7, we are to “submit to God” (as children, since He is our Father). This seems reasonable enough, since He is the ultimate authority. Even Christ comes under God’s headship (1 Cor. 11:3). But there is more. Only in submitting to God can we fulfill the rest of the verse, which tells us to “resist the devil.” “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). He far outclasses and overpowers us in strength, trying to destroy us. Yet we can actually resist him by a force stronger than Satan himself – the power of God. We must be in step with God (in His will) in order to avail ourselves of His divine power. You see, every directive from God our Father is for a purpose, and is for His good as well as our own. He loves us!

Furthermore, we are to be subject to Christ as head of the body, His Church: “Christ is head of the Church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore … the Church is subject to Christ” (Eph. 5:23-24). The corporate aspect is stressed here – all believers functioning as one body. But individual responsibility is not ignored, especially since the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. Only as we (as individuals) submit to the will of Christ on earth, can we (as the Church) show His love and glory to a dying world. Already, this first dimension has ruled out the privilege of “doing our own thing.” We have a greater privilege – doing His thing!

2. The Family Dimension
From the divine aspect, submission takes a giant leap right into the middle of our closest relationships of everyday life. These truths are not popular today, but are still the way of blessing for believers – and even for unbelievers! Wives are to be subject to their own husbands. Ephesians 5:22-24 mentions this twice. Is God trying to tell us something?

Verse 22 tells the wife to submit “as to the Lord.” For the Christian wife, this presupposes that she has already submitted to the Lord. The feminist movement does not support this, but then the movement doesn’t really bring satisfaction and fulfillment either, as many women are realizing. God’s formula guarantees both, as faithful wives can attest.

Between directives for the wife to submit, the husband is mentioned as her head, but in the context of Christ being his head. If the husband is submitted to Christ, and loves, understands and honors his wife (Eph. 5:25; 1 Pet. 3:7), submission will be his wife’s response. How could she resist?

This foundation being set in the home, the children are told to submit to their parents (Eph. 6:1). Why? Because children can benefit from their parents’ experience. They can benefit from mom’s example of submission to dad, and of both parents’ to the Lord. They don’t have to make the same mistakes their parents did! Early training in submission is invaluable, since all of life will be lived under someone’s authority. A child who never learns to submit becomes a selfish, stubborn, unhappy adult. A girl who doesn’t submit to her parents will have difficulty submitting to the Lord and her husband. A boy who can’t submit to his parents will have a problem submitting to the Lord and being a good husband.

3. The Church Dimension
The third dimension of submission widens out from the immediate family to the Christian family. According to Scripture, young believers are to submit to older believers (1 Pet. 5:5). Once again, the young can learn from those with more experience. How wonderful when youthful enthusiasm can be guided by wise, older Christians, both working together!

In assembly, women are to be in submission. What sense does that make? Well, man is God’s representative here on earth, with woman as his helper (Gen. 2:18); therefore the woman is to be in submission to the man, not only in the home, but also in assembly around the Lord Jesus (1 Tim. 2:11,12; 1 Cor. 11:3). Notice these Scriptures say man and woman, not husband and wife: unmarried women are also included. This is God’s order!

Last of all, as believers we are to submit to each other (Eph. 5:21). Actually, this verse comes first! Is this contradictory? How can the husband submit to his wife, and the parents to their children, when other verses say the opposite? Because the idea here is the submission of wills, not position. For example, a husband and father may submit to the desires of his family as to choice of restaurants. In submitting, he is not relinquishing his headship in the family; he is still in authority, but he is sensitive to their feelings. We have a Father like that, don’t we?

4. The Civil Dimension
Last of all is submission to other authority. Servants (employees, students, etc.) are to submit to their masters (employers, teachers, etc.) willingly and respectfully, as if serving Christ Himself (Eph. 6:5-8). The Lord will reward anyone for doing good (v. 8), and our employer will notice and appreciate our efforts. When I was in the army, we were told that the “conscientious objectors” (many of whom were Christians) were among the best soldiers because of their conviction and dedication. We can be a good testimony for the Lord by serving our masters wholeheartedly.

Finally, we are to subject ourselves to governmental authority, since it is ordained by God (Rom. 13:1-2). Unless the government forces us to disobey God, God expects us to obey the government. Those who resist are resisting God’s authority, and will reap judgment (v. 2). He does not make exceptions, even under the guise of “serving Him.”

It seems that the biggest struggle comes not in this dimension, but in the first, with God’s will, which often seems intimidating and unappealing. A young lady said to an evangelist: “If I give myself wholly to the Lord, I’m afraid He’ll send me to the mission field where I’ll be miserable.” Years later they met again, and she told him, with a glowing face, “God called me to the mission field, and my heart is filled with joy!” She had learned the meaning of submission, and couldn’t have been happier.

How about you? Do you dare to submit yourself entirely to God’s will? Don’t be afraid to entrust your welfare to One who knows not only what is best for you, but also what will make you happy and bring glory to Himself!

By Tim Van Ryn

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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God Is Bigger Than Your Goliath!

“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37 NIV

Today many of God’s children are still living like these faithless Israelites. They tend to focus their attention on their problems rather than looking up to the all-powerful God who can do all things.

What about you? Is your entire life governed by sickness? Are you sunk in financial difficulty? Is your marriage childless? Is your marriage on a sick bed? Is your life filled with uncertainty? I want you to see these problems as nothing more than empty threats from the devil.

Don’t look at the size of your problems, look up to the God who is bigger than all your problems. He is willing, ready and able to help you overcome your difficulties and fill your whole life with peace and joy. But not until you make Him the object of your focus.

The Bible says that you should “cast all your anxiety on Jesus because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). Don’t let yourself get swallowed up by your problems. Take the bold step of faith that David took and stand up against the devil: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (Jas. 4:7).

Don’t panic when the devil threatens. Instead, call heaven and God will always be there to pick up the phone: “Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jer. 33:3). Take God at His word: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Num. 23:19).

Every child of God has been empowered from above to put the devil right where he belongs. You have no business fearing your Goliaths the way the Israelites feared him: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4). “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Eph. 6:16). Be like David. Do away with Goliath and get on with the victorious life!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Simon Amos Dakop is a degree candidate for the higher national diploma in laboratory technology in the Federal PolyTechnic College in Bauchi, Nigeria.

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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To the question, “What would Jesus do?”

The Holy Spirit Is The Answer!

Supernatural Resources
Among the mighty provisions He left them are His example-reinforced command that they should love and serve one another selflessly (Jn. 13), the promise of His return to take them home with Him (Jn. 14:3), an immediate and intimate relationship with His own Holy Father – even the conscious indwelling of both Father and Son by the Spirit (Jn. 14:23), immediate “hot-line” access to the Father through prayer (Jn. 14:12-14; 15:7,16; 16:23-27), the Word (Jn. 17:8,14,17), and a wonderful preview of His present tender intercession for His own (Jn. 17).

But, if it is possible to consider one of His provisions greater or more important than another, that one would be His gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell, accompany forever and mightily empower the lives and ministry here on earth of His followers. “Without Me you can do nothing,” He plainly told them in John 15:5 (niv). Yet He was leaving them. The Holy Spirit is the personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ in the life of His Church and of individual believers during His physical absence.

No passage in the New Testament could be more relevant for us as Jesus’ loyal followers in a hostile world today than these chapters in John’s gospel. Our situation is exactly what the Lord anticipated for the twelve when He left them. A hostile world, a despised and rejected Lord and Savior, our need for supernatural resources – all the elements that made up the post-Ascension scenario are present today.

And the Holy Spirit whom our Savior requested and whom His Father sent on Pentecost is still here. He will be with us forever, Jesus promised (14:16). In a very real way we can say that the Holy Spirit of the first century a.d. is the same Holy Spirit today. Nothing has changed – except perhaps the enthusiasm of Christians.

WWJD?
The currently popular question among Christians, “What Would Jesus Do?” is best answered by the presence of the Holy Spirit Himself with and in us (Jn. 14:16). It’s not up to us to imagine or invent the probable action of Jesus in a given situation. We have His personal representative to enlighten and guide us! We can learn much about what Jesus would do and what we ought to do by studying His behavior and reactions while He was here on earth. The Holy Spirit is both the means to discern Jesus’ behavior in the Scriptures and the desire and capacity to do the right thing. Jesus promised this: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit … will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (Jn. 14:26). He also said, “He will testify about Me” (Jn. 15:26). Finally, He summarized the Spirit’s work in our lives this way: “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth … He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you” (Jn. 16:12-14).

Paul wrote to the Philippians that “God … works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil. 2:13). He is able to do that, of course, because He is present within us in the person of the Holy Spirit, a powerful and unfailing means to know what Jesus would do – and what He wants us to do – in any situation.

To the Corinthians Paul also wrote that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Again, it is the active presence of the Holy Spirit within us equipping and enabling us to think God’s thoughts. Isaiah reminds us that God’s ways and thoughts are infinitely above our own (Is. 55:8-9), but Paul, as if responding to that humanly unbridgeable gap between God’s thoughts and our own, says, “but God has revealed them to us by His Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:10).

The Miracle Of Indwelling
The powerful presence within us of the very Spirit of God is a miracle that God Himself longed for centuries to perform. He anticipated it in Ezekiel while grieving over Israel’s disciplinary exile for their perpetual disobedience and repeated idolatries: “I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezek. 36:24-27).

Jesus refers to this cleansing and Spirit-rebirth in John 3, expressing surprise at Nicodemus’ ignorance of it (Jn. 3:10). God longs for the final, permanent solution of the problem of the human tendency to sin by implanting His own Spirit in the human person. But it could take place only on the basis of the finished work of Christ. Israel, the nation, still awaits that regeneration. How blessed we are to have it now!

Since “we have the mind of Christ” (the capacity of the Spirit of Christ) active within us, we can “be transformed by the renewing of our mind” (Rom. 12:2). It is not a matter of striving to do what Jesus would do in specific situations, but of being motivated in all our behavior, actions and reactions by the very Spirit and thought patterns of Jesus.

Jesus surprised the crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles by shouting an invitation to all the thirsty to come to Him and drink. Of the Spirit He said, “Whoever believes in Me … streams of living water will flow from within him” (Jn. 7:37-39). He spoke to the Samaritan woman of His gift of eternal life as a “spring of water welling up to eternal life” within the believer (Jn. 4:14). Now He speaks of the Spirit, given to every believer, as streams of living water flowing out, presumably for the refreshment of others – perhaps a reference to “witnessing,” that is, sharing the blessing of eternal life.

A Big Responsibility
It is no small thing to walk around this polluted world carrying the very Spirit of the Holy and Almighty God within us. It is vitally important that we not “grieve … the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). It is never suggested that a grieved Spirit will leave us, but we can understand how His free-flowing ministry in and through us will be hindered by a condition in us which grieves Him.

How is He grieved? Remember, He is a holy God: sin grieves Him. Disobedience is a rejection of His authority. Choosing our own will or way over His own as the criterion for our choices, decisions and actions, repeats the sin of Eden, that is, believing we gain by venturing out on our own or by listening to and acting on advice other than His.

A grieved Holy Spirit cannot freely and without hindrance move or empower or enlighten us because He is distracted from His main mission toward convicting our conscience and laboring for our restoration to a right orientation and motivation. In a similar way, we ourselves, when we are sad, do not have the energy nor the motivation to work effectively. One effect, or “fruit” of the Spirit’s free working in us is joy (Gal. 5:22-23). But can a grieved Spirit produce joy?

Galatians 5 speaks of “living by the Spirit” and being “led by the Spirit” and “keeping in step with the Spirit,” promising that if we do we will not “gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” As Christians, born anew into the life and nature of Christ, we have a major conflict in the area of our desires and inclinations. We also still have our old sinful nature which is incapable of doing good by God’s definition, and which exerts all its will and energy toward producing its own vile product, resulting in an ongoing struggle for dominance in our lives. We can never win a battle against our human tendencies. Our “flesh” or sinful human nature can never oppose or control itself. We must choose to submit to and obey the impulses and urgings of the Spirit. Then He can put down our wrong inclinations and lead us in His way.

Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine varieties of the “fruit of the Spirit.” We could say that these nine qualities are a portrait of Jesus Christ as a man. He displayed these qualities perfectly. The more we “live by the Spirit,” following His leading, the more He is free to produce those qualities in our lives. Then, in answer to the question, “What would Jesus do?” we will be doing what Jesus would do!

There’s More!
Further, Romans 8:28-30 tells us that God’s plan is to conform us to the likeness of Christ – to make us like Jesus! And He is working “in all things” in our lives to accomplish that transformation. Second Corinthians 3:18 says that the Spirit carries out that ongoing transformation as we are occupied with Christ (as we “contemplate” Him), so that we “reflect” His “ever-increasing glory” in a progressive transformation toward Jesus’ likeness.

None of this can occur while we are resisting the Spirit’s will and leading. He’s here to represent Christ within us, and through us to show Christ to the world by changing us more and more into Christ’s likeness. Let’s not interfere with His work!

By Bill Van Ryn

With permission to publish by: Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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Six Lessons From The Life Of David

David is one of the most outstanding characters in God’s Word. There are numerous references to him throughout Scripture. Portions of four books are devoted to his history. He is the man after God’s heart and the standard by which subsequent kings of Israel are evaluated. About half of the Psalms are ascribed to his productive pen. He is easily the most renowned progenitor of our Lord Jesus, who is often called “Son of David.” Since God has told us so much about David, let’s look at six lessons, four positive and two negative, that He teaches us from David’s life.

Walking With God From Early Youth

When Samuel came to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king, the family did not think it important to include David, the youngest son. The Lord told Samuel that He did not “see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” The Lord thus did not choose any of David’s seven older brothers, but insisted that David be called. He had Samuel anoint David, telling him, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” In this way the Lord testified to the fact that David’s heart was right. The passage goes on to tell us that “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.” ¹

This good testimony was further shown in the commendation one of Saul’s servants gives David. He details a number of lovely characteristics, ending with “and the Lord is with him.” ²

David’s concern, when he heard Goliath roaring out his challenge to the men of Israel, was the reproach to Israel. Israel’s fear-stricken soldiers were “the armies of the living God” to him.³ In all simplicity he told Saul how he had killed a lion and a bear that had taken a lamb from his flock, ascribing the credit to the Lord. The Lord who had delivered him from these predators would also, he was confident, “deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” ⁴

The circumstances under which David wrote some of his psalms are given us in their headings. Several are written while on the run, persecuted by Saul, Absalom or others. In them we constantly find pictures that are applicable to the far greater sufferings of Christ, David’s greater Son. The circumstances behind other psalms are not indicated. But psalms like Psalm 23, Psalm 8, Psalm 19 and others strongly indicate that they may have been written during the years when David was still a shepherd.

Occupation With The Lord’s Testimony

Psalm 132 would seem to indicate that during those early years David often thought about God’s ark and wanted to give it a permanent resting place after it had been misused and long neglected. One of David’s first official acts as king of Israel was to begin to bring about this cherished dream to find a place for the ark.⁵ While he could not construct the magnificent temple he had desired to build, he prepared the builder for his task and brought together the materials that would be needed.⁶

In the latter part of his life when his outward strength and health were fading, he was occupied with the arrangements for worship in the temple that would be built. To him were entrusted the detailed plans for this earthly “palace” ⁷ for the Lord God. He was the one who divided the Levites, priests, singers, gatekeepers, and other officials into their courses and assigned them their duties. David communed with the Lord and got his directions for the organization of the temple service from Him. All would be done in the beauty of holiness the Lord so desired.

It’s good to find young people today, and older ones too, whose hearts are obviously the Lord’s, and who do not hesitate to speak up and take action accordingly. The Lord sees and will honor this. Others also will often recognize this quality. It is really special to find young believers occupied with the Lord and His interests on earth, and evidencing a deep interest in the details of His testimony today as taught in the New Testament.

Behaving Himself Wisely

Scripture emphasizes that David was young when he came to Saul’s attention after killing Goliath. But from that point on David’s life was lived in the public eye. He was never able to return to the obscurity of taking care of his father’s sheep. Saul’s son Jonathan loved and respected David, giving him clear evidence of his high regard.⁸ At first this young hero was “set … over the men of war,” though Saul in envious fear soon demoted him to be simply “his captain over a thousand.” ⁹

Wisdom is not ordinarily associated with youth. Not every teenager is capable of commanding an army or even a company of soldiers. He would be more apt to let such a position go to his head. But David had the trust and support of Israel’s army. He “behaved himself wisely,” a term that can also be translated “prospered.” Four times God emphasizes and embellishes this expression in 1 Samuel 18:1.¹⁰ And later we find abundant evidence of this same wise behavior that brought about prosperity in David’s life.

In Proverbs 4:3-9, David’s son, Solomon bears witness to the importance his father placed upon wisdom. David had personally taught Solomon, insisting that, “Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” And David’s last recorded words to his son recognize Solomon’s wisdom as a young man and the conduct and activities that must flow from it.¹¹

Readiness To Confess His Sin

David seems to have had a tender conscience when it came to wrongdoing or anything that might be construed as such on his part. We see this when he spared Saul’s life, but cut off a corner of Saul’s robe in the cave.¹² We see this again when he lets Abigail dissuade him from killing her husband, Nabal, as he had intended.¹³ It is further apparent when his heart condemned him after he had numbered the people and when he not only took the blame, but wanted to bear the punishment as well.¹⁴

However, the most outstanding example is found in the account of David’s sin with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. Sadly, but so much like us, David first tried hard to cover up his iniquity. But when Nathan confronted him with his sin, David confessed: “I have sinned against the Lord.” The deep exercises of Psalms 51 and 32, and perhaps even phrases in other psalms, stem from this tragic incident. David’s repentance and confession stand in sharp contrast to Saul’s disobedience and the excuses he kept giving, and are, no doubt, a large factor in why God called David “a man after His own heart.” ¹⁵ How vital that we view sin the way God does.

Lack Of Full Truthfulness

There is quite a difference between being “wise as serpents and harmless as doves,” as the Lord instructs His servants to be,¹⁶ and working with half-truths as David did upon occasion. Dealing in half-truths always brought harm and even disaster to others. Such was the case when David, fleeing from Saul, asked Ahimelech the priest for bread and a sword. David’s deceptive answers to the priest’s questions brought him the help he was looking for,¹⁷ but also brought about the death of 85 of the Lord’s priests, their families and livestock when Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, reported the conversation to his royal master.¹⁸

After years of fleeing from Saul and experiencing God’s direction, help and deliverance again and again, David got discouraged and took matters into his own hands. He and his 600 men and their families sought refuge with Achish, king of Gath, the city Goliath had come from. Achish let them live in the town of Ziklag, and David used this as a base from which to make raids on Israel’s enemies in the south. When asked, he told where he had made his raids (the land had been assigned to Judah in Joshua’s day, it is true) but in such a way as to make Achish think he had fought against his own people. He ruthlessly killed all who could have reported the true situation.¹⁹ Thus he won Achish’s confidence and was taken along to fight against Israel.²⁰ While God delivered him from this dilemma, he and his men experienced the bitterness of having Ziklag burned and their wives and families taken captive by the Amalekites. David’s men even spoke of stoning David, a distressing experience indeed.²¹

Disorder In Family And Staff

Although God’s original plan to meet man’s need for loving help and companionship was, “I will make him a helper comparable to him,” ²² David was no exception to the many men in Old Testament times who took multiple wives and concubines. David’s indulgence of his children no doubt stemmed from his own self-indulgence. The Bible mentions eight wives and ten concubines of David. It is sad to see the shambles in David’s family life. His first wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, despised her husband in her heart and openly and sarcastically criticized him when he brought the ark of God to Jerusalem, and he responded in a similar manner.²³

Amnon, David’s oldest son, raped and abused his half-sister Tamar, and David, though “very angry,” did nothing about it. Absalom, her full brother, killed Amnon and fled to the court of his grandfather, the king of Geshur. Again David did nothing, but mourned and longed for his son and allowed him to return home unpunished. Absalom eventually “stole the hearts of the men of Israel,” rebelled against his father and tried to kill him, losing his life in the struggle that followed.²⁴

The secret of David’s failure within his family is disclosed in a notation on Adonijah, David’s fourth son, who, regardless of God’s will that Solomon should inherit David’s throne, attempted to seize the kingdom for himself. “His father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done so?’ He was also very good-looking.” ²⁵ David’s indulgence almost proved fatal.

Repeatedly one sees Joab – his nephew and commanding general, an opportunist and clever politician – taking advantage of David’s lack of firmness. At one point David complains of his weakness, adding, “these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me.” ²⁶

Yet thankfully, as we have seen, in his latter years David devoted careful attention to bringing up Solomon and preparing him for the tremendous task God commissioned him to undertake.

All in all, God has far more positive than negative lessons for us from David’s life. May we benefit from them!

By Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.

With permission to publish by:  Sam Hadley, Grace & Truth, 210 Chestnut St., Danville, IL., USA.

Website: www.gtpress.org

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The FISHERS Magazine (Issue 189)

The songwriter asks:

[“We Have An Anchor” by Priscilla J. Owens]

But the question still remains: Will we survive or be devastated by the storm? Many are smashed on the rocks of life but believers don’t have to be. One reason why many wreck on life’s rocks is their reaction to the storm is much like the Israelite’s reaction – become angry at God, murmur, and complain. They didn’t trust their anchor.

When we react as they did it is because we don’t think our anchor will hold. Nothing could be farther from the truth for our anchor never slips. Paul discovered this in Acts 27:14 – 44. In this passage Paul is our example of what we should do when the storm comes.

We must spend time alone with God
It should be obvious to anyone reading this that our anchor is the Lord. Another songwriter expressed it this way: I‘ve anchored my soul in the “Haven of Rest”… the “Haven of Rest” is my Lord [“The Haven of Rest” by Henry L. Gilmour].

Since the Lord Jesus is the only safe anchor in a storm, our only safe course is to spend much time with Him during a storm. Paul lived in the presence of the God to whom he belonged (v. 23), so in the time of storm, he received strength and faith for the challenge ahead (sounds like Isaiah 40:31 doesn’t it?).

Spending time alone with God didn’t end the storm for Paul, because he still had much to go through, but it did give him the strength for what lay ahead. Paul took the strength he received and used it to encourage others (vv. 21-25). We can do likewise if we spend time alone with the Lord. This brings us to an important point: Have we developed a pattern of living which will help us meet life’s storms?

Most of us wait until the storm comes and then we resort to emergency praying — “Lord, I need help quick!” But it doesn’t work that way. If we are unwilling to trust and spend time alone with God in the normal circumstances of life, how do we think a storm will change things?

The Lord is not a cosmic break-glass-in-case-of-storm protective device. Daniel gives us a classic example of how we ought to live. When the storm of persecution blew into Daniel’s life he didn’t have to utter emergency prayers. It is said he prayed three times a day as it was his custom since the early days (Dan. 6:10 NKJV). Daniel didn’t change his pattern of living when the storm came. Neither should we.

We must reckon upon His presence
Not only did Paul spend time with the Lord but the Lord also spent time with Paul (v. 23). Most of us think the Lord leaves us in times of storm but nothing could be more wrong. The Lord promises to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). David Livingstone, the African explorer and missionary, acted upon this truth as he blazed new trails through that vast continent. He often said, “This is the word of a ‘Gentleman’ of the highest and most sacred honour.” How could anyone doubt the word of such a “Gentleman”?

We must believe His promises
There are two certainties for the believer in a storm: The Lord’s presence and the Lord’s promises. Paul gives us a tremendous example of faith when he says, “I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (v. 25). The Lord gave Paul a promised deliverance and Paul acted upon the promise even though the circumstances were still difficult.

We also have a promised deliverance from our storms if we are willing to completely trust the Lord. The Lord’s deliverance is not always what we would consider deliverance but it can empower us in the midst of the storm. Paul’s “deliverance” from his thorn in the flesh was more grace. So while the difficulty still existed, Paul had a promised sufficiency to help him through it.

Even if the Lord delivers us in a way more in keeping with our ideas of deliverance, it may not be an immediate resolution of the problem. Paul was not brought to safe ground right away but he trusted the Lord and knew God would keep His word.

Adoniram Judson, a missionary to Burma, was in a difficult situation, imprisoned in a Burmese jail. During his imprisonment he was asked, “What do you think now of your plans to win the heathen for Christ?” Judson replied, “The future is as bright as the Promises of God.”

We must be thankful
One of the most difficult lessons to learn in storm time is to be thankful. For many of us our first reaction is to complain, “Why me?” Paul didn’t complain even though he was still in a dangerous situation. In verse 35, we see Paul giving thanks for the food they were about to eat. Paul practised what he preached because in Ephesians 5:20 he tells us to give thanks always for all things.

The word thankfulness comes from the word thinkfulness and if we think about our storm we can find something to be thankful about. May we be like the man confined to a wheelchair; when asked to name his favourite hymn he responded, “Count Your Many Blessings.”

We must get rid of excess baggage
The final thing we need to do in a storm is to “lighten the ship” (v. 38). The storm we face may not be due to some sin in our lives, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure our “sky is clear.” It is better to say, “Lord, is it I” than to have the Lord say, “Thou art the man.”

If we follow Paul’s example, we will be able to answer the songwriter Michael H. Campbell’s opening question by triumphantly singing:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll.
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

A little child is awakened by a storm and cries out with fear. His father comes and takes him in his arms. Soon the child is asleep again. The fear-inspiring storm has not ceased but the child’s confidence in his father’s love for him has cast out fear. There is only one sure way to cast out fear and that is a full confiding trust in the love of God. You cannot leave God out of your life and have freedom from fear.

Anxiety and worry are only different forms of fear. Anxiety is anticipated fear. Any anticipated threat to what we value or esteem to have an important bearing upon our well-being, comfort or happiness will produce anxiety. Worry is a brooding over these anxious fears.These triplets – fear, anxiety and worry – sap our energies and undermine our peace and tranquillity of mind. They are like weeds that grow and crowd out the pleasant flowers in our garden of happiness.Only the Bible traces these fears to their real source and alone gives us an effectual remedy: “Perfect love (God’s perfect love for us) casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Nothing will cast out fear like confidence in God’s perfect love towards us.

From Grace & Truth Magazine
- Danville, IL, USA. Used by permission.

Credits to:  Fishers Magazine

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