Your Foundation in Christ (Victory Series Book #3): Live By the Power of the Spirit (7 page)

2 Timothy 1:1–18

Key Point

Do the thing you fear the most and the death of fear is certain.

Key Verse

“Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

1 Peter 3:14–15

P
aul begins his second letter to Timothy by encouraging him to be faithful. He probably suspects that fear will be Timothy’s chief obstacle, so he writes, “The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (verse 7). Based on what God has given you, you can take certain steps to ensure that no fear—other than the fear of God—is controlling your life.

The first step is to submit to God and resist the devil (see James 4:7). You start by resolving all personal or spiritual conflicts. You can do this
by working through “The Steps to Freedom in Christ.” By doing so, you will experience the presence of the Wonderful Counselor and eliminate any possible interference by the evil one.

The second step is to analyze your fears. Start by asking God to reveal what it is you are actually afraid of and what is controlling your life. The root of any phobia is a belief that is not based in truth. Your false beliefs need to be rooted out and replaced by God’s truth. The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth as you submit to Him and study God’s Word. You may also decide to seek the godly counsel of others who can help you identify your fears. You need to discover the lies behind irrational fears, renounce each one, and choose to believe the truth.

The third step is to analyze how your fear has impacted your life. How has it prevented you from living a responsible life, compelled you to do that which is irresponsible, or compromised your Christian witness? Fear is a powerful motivator for good or evil. If irrational fear has caused you to lead a sinful lifestyle, it is not enough for you to be sorry. You need to confess and repent of any lies you have believed and irresponsible ways you have acted.

The fourth step is to face the fear and work out a plan of action. Irrational fears are like mirages—they seem real until you move toward them. However, if you back away from irrational fears, they gain even greater control of your life. You may need the assistance of a pastor or godly counselor who will help you take the first step toward resolving your fears and eradicate any long-standing fears slowly. If you are afraid to ride in an elevator, don’t start with the tallest building in town. Find a two-story building and gain confidence with each new step you take.

Determine in advance what your response will be to all possible reactions to your plan. What are the possible consequences of standing up to a fear object? Thinking this through will help solidify your initial plan of action and help you answer whether you can live with the consequences. Christians can always live with the consequences of doing what is right and living a responsible life, whereas nobody can adequately prepare for living an irresponsible life. You should be more afraid of
not
doing God’s will than doing the will of another fear object.

Commit to carrying out the plan of action in the power of the Holy Spirit. Doing so will be the key to overcoming your phobias. If it is judicious, have someone pray for you and hold you accountable for the plans you have made.

The first step in overcoming fear is to submit to God and resist the devil. What personal or spiritual conflicts do you need to resolve?

The second step is to ask God to reveal the true source of your fears. What did God show you that you are actually afraid of? What is controlling your life?

The third step is to determine how your fear has affected your life. How have your fears prevented you from living a responsible life? How have they served to compromise your witness for Christ?

The fourth step is to face your fear. What plan—with the help of the Holy Spirit—will you put into place to begin to overcome your fears?

Who are some people in your life who can help you through this process? Make a point to seek them out to help you identify the source of your fears and take the first step toward resolving them.

We are persecuted when God allows the tempter the power to persecute us. But when God does not want us to suffer this, even in the world that hates us, we wonderously have peace and are of good cheer, because of Him who said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And truly He has overcome the world, because the world is strong only insofar as its Victor wants it to be. He has received from the Father the victory over the world. And because of His victory we can indeed be of good cheer.

Origen (AD 184–253)

The Sin of Rebellion

The Bible is an historical account of humankind’s propensity to rebel. Adam and Eve rebelled in the Garden of Eden. Cain rebelled against the teachings of God. All the ancient people were in rebellion except Noah,
and their rebellious acts resulted in the flood. The people were rebellious again when they built the Tower of Babel, which caused God to scatter them throughout the land. Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses. Lot rebelled against Abraham. Esau rebelled against Jacob. Absalom rebelled against David. The whole world is in rebellion against God. We were all rebellious by nature, and even as believers we are continuously tempted to do it our way.

The seriousness of rebellion can be illustrated by the life of Saul, the first king of Israel. God had given clear instructions to Saul: “Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out” (1 Samuel 15:18). However, Saul decided on his own to keep some of the spoils of war and spare the life of Agag, the Amalekite king (see verses 20–21). He tried to justify his actions to Samuel, but the prophet replied, “Does the L
ORD
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the L
ORD
? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry” (verses 22–23).

Rebellion may be humanity’s worst sin. Saul rebelled because he feared the people more than God (see verse 24), and he decided for himself how he was going to worship Him. Like Saul, we may not see our own rebellion, which is more an attitude than an action. Rebellion is a problem of the heart. Standing up on the outside while sitting down on the inside will not escape God’s notice, for He looks on the heart. God is not pleased with just going through the motions of worship. David came to that understanding after his sin with Bathsheba: “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:16–17).

If you see a tall fellow ahead of the crowd, a leader of music, marching fearless and proud, and you know of a tale whose mere telling aloud would cause his proud head to in anguish be bowed, it’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a skeleton hidden away in a closet, and guarded and kept from the day in the dark; whose showing, whose sudden display would cause grief and sorrow and lifelong dismay, it’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a spot in the life of a friend (we all have spots concealed, world without end) whose touching his heartstrings would play or rend, till the shame of its showing no grieving could mend, it’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

If you know of a thing that will darken the joy of a man or a woman, a girl or a boy, that will wipe out a smile or the least way annoy a fellow, or cause any gladness to cloy, it’s a pretty good plan to forget it.

—Judd Mortimer Lewis

Daily Readings

Luke 6:20–42

Key Point

As believers in Christ, we are responsible for our own character and the needs of those around us.

Key Verse

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:31

O
ne of the greatest challenges in life is learning to love one another in a fallen world. The Lord exhorted us to love even our enemies (see Luke 6:27–36) and to restrain from judging one another (see verses 37–42). It is only the grace of God that enables us to love those who hate us. Consider the dynamics involved when two people are at each other’s throats. Chances are they will be attacking the other person’s character while looking out for their own needs.

There is no way two people can get along if that is what they are doing. Before God, we are responsible for our own character and the needs of those around us. Romans 14:4 says, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Philippians 2:3–5 tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

What would life be like if we all assumed responsibility for our own character and committed ourselves to loving one another? Surely that is what Scripture requires of us. Conforming to God’s likeness is His plan for our lives, and out of this developing character we meet one another’s needs. So why doesn’t this transforming love seem to be present even in our churches and Christian homes? It will happen in heaven, but in this world we live with imperfect people and none of us has matured to perfection. Perhaps we need to start by taking the plank out of our own eyes before we consider looking at the speck in someone else’s eye (see Luke 6:41–42).

Jesus instructed us how to respond to those who don’t abide by His teaching: “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27–28). In other words, respond to others’ bad attitude with deeds of kindness, speak well of those who speak ill of you, and pray for them when their bad attitude and speech digress to bad behavior. Nobody can keep you from being the person God created you to be, so don’t let immature people determine who you are and how you should respond. When treated poorly by others, do not respond in kind. Instead, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (verse 31).

You get out of life what you put into it. If you want a friend, then be a friend. If you want someone to love you, then love someone. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you” (verses 37–38).

It is one of life’s great compensations to know that you cannot sincerely help another person without helping yourself in the process. Whatever life asks of you, give a little more and it will come overflowing back to you:
“A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (verse 38).

What two great responsibilities do we have in terms of ourselves and others?

What is keeping us from loving one another?

How are we to respond to those who don’t speak well of us or mistreat us?

In what ways haven’t you acted responsibly in a past or in a present difficult relationship?

What do you find most difficult in loving the unlovely?

The traces of the divine image are clearly recognized not through the likeness of the body, which undergoes corruption, but through the intelligence of the soul. We see the divine image in its righteousness, temperance, courage, wisdom, discipline and through the entire chorus of virtues that are present essentially in God. These can be in people through effort and the imitation of God, as also the Lord points out in the Gospel when He says, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” and “Be perfect, as your Father is perfect.”

Origen (AD 184–253)