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Make It Real: February 2013
Question: How do you get victory over the feelings of fear especially as the world seems to becoming more dangerous every day?
The Word of God is full of scriptures to help us find the peace of God in the midst of the turmoil all around us. I encourage you to look up the word fear in the Bible and do a word search. You can go on-line to e-sword.com and download their program free of charge and look up key words such as fear. Studying the Word of God as you seek truth and direction will open the way for the Holy Spirit to commune with you and bring you into the truth that will set you free from fear.
One of the first revelations on freedom from fear can be found in 1 John 4:18:
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment; and the one fearing has not been perfected in love.
I sought the Lord concerning perfect love and what exactly that would be. He revealed to me that man’s love is filled with conditions. However, God’s love is absolutely unconditional. We need to comprehend a love so pure and powerful that nothing can pervert it. God is love and He loves you. When we embrace this God of perfect love, the fear of not pleasing God and coming under His judgement is destroyed. Fear loses its hold on our thinking and actions.
Many of us have associated love as being conditional or should I say works related. We have lived trying to please people so as to find acceptance instead of rejection. We have performed and behaved in a certain fashion to find approval. We have been deceived to believe that approval equates to love. As Christians’ many have transferred this incorrect understanding into our service for the Lord. We believe that our spiritual works and good behavior will protect us and keep us in God’s will. We actually operate out of a fear of God rejecting us and not being faithful to His promises. God’s revelation of unconditional love will set us free from this works mentality that touches the glory of God by subtly giving us credit for our accomplishments.
It wears you out just thinking about how difficult it would be to please God and maintain your place of safety in this fallen world, if you see God’s love as conditional. Therefore, we must grasp this concept of love without any conditions: perfect love that cast out fear. Now let me explain that perfect love, which we receive from the Lord, will result in faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for yet not seen (see Hebrews 11:11). The promises of God come to us by faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of the Lord both by the written Word of God and by the personal relationship with the Holy Spirit (see Romans 10:17). So once we truly understand God and His unconditional love, we can begin a relationship with Him based on trusting in Him to meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). The entire walk of faith is dependent upon the goodness and faithfulness of God. Our works are but filthy rags to God. So a starting place to find freedom from fear, is to understand God. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose any wrong concept you have of God. The Holy Spirit may take you to the hurt and traumatic places of your childhood so as to bring wholeness and healing. The Lord will help you to forgive the people who were not able to pour unconditional love into your life. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth about your loving Heavenly Father and soon coming Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.
A study of James Chapter Two will teach you that the works that God is pleased with are a result of your faith (trust in Him). In other words, if you trust and receive God’s unconditional love, you will be so secure and free that your adoration and love for God will be revealed by the works that you will do by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. You won’t work to try and get God’s love and approval, but the result of receiving God’s unconditional love will cause you to enter into the works that He has for you to do for His glory by His Spirit. Fear will lose its hold on your life. You will not be afraid of punishment from God (you will know that hell has lost its hold on your life forever). You will not desire to sin, because you will understand the cross and the power of Love to set you free from the bondage of sin. Your life will be one filled with communion with the Father, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We at Beauty For Ashes Ministry have a powerful free video teaching on our web called “Perfect Love” that will help you find freedom from the works mentality that keeps you in bondage to fear. I encourage you to watch this teaching and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the perfect love of God.
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Joy Comes in the Morning is Cyndi Foster's testimony of overcoming sorrow and grief. Available for an offering of $10.00
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