Those of us living today can only imagine how extraordinary it must have been to be in the presence of Jesus Christ while he was living on earth. Over two thousand years ago, the disciples enjoyed being in his company every day. He was their teacher, comforter, and guide, and they had the wonderful pleasure of dialoguing with him about whatever was on their hearts. They saw him perform miracles, signs, and wonders through God’s power, and they witnessed him live a perfect life of love. The disciples depended on Jesus Christ for everything, and he never disappointed them. When he was crucified, they were beyond devastated, and when he fulfilled God’s prophecy and got up on the third day with all power in his hands, the disciples were elated. But the physical presence of Jesus Christ would not remain on the earth. He would return to sit at the right hand of the Father’s throne. It would not be a stretch to say that the disciples were fearful because they would no longer have our beloved Master with them.
The disciples were overwhelmingly and undeniably blessed by the comradery they shared with Jesus, and because of him, they were stretched beyond the boundaries of anything they had ever experienced before. Enveloped by his peace, compassion, authority, and power, they couldn’t go back to the way things used to be before they met him. And imagining life without him must have seemed unbearable. This is why Jesus devoted his last night on earth to teaching the disciples. He provided instructions, calmed their fears, and assured them of his love. He promised to send them a Comforter that would endow them with tremendous power. After his ascension, they had no other choice but to cling to the life-giving Word he had taught them. They had to remain unified and wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Christ had promised.
As the disciples were gathered in one place, just as Jesus Christ promised, on the day of Pentecost, they received into manifestation the person of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:2-4(NLT) tells us, “2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Before they received the Holy Spirit, they feared for their lives, thinking that those that had tried so hard to murder Jesus Christ, and ultimately succeeded, would do the same to them. After they received Holy Spirit power, their fears were obliterated, and they received boldness from on high to witness the Gospel, even to those they were afraid of days before.
It isn’t God’s Will for His children to live in fear. He tells us in 2Timothy 1:7(NLT), “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” The disciples showed us that fear is a loss of dominion and authority, and they also showed us that the remedy for this is to seek God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Many people will not seek the Lord, instead, they try to get dominion and authority outside of Jesus Christ by focusing on themselves, other people, or other things. The focus of every living person should be on God, because He is the One who rescues, delivers, and restores us through Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist, King David, said in Psalm 34:4-5(NLT), “I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” And in Psalm 56:3(NLT), he said, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.” David knew that God was his Source of protection, provision, and care. He faced many obstacles after God appointed him to be king over the children of Israel, and for a period, David was under constant threat from King Saul. God told His prophet, Samuel, that he had rejected Saul, and Saul took the news badly. He did not want to give up the throne and wanted to murder David, the one that God appointed. So, David knew fear, but he also knew God, and Heavenly Father freed him from the bondage of fear. He will do the same for each of us.
Make no mistake, fear is bondage, and God has rescued us from it through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Galatians 5:1 The Message (MSG) tells us, “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Our Redeemer made it possible for us to have God’s seed, the Holy Spirit, dwelling inside us. We are God’s children because of what He accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ. Before we gave our lives to Him, we were in darkness, and sin was blocking us from all the good things God has in store, but the light of Christ has shown us the way.
2Timothy 1:7(NKJV) informs us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Fear doesn’t come from God, it comes from the devil, and this is very important to know. This verse isn’t referring to the natural tendency to self-preserve and self-protect, it’s referring to the emotions, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that reflect a lack of faith in God. Fear does terrible things to a person’s life. It paralyzes them in many ways, because it keeps them from being who God created them to be. Worry and anxiety are birthed from fear. They keep us from enjoying life, and they signal the heavens and everything beneath them that we are not allowing faith to rule but instead, we are allowing our emotions of fear to run the show. Our Heavenly Father instructs us in Philippians 4:6(NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” God tells us that the remedy for fear is prayer and faith in Him. We must practice this strategy for victory continually.
Often, we’re not conscious of the many ways in which fear is governing our actions and behaviors. One of the ways it shows up is through our shyness about telling others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. As God’s children, we are required to speak the Word and do it as often as we can. We must not be ashamed or fearful about what others might think of us, because when we are fearful in this way, we miss the many opportunities that God places in our everyday environment. These are opportunities to be a blessing to others by telling them the truth they desperately need to hear. The disciples received boldness after they were endowed with power by the Holy Spirit. You and I have received this same Spirit. We are to live without fear and when we tell others about the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will teach others how to do it as well. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Living without Fear”, written for 4theChristianman.com. Copyright© 2023. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.