Peace In A Fearful World
By Scott Jones
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
If God has not given us a spirit of fear, why are so many in Church leadership in the United States fearful? Fearful of government, fearful of the media, fearful of the culture, fearful of public opinion, fearful of losing members – and with them donations. The Greek word translated “fear” is δειλια (deilia) which is derived from a root word meaning “fear”, but can also mean cowardice or timidity. (Thomas 1981) Vine’s tells us: The word denotes cowardice and timidity and is never used in a good sense. (Vine n.d.) In fact, all three meanings are used in English translations. While many pastors would balk at being described as fearful or cowardly, all too often the Church has reacted timidly to the exercise of illegitimate government powers.
Pastors withdraw from addressing “political” issues for fear of the Johnson Amendment.
Pastors are timid in speaking out against CRT, the LBGTQ agenda, drag queen story hour, and pornography in school libraries for fear of offending the community or teachers.
Despite the warnings of scripture, very few pastors speak out about the dangers of public debt and the debasement of our currency.
Decades of Church timidity in civic affairs have brought us to a place where the Church is practically irrelevant to the problems confronting families and individuals today. Today we have a government that increasingly rewards evil and punishes good - the opposite of government’s role as defined in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. And yet, the Church remains mostly silent. It cowers in timidity and fear, when pastors should be equipping the body to speak out in power and love, with a sound mind. Continuing in 2 Timothy, Paul tells us:
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God… Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. (2 Timothy 1:8 & 13-14)
We learn several things from this passage:
Fear must never cause us to be ashamed to proclaim the testimony of the Lord.
We can expect to share in suffering for the gospel.
The gospel is the power of God.
We are to use sound words.
We are to speak in faith and love in Christ Jesus.
Power
For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance… (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
The battles we fight today, in our families, in our communities, in our nation, and in our churches, are not against flesh and blood. They are spiritual battles against spiritual forces.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
We see those politicians, rioters, criminals, bureaucrats, and school administrators, who choose to reward evil and to punish good. What we do not see is that these are people created in the image of God, who have been taken captive by spiritual forces that few of them even understand. While we neither condone nor affirm their acts of evil, we should remember that they are slaves of the spiritual forces of darkness and have compassion on them. This is why we must follow Paul’s command:
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Paul does not say “some men”, but “all men”. This necessarily includes those rulers who choose to do evil.
God does not expect us to confront these in our own power, but He has given us the power of God. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; (Acts 1:8) This is one of the reasons for the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be indwelt and may abide with the Holy Spirit of God, so that we receive His power. In our own strength we can do nothing, but in the power of the Spirit, victory is ours! As Dr. Tony Evans points out, we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory. He writes:
The accomplishment of the cross, through the resurrection of Christ, was God’s final move and offered each one of us victory over an enemy who is seeking to intimidate, deceive, and destroy us. (Evans 2011)
When we understand that our Lord Jesus has already won the victory for us and that we have the power of the Holy Spirit, then we can stand against the forces of darkness that are active in our world.
Love
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you… (Matthew 5:44)
Since we are not fighting for victory, we are not seeking to destroy those who oppose us. To be sure we want to stand firm against their initiatives and actions, but the goal is always Biblical justice and righteousness, not destruction. Think of the worst politician in the Washington DC swamp – picture him or her. Now think about this. That politician bears the imago dei, the image of God. God loves that person, and He sent His Son to die on their behalf. Christ has already atoned for that person’s sins – past, present, and future. That politician may do the bidding of the enemy but is not the enemy. We must extend mercy and compassion to those who are lost, for we cannot know which of them may one day be brothers or sisters in Christ.
But love must be coupled with truth. We must stand firmly on the word of God and call sin evil. Love without truth is not loving. The truth is that those that have not admitted their sinful state and turned to Jesus, our Redeemer, for the propitiation for their sins, are doomed to an eternity of torment. Many churches fall short today by failing to identify sin as sin. They affirm alternative “lifestyles”, they accept or even celebrate “gay marriage”, and while these pastors would not personally seek an abortion for a woman, they will not stand in the way of a “woman’s right to choose”. The Bible is the standard of truth and it tells us that homosexuality is a sin, marriage is between one biological man and one biological woman, and that killing a baby in the womb is murder. If the Church will not call these abominations sin, how can they expect people to realize that they are sinners in need of a savior, and thus to doom them to Hell?
Love is telling people the truth about sin, that it has marred us all, that we all need a savior, and then pointing them to the solution provided by Jesus at the cross. The reality of sin as sin must precede the acceptance of God’s gift of an eternal life of peace with God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)
Love and truth are inseparable – God loves us enough to show us the truth: that even though we are in a state of sin and rebellion against Him, He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sins.
Sound Mind
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13)
In 1 Timothy, Paul tells us to be of “sound mind” or “discipline”. When we look at all the craziness in the world today, Antifa riots, the threat of nuclear war, drag queen story hours, pornography and grooming in the public schools, food shortages, the war on cash, Chinese spy balloons, and feckless politicians, it is easy to let our emotions gain control and to react in anger and fear. This is exactly what the enemy wants. James goes on to tell us: But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. (James 3:14-16) These things are demonic, and the people of God must stand against them boldly, with power, and love, and a sound mind.
Confusion, fear, foolishness, and evil are contrary to the heart of God. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18) Being of sound mind means we must be wise, pursuing the wisdom of God, the only source of truth. Only by being wise can we manifest gentleness, righteousness, and peace. The Book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom, in fact it uses the word wisdom 54 times. For example:
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; (Proverbs 3:13)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)
The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom. (Proverbs 10:21)
He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace. (Proverbs 11:12)
By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. (Proverbs 13:10)
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)
So, wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord. Those who seek wisdom will be blessed and will bless others, while fools (those who reject wisdom) will bring division and strife. In Colossians Paul tells us how to lovingly apply these principles toward those who do not know Him:
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5-6)
Conclusion
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
The Lord does not want us to walk in this troubled world in doubt, fear, anxiety, or confusion. Fear, lies, chaos, and confusion are from the enemy. Jesus tells us to have peace. Make no mistake the Lord knows that there will be trouble, but He has already won the victory and we can rest in Him.
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
Instead, we must arm ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and face this troubled world with confidence and peace. For we know who the Lord is and we know what He has done for us. We know that He has a plan, and the enemy cannot thwart it for victory was assured at the cross. So, facing the world without fear and in power, love, and a sound mind is based on trusting Him.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
Let us forsake timidity, Church. Let us fearlessly confront the evil in our world – with power, and love, and a sound mind.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Works Cited
Evans, Tony. 2011. Victory in Spiritual Warfare: Outfitting Yourself for the Battle. Edited by Kindle. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers.
Thomas, Robert L. 1981. New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
Vine, W. E. n.d. A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers. McLean: MacDonald Publishing Company.