FEAR DOES NOT PRODUCE SONS

Monday 4 November

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 (NKJV)

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15 (NKJV)

Do you remember there was a ‘Christian’ production back in the day called ‘Heaven’s gates, Hell’s flames?’ It was meant to show people what would happen to them after they died whether they went to heaven or hell. It was hoped that people would become saved when confronted with their mortality and eternity. It was held in many churches all over the world.

The idea behind the concept is not really new. There was a preacher in America called Johnathan Edwards and he delivered a message that was titled ‘sinners in the hands of an angry God.’ He was a real fire and brimstone, turn or burn, type minister back in the 1,700’s.

While in both of these examples each may be coming from the right heart or intentions, neither of them are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s because the gospel is a message of love and not fear. Love is actually the exact opposite of fear. The Bible confirms this when it says ‘perfect love casts out fear’ (1 John 4:18b).

This is the state of the unbeliever. They have a spirit of fear that produces selfishness. Christians have a spirit of love that produces righteousness. Fear can never produce love which is why the gospel is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf as our sacrifice, substitute, scapegoat and justifier.

The grace of God is salvation in Christ and the demonstration of that love in dying for us is the love of God. You can’t preach fear or condemnation in the name of the gospel and expect love and grace to manifest. It’s literally impossible. There is no faith in the message of fear. Fear can never produce faith. Everything ‘produces after its own kind’ as Genesis teaches us.

In other words, nobody ever receives or has ever received salvation through fear. They may have gone up the front to ‘accept Christ’ but it is a false conversion, particularly when the message of Christ has not been articulated. It ought not to be this way.

Romans 2:4 talks about the fact that it is His kindness or goodness that leads us to repentance. He doesn’t ‘kill us with kindness’, He convinces us about his goodness by showing kindness to us. Another word for mercy, is lovingkindness.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)… Ephesians 2:4-5

Fear does not produce sons. Let’s all preach the word of faith by telling people the good news of Jesus Christ and His finished work of salvation for them and leave the condemnation for Satan. Jesus said to the woman caught in the act of adultery ‘neither do I condemn you’. Let’s all example the same.

APPLICATION

Examine your own words and actions to see if they need to change in regard to how you share the gospel and be reminded that we are living in the acceptable time of the Lord’s favour: This is the day of the overflowing of God’s grace.