“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And
do not be afraid of their threats
The above phrase is the second quotation of Isaiah 8 in
1 Peter 2:8 . This phrase is the beginning of a quotation fromIsaiah 8:12,13 . Isaiah in the historic context exhorts Israel not to fear Assyria but to fear the Lord because He sovereignly sent the Assyrian army for His purposes. As in the day of Peter, intimidation was true in the days of Isaiah. Assyria tried to intimidate Israel into submission.“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
There are two cautions in the beginning of this quote from Isaiah 8. The first is do not be afraid of their “threats.” Many people are afraid of people. Fear of people will cripple an effective testimony. It will paralyze and immobilize us from achieving our goals. If we are afraid of what people say about us we will never accomplish much. Are you afraid of a person or a group of people? Fear of people will hinder our service for the Lord.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).“The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).“The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).“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).
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
Principle:
The fear of man destroys our potential.
Application:
If the Christian is to have felicity of soul, he cannot fear people. There is no excuse for fear in the Christian life. If we fear, it is because we do not apply God’s Word. We do not claim His promises.
People who live in fear that folks will not like them live in subjection to other people. Teens fear that their peers will not put their stamp of approval on them. Without that stamp of approval, they are done.
The pressure of public opinion begins in grade school. It intensifies until high school where peer pressure forces teens into patterns of life they do not like. Fear grips their heart. But character transcends the grip of peer pressure. It is character that helps teens choose the high road of living under the influence of God rather than people. No one wants to be an odd ball. Everyone wants to be accepted by the community. We all want to be popular. Whoever told us that we should live by the opinions of other people? Why are we out to win a popularity contest?
The only way we can be free from fear is to be faithful to higher purposes. God wants us to be faithful to Him. We know we can take our fear to Him. We can say, “By the grace of God I need no longer fear man. I do not have to gain the approval of my peers. I do not have to impress my peers. I only want to be what God wants me to be.”
Do you not share your faith due to fear of people? Are you afraid that they might reject you? This will immobilize us from being an effective witness. May God deliver us from fear. Only He can.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
God does not want us to fear the fear people cast toward us. The only people who can march through life without fear are those who claim the promises of God and fear God, not man.
When faith shines, fear dissipates. This does not mean that we will never fear anything. We do not become dehumanized when we exercise faith. We, however, do know the one to whom we can take fear. We can trade our fear for confidence and courage. “I do not have to establish a reputation. I need not impress others. All I want is to please the Lord.”
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