Breaking The Bondage Of Fear Series

Title: Fear vs. Faith – 4

Breaking the Bondage of Fear

Text: Hebrews 2:14-15

Five-year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone. “It’s dark in there and I am scared.” She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, “It’s OK, Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?”

So far, throughout this series, we have talked about the Biblical definition of fear, we have also talked about the two laws that are in effect today that govern each of our lives. Every one of us is living under the law of sin and death or the law of life. The force behind the law of sin and death is fear. The force behind the law of life is faith. Fear and faith are two absolute opposites. This is what determines which law you live under.

This morning we talked about life and death are in the power of the tongue and you determine what quality of life you are living by the words that you speak. You cannot speak death and receive life-oriented results, just like you can’t speak life and receive death-orientated results. It cannot happen.

I. FEAR BRINGS BONDAGE

Tonight I want to go a little deeper concerning fear. FEAR BRINGS BONDAGE! There is no getting around that fact. When a spirit of fear, (remember, fear is a spirit) takes root in your life, you become a slave to that fear. This fact is a principle that is found right in our text:

Hebrews 2:14-15; ¶ “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

A fear of death or of any other aspect of the law of sin and death brings with it an awful bondage. The good news is that Jesus paid the price for our freedom. The two verses in Hebrews tells us that one of the purposes in allowing Himself to be crucified upon the Cross of Calvary was to “deliver them who through fear” have spent their lives in bondage to fear. In other words, He died upon the Cross to deliver us from that bondage or that spirit of fear. Fear is a spirit and it has such a grip on some people’s lives that they can hardly move and be free. Fear brings bondage, always, not sometimes, but always brings bondage.

Whatever type of bondage you are involved in this morning, whether it is cigarettes, drugs, sex, food, alcohol, money, or anything else, fear is what produced that bondage. There is no way that fear will bring anything to your life but bondage.

II. FAITH BRINGS LIBERTY

If fear produces bondage in people’s lives, then what does fear’s opposite, faith produce? Faith produces the opposite of bondage and that is total, complete, liberty. Faith brings freedom, which is why the devil works so hard to keep Christians in fear and out of faith. The devil works overtime to try to keep you fearful of things and people because he knows that as long as you have fear in your life, you cannot have faith. They cannot co-exist in the same body. If the devil cannot take a person to hell, he will at least try to keep that person bound up, paralysed, and ineffective as a Christian. If any Christian gets hold of faith and the liberty that faith brings, the devil knows he is in trouble.

For a believer to live in bondage to fear is as unnatural as a fish trying to live out of the water. Part of being born again is being born to freedom, being released from bondage to sin. So how is it that so many believers are in bondage to fear? Most of us look at fear as just something that we need to work on, but do you realize that fear is sin? The Bible makes it very clear for us that anything that is not of faith is sin. Come on Pastor, the Bible doesn’t really say that! I think you are exaggerating just a little. Listen to what Paul says:

Romans 14:23; “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”