God Has Not Given Us The Spirit Of Fear

“I remind you to stir up the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.

There are two types of fear in the Bible:

1. There is healthy fear of God which is reverence for God and everything that pertains to Him.

“Jesus said in Matt.11:28; “Don’t fear those who can only kill the body and not the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to kill both soul and body. (this is God)

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”

There are promises for those who have this type of reverence towards God:

Psalm 25:12-14 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE) SAYS;

· (verse 12) “Who is the man who reverently fears and worships the Lord? This is the man that the Lord will teach in whatever way he chooses.

· (Verse 13) “He will dwell at ease (this means having a calm spirit, living in peace) and his offspring shall inherit the land.

· (verse 14)“The secret (of the sweet, satisfying companionship) of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its (deep, inner) meaning.”

· Psalm 31:19 says; “Oh how great is your goodness that you have laid up for them that fear you.”

· Luke 1:50 says; “His mercy is upon them that fear Him from generation to generation.”

2. The fear that is not from God.

The Bible says; “Fear not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; I will help thee: I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”.

Fear of what people may say. What matters is what God says about us and He calls us kings and priests, a Holy Nation, sons and daughters of the living God.

Fear of death. Our Lord has the keys of death, so we need not fear death any longer.

Fear of what man can do.

Fear of not meeting to others standards. That wants to rob us of our peace that God gives to every believer as a child of God. Paul said to Timothy; “God did not give us a spirit of fear (or cowardice)

A coward is; A person that is scared to act or speak even when he or she is right.

· A person that will let evil have its way.

· What others may say, or what others may do, or how others may react.

· Paul was saying; don’t let fear get in the way of you speaking the truth.

· Don’t let fear get in the way of speaking up when you are right.

· Don’t let fear get in the way of being a witness for Christ.

· Don’t let fear get in the way of using the talents and gifts that God has given to you.

· God may have given you the gift of preaching or teaching and you won’t use it because you are scared of sounding dumb or stupid.

· Or the gift of prophecy.

· Or the gift of giving etc.

Sometimes fear comes in different ways.

Peter feared for his life that’s why he denied Christ.

Peter was fearful of being seened with the gentiles and being labeled and Paul rebuked him.

Nicodemus was scared of being labeled a Christian and loosing his position so he went to Jesus at night when no one could see him.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Of power to come against any tactic of fear.

Of love to conquer anything. The Bible says that; “Love conquers all”

Of a sound mind (peaceful even in the midst of tough circumstances