Fear vs. Faith

By Shane Kastler

The natural reaction to death is fear; but the supernatural reaction to death is faith. Being afraid to die is normal. But Christians aren't called to be normal. By God's grace they have been changed from the inside out. With a new heart that loves the Lord and longs to be with him; Christians shouldn't fear death the way the world does. In one sense, Christians should even embrace it.

The Bible tells us of a time when a man named Jairus asked Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter. While they were still speaking, the man received news that his daughter had already died and thus he should forget about Jesus's help. Jesus's response to Jairus is profound,  “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

In these words, we see fear and faith at war with one another. Once again, the natural reaction to death is to fear. Whether it be the prospect of your own death, or the news of a loved ones; we fear the unknown. And we fear the idea of living life without them. But Jesus calls Jairus (and us) to “believe” (or to have faith). Belief in Christ leads to a decreasing fear of death, because Jesus has overcome death. Though physical death may still be in your future, it is merely a doorway by which you enter the Lord's presence. And in one sense, an act that leads you to the eternal presence of the Lord would hardly be thought of as “death.” In fact, physical death is the means to much greater life, for the Christian.

Is your life governed by fear or by faith? Most people are living in fear because they are enslaved to the idea that they might lose their life. When the media tells you that you might die if you leave your house, then you can respond with fear or with faith. When politicians tell you that you'll be arrested if you leave your house, then you can respond with fear or with faith. Faith rests in Christ and his providential control over all things, including our life. But fear focuses on the here and now; and the temporal powers that seek to control you.

Fear and faith are mutually exclusive. You can't really exhibit both at the same time. Only one will be dominant; and only one will win the day. Make up your mind which way you'll go. You can live in fear or you can walk by faith. But you can't do both. So trust in the Lord and leave the fear behind. He knows the future and he controls the present. Rest in him by faith, rather than running for your life in fear.

Comments

[Scott]

Spot on, Shane! One person said to me recently, "I don't want to go out because I'm afraid someone might catch something from me" (he's healthy by the way).

I replied, "Can you trust God for not only you but for the other person? If they are out walking around, they are 'taking a risk' too, you know!"

Oh, yes, yes! "We live by faith, not by sight." II Corinthians 5:7

[Phillip Mezzapelle]

These are very perplexing times.On one hand, as long as the government sends out welfare checks, many people seem to be pleased with the lockdown. On the other hand, we have a church with a faulty interpretation of Romans 13.