The Fear of Having Nothing
We must spend no time or energy worrying about what we need, instead we should work diligently to advance his cause in this world trusting that he will adequately provide all that we might need.
We must spend no time or energy worrying about what we need, instead we should work diligently to advance his cause in this world trusting that he will adequately provide all that we might need.
Money cannot provide the fulfillment and protection it appears to offer; those things come from God alone and must always be enjoyed by Christians as byproducts of pursuing him.
Because our alliance with Christ will be tested with some sort of persecution or difficult, we must resolve ahead of time to be loyal to him knowing God will provide real-time strength and support.
Though in our fallen world we are not exempt from violent crimes and deadly persecution that will perennially threaten our well-being, the reliability of God’s good promises can enable us to renounce our fears.
We must understand the clear and repeated call to fear God, first in view of our need for salvation and then in view of his absolute and ultimate authority over every aspect of our lives.
Real Christians must fall into the same pattern as phony Christians, as though we will not face a day when our Father will thoroughly evaluate and call us to account for our actions and words.
Sharing the gospel will feel risky; any pattern of evangelism must be accompanied by a sincere trust in God’s provision as we boldly speak up for Christ and the good news of his kingdom.
We should learn from Christ’s compassion and selflessness, confident that he will provide what is needed when we sacrificially step up to face the challenges he providentially sets before us.
Because Christ is the sovereign Lord knowing best how our lives should be invested, we must resolve to love and trust him enough to willing do anything he might ask of us.
Life will feel uncertain and perilous at times, but as Christians we must fix our focus on God, affirming his love for us in Christ and his good promises regarding our future.
We must humbly respect the Jews for their place in salvation-history while we cling to grace, eschewing any self-confidence, as we consider God’s dealings with Israel
If the ultimate danger of facing God’s wrath has been eliminated for us in Christ, then there is no place for fear, worry or anxiety regarding the problems we face in this life.
When problems, pressures or people are pitted against you and they threaten to do you harm, make sure you’re right with God, focus on him and leave your opponents for him to deal with.
Feeling awkward or even scared when talking about the gospel is normal, even expected, but we have to power through the feelings to be obedient representatives of the most important message in the world.