What is Fear?
Romans 8:31-39
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is fear? What makes you afraid? Is it the upheaval of society as we’ve known it? Is it the invisible virus? Is it the coin shortage? Who could blame anyone for being afraid at this moment in history?
“But I’m not afraid,” you say. After all, what should you be afraid of? This country will bounce back like it always does. You haven’t lost your job yet, and there’s not too much risk you will. You haven’t been exposed to the virus, and you don’t know anyone personally who’s gotten it. You’ve seen times of unrest before; they’ve passed. This will, too.
Counterpoint—what if it doesn’t? (Be afraid!) Counterpoint-to-the-counterpoint—“Then, I’ll figure life out after that.” (Nothing to fear!)
Fear ultimately lies in loss and power. You’re afraid of losing your job because that means you might lose your house, too, not to mention whatever else. You’re frightened by what’s going on in our country because it might be a sign that we’re losing this American life. You’re afraid of catching COVID-19 because you’re afraid of losing your health or even your life. Wherever fear goes, fear of loss seems to be right there with it. Loss of life. Loss of liberty. Loss of happiness.
But maybe you said you weren’t afraid. Confidence is the opposite of fear. Beware of confidence’s evil twin—overconfidence! Overconfidence is either too much trust in a certain power or misplaced confidence. If my son expects me to catch him if he jumps off the sofa, that’s confidence. If he expects me to be able to catch him if he jumps off the roof, that’s overconfidence.
Fear says you could lose everything. Overconfidence says you’ll never have to lose anything. How can I not be afraid but also avoid being overconfident?
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
What can you lose when you already have everything? “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Without Christ, fear makes sense. You have no power on your own to truly make anything stay or go. Can you really control whether you’ll have a job tomorrow? Can you really keep yourself from ever getting sick? Can you stop death? There might be some semblance of control, but, really, the answer is no. But God can. And if God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
Nothing else can guarantee you this. Not a healthy lifestyle. Not a million or a billion dollars in the bank. Not the government. Not anything. But God can. God does.
What’s the guarantee? He did not spare his own Son. God is almighty. He has all the power in the universe. That doesn’t mean he has to use it for us. Why should he? He is God Almighty. We can’t compare to him. He is three times holy (Isaiah 6:3). We are sinners. And yet God's love for us moved him to send his own Son. If God is willing to die for us, how will he not also provide for us while we still live on earth?
Other powers will try to rip you away from God's love. “I can make you suffer.” “You’ll go hungry without me.” “I can kill you.” But neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you are afraid to lose, remember this: We are more than conquerors. If you put your trust in something less than almighty, remember this: We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. If God is for us, we do not have to be afraid. If God is for us, our confidence is never misplaced.