2018: Engaging Our Anti-Christian World

            From the vantage point of engaging spiritual challenges, the year 2018 would be no better than 2017! In fact, 2018 could be worse than 2017. Let me unpack this predicament.

 

            There are several Christian countries in the world. Argentina, Armenia, Denmark, England, Greece, Monaco, Vatican City, and Zambia are some of the Christian countries. These countries recognize a form of Christianity as their official religion.¹ 

            Although a country may claim to be Christian, its culture need not be driven by Christian values. In fact, anti-christian ideology is either growing fast or has enduringly entrenched itself in every culture – be it Christian or non-christian. So whether we live in a Christian country or not, we would have to engage the non-christian values that are either lawful or seek to establish its legitimacy in that country.  

            Given this situation, it is a pleasure to hear President Trump wishing Americans “Merry Christmas,” instead of the politically correct lingo, “Happy Holidays.” This trend could continue as long as he rules America or until he stays faithful to the Christian values. Even if he remains faithful to the Christian values, the American culture is largely Post-Christian.

            Post-Christian culture is a culture that was once shaped by the Christian faith but has since wriggled away from its Christian roots. Then there is the non-christian culture. The non-christian culture maybe secular or it may be predicated on another religion. Whatever the case may be, a non-christian culture would consciously steer clear of the Christian worldview.

            In today’s scenario, anti-christian ideologies are either covertly or overtly driving every culture in the world. The post-Christian and the non-Christian cultures will exhibit many similarities since they steer clear of the Christian faith. If antichristian ideology is the driving force behind every culture, then we may as well term the culture that we live in as an ‘antichristian culture.’

            The post-Christian and the non-Christian culture are not absolutely horrendous. The non-Christian cultures that I have experienced have certain very good values.

            Christian culture, on the other hand, could be a better alternative, albeit not without challenges. Christians read the same Bible (plus or minus some books in the Bible). However, our interpretation of the Bible is largely diverse. The diverse hermeneutics (the science behind the interpretation of the Bible) that exist in Christendom impacts our theology and its application in our lives.

            The existence of a plethora of denominations in Christianity is a prime example of the hermeneutical diversity in Christendom. While one group of Christians could condone (give tacit approval to) abortion, another group may condemn abortion as a sin. This system of diversity extends to many pertinent aspects of our life. Hence, a Christian culture, which may not be a perfect system, could be a better alternative, but with challenges to overcome.

            When God created the world and its inhabitants, HE established a system wherein culture would have to be a derivative of man’s loyalty or disloyalty to the living God. However, the intensity of being loyal and disloyal to God can differ. Loyalty or disloyalty to God could export or import much needed good values from a culture.     

            Having said this, 2018 will continue to embrace antichristian ideologies! The antichristian ideologies will continue to infect our culture. Hence, complications in varied forms and sizes will devour our lives.

            In order to successfully navigate through the antichristian culture that we live in, we should understand the threats and dynamics of this culture:

            We live in a culture where truth is not absolute. In this culture, the truth is what works for me. Truth is a subjective preference.

            Our claim that abortion is a sin against God will fall mostly on deaf ears. Our fervent pleas against abortion will be rejected even if we state the truth that abortion kills an innocent life that cannot even speak for itself. The antichristian culture teaches its adherents to reject any absolute truth claim because they believe that they can play God and so possess an innate privilege to choose anything that satisfies their carnal cravings.

            The antichristian culture also teaches its adherents to distrust all forms of authority. If we claim that the Bible is our sole authority, we will be thoughtlessly and unequivocally rejected.

            Anger, fear and a great desire for personal control rule those who subscribe to the antichristian culture. Unmitigated anger against the biblical values that our ancestors held so dearly rules this culture. Fear of submission to God and the fear of leading a life within the biblical boundary reside in the minds of those driving this culture. A great desire for power and personal glory, which opposes humility and Christlikeness, fuels the lives of those subscribing to this antichristian culture.

            Human performance would be elevated to great heights in the antichristian culture. People would be glorified by the masses. The Christian community is not immune to this antichristian culture. Pastors, evangelists and Christian leaders are more glorified than God. In fact, these individuals seek more glory to themselves than ascribe glory to God.

            Our life is driven by our unrestrained presentations fuelled by technology and realized in social media. Boasting about our godlessness and secularism through the social media is utterly simple.

            With the social media ruling many lives, spewing hatred is a common occurrence. Technology empowers an average individual to communicate with anyone and everyone via the social media. Such communications are not always civil and courteous. Hatred is spewed as if accountability is dead.

             “I will say what I have to say and I do not care what you think,” is the general idea that consumes those who subscribe to the antichristian culture. Such is the darkness consuming this culture that perspectives based on valid premises are rejected to endorse perspectives that suits our vainglory and subjective preferences, even though they may irreparably impair the health of an individual and that of the society. 

            (Observe closely and you will see these traits existing and thriving in the Christian churches today.)

            How then do we live in an antichristian culture? Here are three simple tips:

            Get closer to God like never before. This culture strives to liberate us from God. But we know that apart from God, our life is meaningless. We should echo the words of Simon Peter who pledged his ceaseless allegiance to Christ while many disciples were abandoning Christ, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6: 66-69, NIV, Emphasis Mine). Our relationship with the Triune God and our ceaseless allegiance to Christ should motivate us to navigate through.

            Love those who subscribe to the antichristian values. There is no alternative to love. While we love our neighbors who do not believe God, we are to live our lives as disciples of the Lord Jesus. Our love for them precludes our endorsement of their sinful practices. We should also express our deep conviction in the Christian values without any shame or guilt.

            Be vocal about our practices while expressing our opposition to the sinful practices. Being politically correct is not an option. Given an opportunity, we are to express our opposition to the sinful practices that the antichristian culture glorifies.

            Our focus is to not merely oppose the sinful practices that occur in our precincts. But we are to affirm and appreciate the authentic goodness experienced by our society ruled by the antichristian culture.

            May God enable every willing soul that loves HIM to be a channel of HIS grace, courage, wisdom, and love. Enjoy a peaceful and a blessed 2018.   

Endnotes:

¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_by_country#By_country 

Christmas: A Perfect Portrayal Of God’s Love & Sacrifice

            Christians commemorate three major historical events surrounding the Lord Jesus: Christmas (birth), Good Friday (death) and Easter (resurrection). Although Jesus is the central figure, God’s love and sacrifice is the common denominator of these three events.

            But Christians often tend to overlook God’s love and sacrifice while celebrating Christmas. The reason behind Christ’s birth - Christ was born to die, so to save mankind from their sins - is usually the chief focus during Christmas celebrations.  

God’s Love Led To Christ’s Birth

            Christ was born because of God’s love for mankind. For God so loved the world that HE initiated and fulfilled the program of salvation through Christ - to save man from sins. Since love gains perfection with sacrifice, God sent the second person of the blessed Trinity, the Lord Jesus, to die, resurrect and ascend into heaven (thereby those who believe in Christ would be saved from their sins).  

            God’s love for mankind could be best remembered and accentuated if we consider the Historic Christian doctrine of salvation in comparison with the competing doctrines. God’s love for mankind is best displayed in the doctrine of salvation of the Historic Christian worldview.

            The competing doctrines of salvation fail to display God’s love for mankind. God can only be a loving being. If any doctrine portrays God as not a loving being, then that doctrine cannot be true.

            For instance, God cannot be a loving being, if he mandates man to do good works to attain salvation. Similarly, God cannot be a loving being, if HE would eventually save all of mankind, irrespective of their belief or disbelief in HIM.

Salvation By Works: Cannot Be A Loving God’s Salvific Program

            It is well within God’s perfect and infinite knowledge and power to devise other means of salvation (other than the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary) to save man from his sins. For instance, God could have mandated man to do good works to be saved.

            But God would have passed the buck to man had HE mandated man to do good works to attain salvation. God, who creates man, should own the sole or the primary responsibility to save the man. But if God’s mandate was for man to do good works to be saved, the responsibility of being saved would have shifted from the domain of God to the domain of man.

            Only an unloving and an unjust God could have executed the salvific program of the man doing good works to be saved. No one is perfect in doing good works, for we can never be immune to sin or imperfections. Man is always prone to sin. Hence, doing good works to utter perfection is impossible for man. Every good deed that we perform will always be tarnished by our bad deeds.

            But an argument predicated on the grading system in pedagogy could be posited. God could save man based on his performance of doing good works in life. In other words, those who ‘Fail’ in God’s salvific scrutiny would not be saved, whereas those who ‘Pass’ (by exceeding God’s expectations) would be saved.

            Even then, had God instituted a plan of salvation-by-works, HE could be blamed endlessly.

            Had God not created man with an innate inclination towards imperfection, it may be plausible to not blame God. But man is not perfect; he has a natural propensity to imperfection (sin). Hence God could be blamed. Every good work that man performs could be questioned and every good work could be improved upon.

            This problem is compounded by the fact that God does not create people uniformly (physical, mental, emotional etc.). For instance, not all people are created with the same IQ.

            In order to be saved, the man ought to adequately comprehend God’s plan for salvation so that he can consistently perform good works. But a man with an average or a low IQ would naturally struggle to assimilate God and HIS plan to save him, thereby this man can come up short while performing good deeds. If this is the case, how could God not be blamed, for man is HIS creation?

            Abnormalities exist in mankind. Hence, people with average or below-average physical, mental and emotional capabilities would perform deeds differently, let alone good or bad.

            Defining good and bad is also not a simple task. A terrorist thinks he is performing a good deed when he kills his enemy. But those being killed by this terrorist consider him as an evil human being. Similarly, a parent punishing the child could either be termed good or bad based on the differing perspectives of the parent and the child. If defining good and evil is a complicated process, then performing good deeds would naturally be more complicated and contentious.

            On the other hand, if God lowers HIS expectations for man, so to compensate for HIS unequal creation of man, God’s justice could be questioned, which would then lead to questioning HIS very essence as the greatest conceivable being. God cannot be the greatest conceivable being if HE is unjust.

            When God creates people with abnormalities, they cannot perform good deeds consistently. More importantly, mandating man to do good works when God creates man with severe abnormalities, projects God as an unjust being. But the greatest conceivable being cannot be unjust so God could not have instituted a program of salvation by good works. Therefore, a loving and a just God cannot expect the man to do good works in order to gain salvation.  

Universal Salvation: A Loving God Will Not Save All Men

            Another contradicting doctrine on salvation is that of universal salvation – that everyone would be saved. But universal salvation cannot be sustained without demeaning God.

            God cannot be a loving God if HE is unjust (an imperfect being cannot be God). So this doctrine of salvation would crumble because a good and a loving God could not have instituted a horrendous program to save the man.

            If universal salvation has any merit, the notion of good and evil or right and wrong should not be in existence. But as long as good and evil exists, universal salvation cannot be God’s program to save man, for universal salvation posits God saving both the good and the unrepentant evil.

            If God saves both the good and the evil, either God should be evil or morality should cease to exist. But God cannot be evil, for the greatest conceivable being cannot be evil. Moreover, there is good and evil in our world. Therefore, it is impossible for God to save both the good and the evil.

            Consider a man who is innately corrupt – a man who cheats, maims and murders innocent people so to gain wealth and power. How could such a man be saved unless he repents of his wrongdoings and reforms his life? But universal salvation posits salvation for such a man despite his unrepentant life.

            Consider those who curse God. Militant atheists fall into this category. If a man who curses God dies without repenting (many atheists have died such a death), and if God saves such a man, then this implies that God deserves no respect or reverence.

            God cannot be revered or respected if HE saves those who perennially curse HIM. If God encourages people to not respect and revere HIM, HE cannot be God, to begin with. Such a God cannot be in existence.

            God, as the greatest conceivable being, should be worshipped in awe and reverence. God is holy; hence HE deserves to be worshipped. But if God saves those who perennially curse HIM, the implication is that HE does not demand worship (because men would still be saved without worshipping God).

            A God who does not demand worship cannot be a holy or a loving God. Hence this God cannot be in existence. Therefore, the program of universal salvation bites the dust. God could not have instituted such a program to save the man.

Christmas: God’s Love & Sacrifice

            Christmas is all about God’s love and sacrifice.

            Christ’s birth demonstrates God’s love for mankind. Love is always unconditional. So God became man and placed HIMSELF under the power of evil to brutally suffer and die for us. God’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary demonstrates HIS love for mankind.

            Christ’s birth also signifies God assuming the primary responsibility to save the man. Christ died for us while we were still sinners. The all-loving God sent HIS Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to sacrifice HIMSELF for the sake of mankind. Thereby, all those who believe in Christ are saved.

            We celebrate Christmas to thank God for Christ’s birth. But to think of Christ’s birth without recognizing God’s love and sacrifice is to disregard the true meaning behind of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            So when we celebrate Christmas, let us remember God’s love and sacrifice, and let us love each other by sacrificing our needs so to satisfy the needs of those around us – our families, friends, and even those whom we do not know.

            Enjoy a Christ-filled Christmas season! 

Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem: Justification & Impact On Christians

            The announcement that America has finally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital invoked a mixed response. Christians, who support Israel, are joyous. Conversely, Muslims and Christians, who do not support Israel, nonchalantly exhibit hostility to this development.

            Jerusalem has always been the capital of the nation of Israel. However, a majority of UN member states, by virtue of disputing Israel’s ownership of East Jerusalem, positioned their embassies in and around Tel Aviv. Thus the official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was withheld by these countries.

            Ben Shapiro contends that the American recognition of Jerusalem is a wise, legal and a powerful development. He lists seven reasons to justify the same:¹

1. Jerusalem Is The Eternal Capital Of Israel. Jerusalem is only important because the Jews made it important; it was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, the site of the Temple, and the wellspring of Judaic thought for millennia. Both Christianity and Islam value Jerusalem because Judaism did. The dream of Jerusalem has animated the Jewish people for its entire existence; there is a reason the Psalms (137:5) state, “If I forget thee, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” Jerusalem is mentioned hundreds of times in the Prophets and Writings (during the time of the Torah, it was not yet called Jerusalem). By contrast, Jerusalem is not mentioned at all in the Koran. If Jews do not have a historic claim to Jerusalem, they have no historic claim to any part of Israel, including Tel Aviv.

2. Congress Has Long Recognized Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital. In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, requiring the movement of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The act also said that Jerusalem should be undivided and be recognized as the capital of Israel. The executive branch has refused to implement the law thanks to both political and separation of powers concerns. Trump would merely be stamping Congressional law with approval. That law, by the way, passed 93-5 in the Senate and 374-37 in the House.

3. Recognizing Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital Recognizes Israel’s Sovereignty. By removing the United States from the position of pressuring Israel to sacrifice its historic, religious, strategic capital, Israel will now be able to negotiate on its own behalf. That means that the U.S. will no longer be in a position to twist the arm of our closest ally in order to pursue separate strategic interests. Imagine the United States pressuring Great Britain to hand over all of Belfast to the IRA. That’s what the U.S. has been doing to Israel for years.

4. Recognizing Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital Will Minimize Violence. Every time negotiations fail, the Palestinians threaten violence and participate in terrorism. The sticking point for such negotiations has generally been Jerusalem — that’s the excuse the Palestinian Authority and Hamas use to launch campaigns of terror, to international approval thanks to the international community’s refusal to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. They hope that using violence as a tactic will earn concessions from Israel, or pressure from the West on Israel. By leading the charge to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the United States will be sending the unmistakable signal that violence over Jerusalem will not be tolerated, and that pressure tactics through murder will earn no rewards.

5. Showing The United States Will Not Be Bullied By Terrorists Is Good Policy. The entire Oslo Accords was based on a blackmail program: Palestinians vowed not to murder Jews if Jews turned over land. That deal wasn’t just blackmail, it was a lie: Israel offered many generous peace deals, and the Palestinians responded with terror waves. The United States shouldn’t participate in such blackmail. If the Palestinians threaten violence, Trump should drop the other shoe: he should refuse to authorize the release of foreign aid to the terrorist government. There’s no reason taxpayers should be paying terrorists in the first place.

6. Recognizing Reality Makes Peace More Possible. A few days ago, the Saudi monarchy reportedly summoned Palestinian leadership and told them to support a peace deal with the Israelis. That deal would retain major Israeli settlement blocs, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian standing army, and leave the PA without Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital. By declaring Jerusalem Israel’s undivided capital, the United States would remove any other option from the table, thereby pressuring both the Saudis and the Palestinians into accepting that deal.

7. Recognizing Jerusalem Means Cementing The Anti-Iranian Alliance. President Obama's horrific foreign policy united Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel against Iran. But that alliance cannot be cemented until realities are recognized by all parties. Just as George H.W. Bush should have allowed Israel to join the coalition against Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War in order to force the Muslim states to recognize that their common interests with Israel outstripped their differences, Trump would be right to make clear to all parties that Israel has control over its own capital, and that the price of alliance is recognition of reality.

Jerusalem is, was, and always will be Israel’s capital. Failing to recognize that is a slap in the face to history, to reality, and to Israel itself. If Trump does what is necessary, he’ll deserve credit not just for bravery, but for decency.

            How does this development impact Christians?  

            Christians who believe that the Church has replaced the nation of Israel would neither support Israel nor be excited of this development. Their concern that this development could possibly set off violence in the region that’s immune to peace is understandable.

            However, this development cannot impede the peace process, claims Dr. Brown, “When it comes to the peace process, more than two decades of negotiations have yielded precious little progress. So the idea that recognizing Jerusalem would hurt this process is ludicrous. Instead, if the Palestinians want peace with Israel, they can have wonderful, lasting, prosperous peace — without dividing Jerusalem.”²

            Christians who believe that the nation of Israel is distinct from the Church would be immensely excited about this development!

             The Bible reveals Christ’s future rule from the city of Jerusalem for 1000 years (cf. Isaiah 2:3; Matthew 19:28, 25:31-34; Acts 1:6-7; Revelation 20:4). Hence, when the most powerful country in the world, the USA, recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it invariably sets the date of Christ’s bodily rule on earth closer than ever before. This event heralds the glorious second coming of our Lord! This development is also a matter of great joy because it is marvelous to witness the unfolding of the events prophesied in the Bible right before our very own eyes.

            Finally, would God bless those who bless Israel? Dr. Brown says yes!³

Will God bless President Trump and the United States for making this bold and courageous move? I believe He will, for the following reasons.

1. On doing so the president is blessing Israel. God still blesses those who bless His covenant nation, despite that nation’s sins.

2. Out of all the cities on the earth, the Bible only calls us to pray for the welfare of Jerusalem (see Psalm 122; Isaiah 62:1-8).

3. The tremendous resistance to the president’s decision gives evidence to the intensity of the spiritual battle over this city.

4. There are prophetic scriptures that speak of a Jewish Jerusalem welcoming back the Messiah. So the decision to fortify the unity of the city is in explicit harmony with those Scriptures (see especially Zechariah 12 and 14).

And what about God’s love for the Muslim world? What about justice for the Palestinians?

The answer is simple: If they want to be blessed, they too must recognize the Jewish claim to Jerusalem, a city that they do not need to possess or divide. They don’t need to call for violence and war. Instead, they need to accept that East Jerusalem will not be the capital of a Palestinian state. That working with the Jewish people rather than against them will be in their best interests, too. And that the Jewish people have a massively greater claim to Jerusalem than the Muslims do.

As for President Trump, he is convinced that this formal recognition of Jerusalem will aid and abet the peace process. But even if that is not the case, I truly believe that God will bless him and bless America for making this courageous and righteous decision.

Let’s watch and see in the coming days.

Endnotes:

¹https://www.dailywire.com/news/24354/excellent-trump-7-reasons-trump-would-be-right-ben-shapiro#exit-modal

²https://stream.org/will-god-bless-trump-moving-embassy-jerusalem/

³https://stream.org/will-god-bless-trump-moving-embassy-jerusalem/

Websites cited were last accessed on 11^th December 2017.

How To Overcome Needless Fear?

          Quite a few Christians are consumed by needless fear. I don’t think we need a definition of needless fear since the term is quite self-explanatory. And this very term (needless fear) implies that fear is unnecessary in a Christian life.

            But this is easier said than done. Christians (not all, but some) are consumed by needless fear. Although some of them know that this fear is absolutely unnecessary in their life, many do not know how to eliminate this fear from their life.

            If you are consumed by needless fear, you may not be able to lead a normal life. Hence, you could complicate your life, if you do not know how to deal with your fear. And your life could get worse and unmanageable (depending on the intensity of this fear). So I pray that a few relevant spiritual thoughts would help end this unnecessary fear.

            Before we jump into the spiritual realm of this theme, let us momentarily consider the solutions offered by science.

            Anxiety disorders could be a broad synonym for needless fear. Panic attacks, fear of being judged, embarrassed or ridiculed, and fear of heights (flying in an airplane) are some instances of anxiety disorders.

            If you are prone to anxiety disorders, you may not be able to sleep well or you could be nauseous, dizzy, cold and sweaty, and you will not be able to remain calm. These are certain symptoms of anxiety disorder.¹

            Treatments for anxiety disorders range from antidepressants, anxiolytics, and psychotherapy. The effectiveness of these treatments is largely subjective (every patient would respond differently to these treatments).

            This is as far as my comprehension about the scientific intervention to anxiety disorder goes.

            Now let’s get to the spiritual realm of needless fear.

            The Bible narrates a few instances of needless fears. Let’s consider an example from the Old and the New Testament.

            Prophet Elisha’s servant was in needless fear when he saw the army of King Aram (2 Kings 6:8-23). But Elisha asked his servant to not fear, for he knew that God’s protection was active and that his servant was in needless fear, “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” (v15-17, NIV).

            The disciples were in needless fear when they were in a boat with the Lord, “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”” (Mark 4:35-41).

            Unfortunately, God’s power is not experienced so directly by those in fear today. Our spiritual eyes, in most instances, will not be opened to see God’s armies surrounding us when we are in fear. Christ is also not with us in HIS incarnational form, as HE was with HIS disciples then, to annihilate our fear once and for all. So, many of us find ourselves in lonesome and vulnerable situations when we fear.

            It’s quite clear from the biblical narratives that Christians should not be slaves to needless fear. That’s why Charles Wesley wrote this hymn, “Away, My Needless Fears:”

             Away my needless fears,

And doubts no longer mine;

A ray of heavenly light appears,

A messenger divine.

Thrice comfortable hope,

That calms my troubled breast;

My Father's hand prepares the cup,

And what he wills is best.

If what I wish is good,

And suits the will divine;

By earth and hell in vain withstood,

I know it shall be mine.

Still let them counsel take

To frustrate his decree,

They cannot keep a blessing back

By heaven designed for me.

Here then I doubt no more,

But in his pleasure rest,

Whose wisdom, love, and truth, and power,

Engage to make me blest.

To accomplish his design

The creatures all agree;

And all the attributes divine

Are now at work for me.

           Charles Wesley knew that apart from God, we cannot overcome our needless fear.

           Easier said than done!

           Legendary yesteryear preacher, Charles Spurgeon, specified the reasons that cause needless fears in Christians.² Christians suffer from needless fear because they have already succumbed to one or many of these fears:

a.      Fear of man.

b.      Fear that the truth of Christianity may be destroyed by the opposing forces.

c.      Fear of losing their salvation.

d.      Fear of imminent poverty (adversity) striking them.

e.       Fear of death.

            Spurgeon echoes the Bible when he says that all these fears are unjustifiable. Nothing can separate a Christian from God’s love (Romans 8:37-39). If Christians believe this, they will not fear needlessly.

             If Christians realize that God is in absolute control of their lives (and that nothing unpleasant can happen in their lives without HIS permission), they would not fear needlessly. This is a mandatory condition in a Christian’s life, according to Spurgeon.

             None can curse those whom God has blessed; this is stated in the Bible (cf. Numbers 23:23). When Martin Luther was summoned by the Roman Catholic leaders, his friends were afraid for him to go. But Spurgeon recollects Luther’s response, “If all the demons in hell could fill your house, and seek to injure you, there is no need for you to fear or tremble more than Martin Luther did when his friends were afraid for him to go and be examined by the Roman Catholic leaders who were trying to get him to recant, but Luther said to his friends, “If there were as many devils there as there are tiles on the roofs of the houses, I would face them all in the name of God.” And you may say the same. If all the armies of the earth came against you, and all the demons in hell, had come up to join with the world against you, you could still say, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge;” and charge them in the name of the Most High, and cause all of them to flee in defeat, because the One who is in you is greater than the ones who are against you [1 John 4:4].”³ (Emphasis Mine).

            Science states that anxiety disorder is a mental disorder. According to the Bible, those who fear needlessly are in a state of bondage. The Lord Jesus Christ offers the only viable solution to all those who suffer from fear, which is to pray, pray and pray more without ceasing (cf. Mark 9:29).

            Pray that God will fill you with HIS peace when you are in fear, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

            God says this to us, “Why do you forget the Lord, who made you, who stretched out the sky and founded the earth? Why do you constantly tremble all day long at the anger of the oppressor, when he makes plans to destroy? Where is the anger of the oppressor? The one who suffers will soon be released; he will not die in prison, he will not go hungry. I am the Lord your God, who churns up the sea so that its waves surge. The Lord who commands armies is his name! I commission you as my spokesman; I cover you with the palm of my hand, to establish the sky and to found the earth, to say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”” (Isaiah 51:13-17, NET).

Endnotes:

¹https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders#1

²http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/3098.htm

³Ibid.

Cited websites were last accessed on 5^th December 2017.