The Hope Of The Gospel In The Midst Of Fear

Over the course of the past several days here in the state of Maine, it is safe to say that there has been a very real presence of fear among our citizens.

Fear from what took place at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston

Fear from the fact that the person responsible was not immediately apprehended

Fear in not knowing what is to come from all of this.

Fear:

An emotional response to perceived threats or danger, characterized by a sense of unease, apprehension, or anxiety.

Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling Fear

Fear ranges from uneasiness to abject insecurity, with threats to one’s physical and/or psychological self.

Fear, in and of itself, is a danger to an individual. Since April 1999, when the tragic events took place at Columbine High School, there have been many more media covered mass shootings.

So many, in fact, that it seems to have become almost a “normal” part of American society.

May the Lord help us to not become desensitized to such evil

And it is indeed evil.

But where does this evil come from? Is there hope to combat this great sin and wickedness?

Jesus tells us clearly in Matthew 15:19 where these things come from: Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

At the root of every murder is a sinful heart. This is drastically different than mere mental illness.

There is no pill or medicine that one can digest to change a sinful heart. Laws are good. Laws are necessary. Laws might even restrain some sinful behavior. But laws cannot change a sinful heart!

Some would argue that more counsel or education would prevent the next mass shooting.

Yet, we see in Genesis 4 that Cain had the best counselor in the world (God).

Instead of heeding what his counselor had to say, Cain went out and killed his brother, Abel, anyway.

Some would argue that if we legislate the elimination of guns, then such violence and murder would cease (or at least be greatly diminished).

Yet, Genesis 6 reveals to us that a world void of guns was still quite violent and full of murder

Genesis 6:5, 11 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually… Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

If the root of the problem is a sinful heart, and no amount of medicine, education, laws, or even the elimination of guns can change it:

What hope do we have?

How do we deal with our fear in the midst of such hopelessness?

Our hope must be in the gospel.

The Gospel Is What Reconciles Us To God

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

of first importance

There is no message of truth more important than the gospel of Jesus.

Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Everything about the gospel was prophesied for hundreds of years before it happened.

Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day… in accordance with the Scriptures.

Everything in the life of Jesus happened as God ordained it to happen. Both the good and the evil.

Romans 5:8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God’s love for us is shown in the sacrifice of Jesus at the very time that we have no love for Him.

Hebrews 12:2-3 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The hope of the Gospel is our reconciliation to God because of the love that sent Jesus to the cross.

The Gospel Is What Delivers Us From This Evil Age

Galatians 1:3–4 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

It is the will of God to deliver us from the present evil age. That is not to say that we are delivered from the consequences of evil actions, or that we will not be influenced or touched by evil in some form or fashion.

Rather, our lives are not to be defined by evil.

Our works are to be good, for the glory of God (Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 2:10)

Our words are to be encouraging for the building up of the Church (Ephesians 4:29)

Our hope is to found in Him, and not man.

The conversations that take place after such tragic events as what happened this past week tend to focus on what man can do to make it right.

There are calls to congressmen and women for stricter gun control laws

There is a plea for better access to mental health care

There are resources distributed and offered to help people through their trying times

It is not bad to bring these things to the table for discussion and support.

But we cannot disregard the fact that only God is capable of bringing a true lasting change in society.

Only the gospel is capable of delivering us from this present evil age

The Gospel Is What Conforms Us To Christ

We are told in the Bible that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He is the image of God, which we are to emulate.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Colossians 1:15, 19 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation… For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.

Ephesians 5:1–2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

We know who Jesus is and we are to imitate Him. We are to be like Him in every way.

The primary means by which God brings that about is through trials. James 1:2–3 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Read Romans 8:26-39

It is in the midst of these trials where we can lose hope. We lose sight of the goodness of God made clear to us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We forget that He has warned us about these hard times to come.

Yet, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Matthew 8, when Jesus was asleep in the boat and the great storm came on the sea, the disciples panicked and out of desperation woke Jesus up.

Jesus does not immediately stop the storm that is raging and bringing fear to the disciples

Rather, he dealt with the peril that was more concerning than that: He rebuked their unbelief. Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?

The Practical Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling (Fear)

One of the strongest emotions that God placed within man is fear. It is the quality that preserves us in a dangerous world. Fear keeps us from going too close to the edge of the cliff, from driving recklessly and so on. So, it has valuable uses. But fear, like all of our emotions, may be abused. It may be allowed to control us rather than be controlled by us.

C.H. Spurgeon The greatest evil to be dreaded is that of doubting your Lord.

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. XLIX (Comfort for the Fearful (No. 2,852))

when we have to battle with trouble, let us always begin with ourselves,—our own fears, mistrusts, suspicions, selfishness, and self-will,—for the chief danger lies there. All the trouble in the world cannot harm you so much as half a grain of unbelief

Psalm 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Read Psalm 46:1–3

Read Psalm 112:6-7

Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Oswald Chambers

The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else.

Let us be like the father who cried out to Jesus in Mark 9:24, I believe; help my unbelief!