No Fear

Romans 8:38–39 KJV 1900

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Into & Recap

I hope that by now you may have understood that as we go through this series we are showing through this chapter more things that cannot separate us from the love of God.

Week One - No Condemnation - Romans 8:1-11

Week Two - No Excuse - Romans 8:12-17

Week Thee - No Pain - Romans 8:18-25

Week Four - No Fear - Romans 8:26-30

Week Five - No Weapon - Romans 8:31-36

Week Six - No Failure - Romans 8:37-39

I went back and forth on the title of this message.

No Fear vs No Weakness

No Fear fits the over all message of the Series

No Weakness fits the text better and I don’t want to shoehorn something in

However, Fear is the child of weakness if our eyes are not focused on him

and even then our Fear does not separate us from God’s Love

Romans 8:26–30 NLT

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

Isn’t it comforting to know that God knows?

God knows what we need before we even ask

His Spirit helps us to pray to him

God and the Spirit work with us in our prayer

Romans 8:26–30 NLT

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Weakness

What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and Griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!

Fear

I said before that Fear is an offspring of Weakness but only if we let it

Side Note: When we are talking about Fear here we are not talking about fear of God as in Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

That ‘Fear’ (phobos) is a healthy and humble reverent awe for our loving God.

It is not (phobou) “to fear or be afraid” as the focus of this message is about

If we focus on our weaknesses (on ourselves) we will worry and Fear about our lives in God

I am only human

I have failed too many times

I can never be as good as so-n-so

I am afraid of failing

Fear is faith turned inwards

Faith in our own abilities

Trying to do things ourselves

If we live that way we will never have peace, we will always live in a state of worry and fear and exhaustion of constantly “trying” to be a Christian.

Of constantly “trying” to be good

Of constantly “trying” to live up to a standard.

Of constantly “trying” not to fail

I can’t live this life on my own

I would fail at every turn and never be happy

I would never be able to move forward for fear of failure

I have news for you, Paul (the writer of this letter) could not do it either

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

If we lived in our own power our Weakness would turn to Fear and Worry and the devil will use that to try and keep you from coming to God.

But even your most fearful times will not separate you from God’s love!

He is working with and through you bring about a change in your live from looking at yourself to looking at God.

You don’t believe me? Look at what the word says about fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 23:4 KJV 1900

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

But you want to know why we really fear?

1 John 4:18–19 NLT

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

We fear because we do not see the Father correctly.

We see him as this being just waiting for us to make a mistake and punish us.

God is not looking to punish you, he is looking to help you.

Do you really believe that the God who sacrificed his only child to pay for your sins is just sitting here waiting for you to fail and say “See, I knew you could not do it”. “I am done with you”?

Show me in the bible where that is! I will show you over and over and over where God is working with, reasoning with and even pleading with his people to come to him.

The final judgement happens when all other attempts have been exhausted.

Stop looking at yourself and your failures and look to him “The author and finisher of our faith”

God knows you

He knows who you are

He know where you are in your walk

He knows if you are striving to be like him

He knows your strengths and weakness

He knows what causes you to fear and what causes you to laugh

Psalm 103:13–14 ESV

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

No Condemnation, No Excuse, No Pain, No weakness, No Fear can separate us from the love of God because they are not barriers to him.

(SB 795) ~ What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer! Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer!