Bible Study

Fear and Hope

In our previous study we learned about Success and Significance. We learned that Significance is what our heart truly yearns for and often Success can be confused as the same. Significance means to bring a positive change to the world and have a purpose. Upon closer inspection we saw this positive change can only be accomplished through the search for the Kingdom of God, for this desire is within the hearts of all mankind as Christ said (Luke 17:20 – 21). Christ himself has set an example for us and went to great lengths to accomplish his part for the Kingdom of God. The only way to the Kingdom is through Christ and in emulating him, the first born of the new creation, we can hope to do our part for that Kingdom as well. This will fulfill what is in our hearts, our true desire for Significance (John 15:9-11). The search for the Kingdom of God, bringing this positive change, is not an easy task that can be done alone. Therefore we saw that God has provided us Unity in The Faith with his many other children. We learned that this Unity with the children of God is what God desires, and it is the Unity that can help us accomplish the positive change to reach his Kingdom (1 Corinthians 1: 10 – 17). 

Accepting those lessons, we may ask, why does it sound easy to say but difficult to accomplish?

Amidst great fear that looms around us, finding Hope to carry on is difficult. Hope of a better future might seem foggy or non-existent for many.  Although we are together in our journey for God’s Kingdom, this fog is not making it an easy task. This leads us into our next search through scripture, to find strength and support from The Holy Book, to find our Lord’s guiding hand. Here we are reminded the following passage;

Romans 8:12-17

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 

13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 

15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in Fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

How does this clear the fog to the Kingdom? How does this bring us Hope?

We are reminded by Paul that there are two forces at work here and to look where God’s guiding hand is taking us when we embark on this long journey. Paul says that the physical and spiritual are calling us from two sides, and as emulators of Christ, we must distinguish the voice of Our Shepard and The Thief (John 10).

Fear

 Having taken the first step to seek The Kingdom of God, we must heed Paul’s message. We have a divine responsibility, an obligation, that has been bestowed upon us the moment we took that step of faith. The fog may be thick and blinding, and many may fall wayside on their journey. This fog may even hurt many in unimaginable ways, ways we won’t be able to bare. This fog can come in many ways for each of our lives, exams, school, family, work, depression, isolation, failure, loss, or in recent days, a plague. Living by the flesh, we only see ourselves as the protectors of our life and family, thus only we know our limited strength. With limited strength, we recognize ourselves as weak and in unknown territory. The unknown, where there is no hope, no grace, no mercy, no light. We put ourselves in an abyss, a dark place without Hope, and where there is no hope Fear grows. Fear will sit on the throne of our hearts and our hearts will fail to live only seeing death. If we live by fear and not the promise of God, death will hide our Faith and will always be at our doorstep. Fear leads to death.

Hope

 However, Paul reminds us of a responsibility rooted not in the Physical but in the Spiritual. Paul writes that the Spirit we have received to ensure the success of our journey, is not a spirit that is of Fear which is rooted in the flesh and it’s desires that lead to death. But a Spirit that gives Hope, Hope to share the Glory Christ has received when he had done his part for the Kingdom of God. Hope to be co-heirs in eternal life God has blessed Christ with. Hope is a powerful force that comes not from the physical, but only the spiritual. God has sent his guiding hand, the counselor, the Holy Spirit, to show us through this Fog. He will be there to teach us, guide us, and nurture us in our faith till our Lord returns. When we remember our obligation in the Spirit, we see the fog fade away and the doors of Heaven open. God beacons to us all as his children, to accept the adoption he has given us, in doing so we are not protected under our meek and lowly strength, but protected by the Author of Life, Abba, Father. Paul is reminding the church to take God’s hand in this Fog, Take Hope, and when this has passed, we will come forth victorious. Another step closer to The Kingdom of God.

Brothers and Sisters, as we go into our day to day lives we must be certain that we are walking the right road, the narrow road. The road that requires Faith, Love, and as we see in the Holy Book, the road of Hope. The disciple Peter walked on water only on the moments he kept his eyes on the Truth, his Hope, The Lord. When he saw the waves and were overwhelmed by them, for a brief moment, his eyes were on fear. But Hope was always there to pull him up (Matthew 14:22-33). As such, we must keep our eyes set, heaven bound to accomplish nothing less than miracles to achieve the Kingdom of God. Keep our eyes on the Lord of Life. Christ had done a daunting task for us, giving us his life to lift us up. So in adoption, we must do the same to our neighbor. Finally at the end of the narrow road we will be rewarded with something only God can give, not gold or silver, but the fulfillment of our hearts. 

Keep the Faith everyone, all will be well.

Amen.

The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue

~ J.R.R Tolkien ~