Sunday Night Throw Down: The Apostle John vs. Chicken Little
“No fear” theology vs. “oh, my” theology …
- (1 John 4:18 ESV)
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
“Oh my” theology …
Turned the radio on in the car a few days ago to one of the local Christian stations, and I immediately knew what program I was listening to by the intellectual, foreboding, knowing tone of the speaker.
Modernism … Blah, blah, blah …
Post-modernism … Yada, yada, yada …
The influence is here, now it’s over there. Now creeping in on this front.
Lions and tigers and bears, oh, my, as the weird combination of fear and spiritual swagger swirled over the airwaves.
- Isaiah 31:1 (NASB95)
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!
And woe to us when we trust our intellect and our institutions, our moral strength and Christian principles while paying only lip service to God Most High. We cannot speak hope to this world, hope to the church, or hear hope ourselves from a perspective of fear. And fear is what we reap even though we may appear strong and together, impressive, but only to each other as our perspective has buckled under the weight of our pride and fallen to earth.
Knowledge = pride = fear.
So why do we take this route?
Why do we buy into this intellectually smug “knowledge wins the day” direction for our lives? Because we don’t have to bow, and we do not like to bow. Don’t you dare tell me what to do. So we can play the game of spiritual pursuit on an intellectual level to our heart’s content without once having to bow before our Sovereign Lord.
But God goes grassroots on us …
God calls us to the playing field when he commands our love, for him and for the people around us. To live in God’s love means you will bow before God and bowed before God is where we learn of his greatness.
Love = humility = confidence.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Through the Apostle John, God gives us a “no fear” plan. And when I say “no fear,” I do not mean that we will never be afraid of the events or circumstances in our lives but that we will never be afraid to step forward and trust God during those times.
Because we now know God …
Not just about God. He is no longer just a rumor or a fascinating topic of discussion, but a living, intimate reality. He is in us; we are in him. We continue on the path of Jesus in the face of our fears because of the one who stands with us in every challenge of life.
Can you hear the angels in the background singing his glory?
Here is John’s “no fear” plan:
- (1 John 4:16–18 ESV) 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
FAITH
Faith in God and his love: Come to know and believe in the love that God has for us. Believe in the life course he directs us to through his instruction on love. We believe in God’s “game plan.”
INTIMACY
Intimacy with God in all circumstances: Living in love means living in God and God living in us. (Moving past only a concept or a definition or an explanation of God we now live in his presence. So close that we can feel the breath of God on our face.)
CONFIDENCE
Confidence formed by the perfecting work of love: Living a life of love strengthens us and prepares us for the ultimate tests of life. We stand confident and secure on judgment day. This confidence gives us our “no matter what” courage to move ahead in faith.
NO FEAR
A “no fear” relationship with our Savior: Living the love God commands teaches us of the love he abundantly pours on our lives. This perfection of love wins over our fears. Fear has to do with punishment, and the believer learns that condemnation is past tense in his relationship with God (Romans 8:1).
Chicken Little theology …
The fearful ones in Psalm 11 cried out, “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do (v.3)?”
“No fear” theology …
David responded, “In the Lord I take refuge (v.1). The Lord is in His holy temple (v.4).”
The events of men do not shake the holy mountain of God. What foundations were they worried about?
“No fear” even on the “cliff-edge of doom” …
- (Psalm 46:1–2 The Message)
God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him. 2 We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea-storm and earthquake.
Perfect love casts out fear. Perfect love is secure on the holy mountain of God.
Now on the holy mountain of God we see as God sees!
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