"Fear is a sickness"

[lareli]

Here's a scene from 'Apocalypto' about fear...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ibl4nPmRE

How many times in the bible does it say 'do not fear'? Is there a source I can use to find out how many times a word or phrase is used in the bible?

[Kat]

Hi largeli, I thought that was a very good movie, perhaps giving a view into their lives at that time.

You can go to the Blue Letter Bible site https://www.blueletterbible.org/
Just type in the word or phrase in the search box that you would like to find and hit the search arrow, and you will get all the verses in which it occurs and you can also check in many different translations. At the top of the list you will see the number of times it is found.

                         "fear"
occurs 400 times in 385 verses in the KJV.

[lilitalienboi16]

Aye it was a good movie! I remember seeing it a few years ago.

[lareli]

In scripture we read 'do not fear/ fear not'... It occurred to me that perhaps the bible never tells us not to be angry though. Actually we read 'in your anger do not sin' which gives room for anger to be present in us without sinning. But when it comes to fear we're not told to 'in your fear do not sin'.... We're, instead told to not fear, period.

We are told to 'fear God' which in psalms we understand that 'to fear God is to hate evil' so in that sense 'fear' is commanded but in the typical human emotion of 'fear' there's no allowance.. Maybe it's because when we're afraid it leads us to make emotional decisions of self preservation which could be opposed to our spiritual preservation?

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[lilitalienboi16]

In scripture we read 'do not fear/ fear not'... It occurred to me that perhaps the bible never tells us not to be angry though. Actually we read 'in your anger do not sin' which gives room for anger to be present in us without sinning. But when it comes to fear we're not told to 'in your fear do not sin'.... We're, instead told to not fear, period.

We are told to 'fear God' which in psalms we understand that 'to fear God is to hate evil' so in that sense 'fear' is commanded but in the typical human emotion of 'fear' there's no allowance.. Maybe it's because when we're afraid it leads us to make emotional decisions of self preservation which could be opposed to our spiritual preservation?

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

There may be many facets to 'not fear' but i've always seen it in the light that God loves us and is with us, working all things after the council of His own will, so what is there to dear exactly?

I think Paul sums it up nicely here.

Romans 8:26-39
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for to accord with what must be: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 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.

God bless,
Alex

[Kat]

Largeli, I was thinking about this and as you were saying fear is an emotion used for self preservation when we feel there is danger and someone or something is threatening, we react to protect ourselves. I think fear in this physical world can be a good emotion for survival, to flee from a perceived danger. Jesus even warned the disciple to flee from the evil that was to befall Jerusalem in it's destruction in 70AD.

Luke 21:20  "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
v. 21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.

Certainly for those of us who understand the truth and the sovereignty of God we realize that it is necessary to have an experience of good and evil in this world. But we do not need to 'fear' what will happen, because we know we are in God's hands.

John 10:28  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Luke 12:7  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Well the world and the church do not have the comfort of knowing God or His plan, and though they profess that He is sovereign they do not believe it, so they are racked by numerous fears. They see the turmoil in this world and they certainly do not believe God is in control, they think that mankind has fallen from grace and left to their own devises, which are terribly evil. They think that God cannot or will not usurp man's free will, so is helpless to intervene and if they don't turn to Him, well He has no choice but the torment them in hell fire for all eternity. And when they look in the Bible they take all of the symbolism literally to add to their horror. The religious in this world have dreamed up, in their delusions, much to fear.

But for the rest of the world it is no better off, they see so many people killed by natural disasters and wars and crimes that go unabated. They have only rulers/government to turn to... they will get little satisfaction there, as they are as ignorant and corrupt as well. It's understandable why people are fearful, it is the fear of the unknown or actually what they do see happening. Not knowing the truth, so people have developed all kinds of human reasoning, even become superstitious and will believe all kinds of ridiculous ideas and in so doing they disobey every law of God.

Jude 1:10  Whatever these people do not understand, they slander. Like irrational animals, they are destroyed by the very things they know by instinct.
v. 11  How terrible it will be for them! For they lived like Cain did, rushed headlong into Balaam's error to make a profit, and destroyed themselves, as happened in Korah's rebellion.
v. 12  These people are stains on your love feasts. They feast with you without any sense of awe. They are shepherds who care only for themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by the winds. They are autumn trees that are fruitless, totally dead, and uprooted.
v. 13  They are wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever. (ISV)

It is a terrible thing to live in fear and spiritual darkness, even when they hear the truth they reject it, because it is so contrary to the carnal mind. God continually warns people of the consequences of their sin, that they should fear and obey Him and not look to their own devises. But it seems that people are dull of hearing about God, they do not fear what they really cannot sense, so they sin with impunity.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Man has an unrelenting desire to be the king of his own castle, it's the pride of a carnal mind to be determined to rely on ones own self, "so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God" (2Thess 2:4).  This attitude of being your own master leads to condemnation.

John 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
v. 20  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
v. 21  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

This will give all of mankind an undeniable knowledge of evil and it's dire consequences. It's a hard lesson we have to learn, but having the knowledge of good and evil is imperative to a complete understanding. Christ's sacrifice covers all sin, but that does not take away those consequences which must be rectified.

Eze 7:10  'Behold, the day! Behold, it has come! Doom has gone out; The rod has blossomed, Pride has budded.
Eze 7:17  Every hand will be feeble, And every knee will be as weak as water.
v. 18  They will also be girded with sackcloth; Horror will cover them; Shame will be on every face, Baldness on all their heads.
v. 19  'They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

All that is just the beginning of the redemption of the world, it is a process of purging all the trash out and learning truth, it will take time to learn obedience. But when they come to know the real true God, as we are now, with all the goodness that He is, they will eventually welcome His love and will learn proper godly fear.  And they will come to see how truly wonderful the sovereign God is and that He absolutely deserves our worship and every praise to His glory. That is true godly fear.

Rev 21:3  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
v. 4  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
v. 5  Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
v. 6  And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
v. 7  He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Joel]

1 John 4:18 speaks volumes concerning fear.

KJV 18-There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

TAB, 1John 4:18-There is no fear in love-dread does not exist; but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love-is not yet grown into love's complete perfection.

Joel

[lareli]

Great scripture references and thoughts!