God Hath Not Given Us The Spirit Of Fear

2^nd Tim.1:7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

[8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

By the effectual working of His Word, we are taught that we are “given” by our Father the “power” to work effectually within us, and this power is of “love, and of a sound mind.” But the god of this world has something else ‘in mind’ for your heart and mind. Satan knows that if his “devices” can affect your heart and mind, the man will follow after his plan and purpose according to the course of this world. And as was the case with Timothy, ‘fear,’ ‘sufferings,’ and ‘being ashamed’ are some of the things that will hinder the Saint from walking in the power of God. And once thr saint who desires to live godly experiences these things, he will either allow himself to ‘walk in’ what he is experiencing, instead of continuing to walk by the Word of God when these things come up. Timothy had the “spirit of fear,” and was “ashamed,” his inward man was overwhelmed by the effects of attacks against the preaching of Jesus Christ. Paul reminded him about the Power of the Word of God that Timothy was given before that is designed to work effectually within us, not to just ‘go in one ear and right out of the other.’

2^nd Cor.4:7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

[8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

[9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

[10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

Furthermore, God has provided for us His Spirit, which is His Word to “dwell richly” within us. And we ought to ‘replace,’ or “renew our minds,” and “enlarge” our hearts to the will of God, not our will, even as the sufferings of this present time are “on every side” of us. And instead of operating upon feeling “distressed,” we can rejoice knowing that our Father has given us His word of “all comfort” in these times. And even though we will experience those sufferings, we are not “forsaken” knowing that our Father’s Word is designed to comfort us. This is the excellency of the power of God that we are given by God that we are to be filled with and notice in the verses above; Paul says that this “treasure” in our bodies is “also the life of Jesus.” This life that we are to make “manifest in our body” is designed to be “of God, and not of us,” this is the selfless life that the Lord Jesus Christ lived for our sakes and for the Father’s sake, and we are beseeched to be a living sacrifice for Christ’s sake as well, this is the “power” that we are taught to operate upon, instead of our own desire to do what is well pleasing unto us, and for our own sake.

2^nd  Cor. 6:4] But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

[5] In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;

[6] By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

Moreover, God has given us the ‘nature’ to love with selflessness to whom we choose, and we can display this type of selflessness unto more than one thing, or person at the time of our choosing.  And with that being said, just as we know how to love with selflessness unto our spouse or children, we must also “learn” to love our Father, and His Word with His selfless love as well.  Our ‘saying’ as sons and daughters unto the Father ought to be “for thy sake” as we live our lives as “faithful” in Christ. And we are taught by His Word His selfless love, and its power when we operate upon it even in our sufferings This power of Christ can rest upon us in our times of suffering, and this is done by using His Word when suffer, instead of following this world’s remedies for deliverance from our sufferings. And when man goes through tribulation and sufferings, he turns to self-help books, psychiatrists, and the words of others, but we have an effectual way given to us by our Father, and that is by His Word, not the words of man’s wisdom. This power is what is given us in Christ Jesus, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And because of our operating upon His selfless love, we would rather operate upon His Word knowing that it is for Christ’s sake, not ours.

2^nd Cor.12:9] And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

[10] Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Finally, Satan desires that man would operate upon his own emotions, and thinking when we suffer, and as we walk in the details of our daily lives. And it is by the heart and mind that God will educate the Saints unto godliness, and Satan knows that when the man loves the things of this world “more than” the things that are of God, and when the man will “mind earthly things,” and  think with the carnal mind, His mind will be “blinded,” and his heart will be “darkened,” and he will not be able to ‘see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.’ And this is the “treasure” that Paul speaks of unto Timothy when he said that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love.” And it is the by the “light of the glorious gospel of Christ,” which is the Spiritual mind of Christ, and by the knowledge of the selfless love of Christ shining within our hearts in all godliness, this is the power, and treasure that we are given of our Father to be more than conquerors through him that loved us, and essential to the Power of Christ resting upon us, and Christ’s strength being made perfect in our weakness as sons.

2^nd Cor.4:4] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

[5] For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

[6] For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

[7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Rod Jones