"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
So much of what we do it out of a fear we have. We're afraid we won't be liked, so we wear certain clothes to make us fit in. We're afraid we will just be mediocre, so we do things to try to be different. We're afraid of truly being known for what we really believe and think, so we keep the deepest parts of us to ourselves. We're afraid of failure, so we never try. We're afraid of judgement, so we tell "little lies" every day. We're afraid of the future, so we worry incessantly. Do any of these sound familiar? Perhaps you can think of your own phrase that would describe where you are in life right now. What behaviors are you doing out of a rooted fear?
But Christ...Christ came to free you from all of these fears. He came to give you life. He said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." And part of the fullness and abundance of the live He came to give you is freedom and liberty.
"...creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Read that one again like a black preacher. It's so good!)
"Live as free men..."
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom..."
"If the Son sets you free, you are truly free."
And because of this freedom, we don't need to fear anything -- not even death -- because we know Whose we are and where we're going when we die.
"The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)
There are so many incredible verses on freedom, especially freedom from fear! Take some time to find some verses that you can claim.
My favorite sentence in our passage today refers to the people who are causing you to suffer. It says, "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." This is a command. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be frightened. They're afraid they won't be accepted; don't fear that. They're afraid of what you'll think; don't fear that. They're afraid of losing control and power; don't fear that. Whatever it is the world fears, do not fear that! You don't have to, because Christ has freed you from fear.
I have a very dear friend who is having a difficult season with a family member. The family member has told her, "and you claim to be a Christian," because of some, I believe, healthy boundaries and choices that she has had to make regarding the family member. She is going against the grain of the culture, and is therefore seen as a hypocrite. Yet, let us remember that we can conquer our current culture, or it WILL conquer us, friends. Our culture lies to us, as written by satan himself. We will not find contentment and love and fulfillment through this world, but only from Jesus Christ alone. This friend of mine, I love her so, and I have seen her grow so much because of this suffering. What she used to fear, she no longer does. Where she used to waver in her answers, as she hashed through what she really believes, oh, she no longer wavers! I heard her speak about her situation recently, and there was a silent, strong confidence in her eyes as she spoke. She is in the midst of persecution, yet she does not fear. She lives in the freedom and knowledge of Christ. She has "set apart Christ as (her) Lord," as verse 15 says to do.
One more thing, "It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." In other words, the current persecution you might be facing, is far better in God's eyes than a spanking that you rightly deserve. He is not surprised that you are suffering for your faith. You are partnering with Him, just as He suffered and was persecuted! There is no fault in that. So, you can continue to live in freedom.
And as you suffer, remember that "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Those causing you harm, Christ died for them, too. He loves them and desires to bring them to God. Perhaps you are the only light of Christ they know. They are battling a waging war within themselves between Christ and satan. I urge you to continue to pray for your enemies!
And a challenge to us all...are you feeling persecuted? If the answer is no, and I'm saying this to myself, perhaps we are stuck in a comfort zone? Perhaps we are too afraid to tell people what you really think and believe, for fear of ______. I would wonder that if no one disagrees with us, and everyone likes us, perhaps we aren't living in Truth?
Let go of your fears, whatever they might be. God has not called you to Himself to then still live in a spirit of fear and timidity. He gave you His power and strength! You can live confidently and boldly for Him today.
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