Casting Out Fear
Fear not, for I have redeemed you...Fear not, for I am with you.
Isaiah 43:1, 5
The theme and idea of fear has been on my mind as of late. It certainly has something to do with the overall effect Covid has had (and continues to have) on the entire world. Fear seems to be more apparent "in the air". And that is understandable as we often fear things that are unknown. And we fear especially those things which are unknown but we see their effects in our daily lives. Fear is fueled by things that are uncertain and fear toys with those uncertainties.
While speaking with a friend earlier this week, I commented on Psalm 23. In that well-known psalm, the Lord prepares a table before his loved one in the presence of enemies. The Lord has not displaced them or removed them with a snap of his fingers (though he could). Rather, he lays out a feast for his loved one and the enemies are kept at bay, because the Lord is present. It is his presence that settles the lambs of the Lord and turns their fear into peace.
The Gospel is the good news, the good announcement, that God has accomplished the redemption of the world in his Son, Jesus the Christ. The Gospel is not merely the report that Jesus is now alive nor is it merely that one does not have to go to hell. Rather, all that God intends for the world is now possible for humanity can now be born from above which is being born again. This is possible because the firstborn of creation has been born. And from this new birth comes a new creation, a redeemed creation. The effects of the Gospel are manifold and are to spill over the banks of the report of the good news itself into all areas of our lives. In other words, we are to drink deeply from the Gospel that it might enliven our entire being; it is not a mere calculus.
The Gospel proclaims that death has died at the hands of Christ. The Gospel proclaims the fractured relationship of humanity (and the world) and God is restored through Christ. The Gospel proclaims that God is with us. The Gospel proclaims "Fear not."
As the Gospel is true and you are loved and cared for by God, whom shall you fear? Through the Gospel, the Lord sets humans free from the fearful constraints of life apart from God, a fear that we see even at the beginning with Adam and Eve hiding in the Garden from the presence of God. But as the Son has set you free, you are free indeed. He has set you free by his perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear.
Grace & Peace