christianity

Perfect Love Casts out Fear

April 10, 2011 by Russ Pond

When I became a believer in 1991, I would asked people to pray for me about the consuming and terrifying fear that gripped my mind. And often, I would hear them pray something about love, and how perfect love casts out fear. They were referencing 1 John 4:18,

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

That was 20 years ago, and today I’m still learning more and more about God’s perfect love. The depth of his love is never ending. The more I learn and experience his love, the greater the peace I experience.

I want to share a few points I’ve learned along the way about this “perfect love” that conquers fear.

1. What is Perfect Love

The word “perfect” in this scripture is teleios. It means completeness, to be completed in growth or labor. Perfect love is love that has been perfected and complete. It doesn’t mean you have to live a perfect life for God to love you. The more we surrender to God’s perfecting work in our life, the more complete we grow in God’s love.

Think of it this way: it’s not how perfect your love is towards God–it’s how perfect God’s love is towards you. When you come to know just how much God loves you, the fear is cast out.

2. Casting out Fear

The Greek word for “casts out” is ballo, which means to violently fling, throw or thrust out. Other versions translate this as “expels” or “drives out”. Perfect love expels, drives out, and violently thrusts away fear. It’s not a gentle pushing or nudging. It is violently smashed by God’s perfect love.

3. Righteousness, your Right Standing with God

What is righteousness? What does it mean to be righteous?

Righteousness is “right standing with God”. It’s a state of being worthy, qualified, and declared right.

Many of us look at our mistakes and sin, and we let it define who we are. But, that’s not how God defines us. If we have received Christ, God looks at us differently. If you have confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from dead, then you will be saved (Romans 10:9) and declared righteous, holy and justified.

In Christ, you are perfect in God’s eyes. God is not angry with you nor disappointed with you. You are fully qualified, fully justified, and fully righteous in Christ.

Jesus (who was sinless) was punished so that we (who are sinners) are free from God’s punishment. It’s the great Exchange!

In Christ, you are completely and totally accepted by God right now, today. God is pleased with you. He loves you so much and he longs to spend time with you. He pursues us continually, unashamedly, and passionately. God cherishes his time with you every moment of every day.

This week, take some time to experience God’s love, his unconditional, unhindered, perfect love. And when you do, fear will be expelled, cast out, driven away, in Jesus’ name!

Prayer: Father, help me experience all of your love for me.

The Faith for Freedom from Panic Attacks, Fear and Anxiety

March 27, 2011 by Russ Pond

How many times have you said to yourself: I wish I had more faith? If I had more faith, I know I could overcome these fears and panic attacks.

I said that for years! Lord, give me more faith. Help my unbelief. Lord, give me a mustard seed of faith. But, nothing really changed in me. My situation stayed the same. I started to wonder if my prayers for more faith were accurate. After some deep study of the Bible in this area of faith, I started to change the way I prayed, because my understanding of faith was not accurate.

Here’s what I learned about faith:

What is Faith?

First, we need to know what faith is. There are two Greek words that appear throughout the new testament: pistis (noun) and pisteuo (verb). Interestingly, most Bible translates the noun as “faith” and the verb as “believe” but these two words have a very similar meaning.

Too often, we define “faith” as something different than “belief.” We talk about the Baptist “faith” or getting more “faith”, but I don’t think that’s Biblically accurate. Faith simply means “belief”. When you say, “I wish I had more faith”, you can also say, “I wish I believed more.”

Faith does not move God

This may sound weird, even heretical, but it’s one of the most powerful truths I’ve learned over the years. Faith does not move God, because God already moved 2,000 years ago. When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, he reconciled us to God and all the promises of God in Christ are available to us today. Peace, freedom, healing, joy and salvation are all available to us right now. Faith is simply renewing our minds to receive what is already ours. That’s why Romans 12:1, 2 encourages us to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. We need to think differently.

When Paul prayed for the Ephesians, he asked God to give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened. And, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:17-21). We have available to us today this incredible spiritual inheritance, and we must pray that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened so that we can see what we already have in Christ.

Misdirected Faith

Too often, we focus our faith on things. We ask God for peace, healing, strength, and provision. I have done this quite a bit myself. And sometimes, those prayers are answered, but I don’t believe this is where we should focus our faith.

When we focus our faith on things, we can easily miss the Source of those things. What you focus on will organize your life. If you focus on freedom, healing and peace, then those things will organize your life, and you will be consumed with finding things instead of finding God. Jesus said it this way, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Our faith—what we believe—should be focused on knowing Christ and his righteousness. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He should be our complete focus.

In John 6:28-29, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “What does God want us to do?” They were asking Jesus where they should focus their faith? Jesus responded, “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.”

I want to encourage you this week to focus your faith on Christ. Seek first his righteousness and all the things you need—freedom, joy, rest, healing and peace—will begin working in your life. Renew your mind through prayer, scripture and Bible study. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and teach you all things.

Prayer: Father, help me refocus my faith on your son, Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

How to Pray against Anxiety Attacks, Panic and Fear

March 6, 2011 by Russ Pond

How to pray against anxiety, panic and fearful thoughts — Photo by Leland

When anxious and fearful thoughts come flooding in, it can be very difficult to quiet your mind and connect with God in prayer. In the middle of a panic attack, the last thing on your mind is getting alone with God. But, prayer can be very helpful in stopping those confusing and terrifying thoughts.

Learning how to pray can calm an anxious mind and fill your heart with peace:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7).

When anxious thoughts, fear, panic or worry come against you, present your requests to God. Pray and petition him, and as you do, his peace which goes beyond all understanding will guide your hearts and mind in Christ. This is more than just a recommendation—it’s a truth that can transform a fearful mind into a mind of peace.

Here are some steps that have helped me connect with God:

1. Believe

Faith is essential. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We must believe that God will respond to our prayers. If we doubt, we are like a wave tossed about by the sea, unsettled in all our ways (James 1:5). Here’s how Jesus explains it:

Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, ‘May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,’ and your command will be obeyed. All that’s required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it” (Mark 11:22-24).

2. God hears you

I think we’ve all wondered, “God, do you really hear me?” We pray and pray and it seems like nothing changes. We beg for freedom, we cry out for a respite of peace, but it seems so elusive. We hear a thought in our head, God does not hear my prayers and we think it’s our thought. Quietly, we agree with this subtle attack of the devil. The enemy constantly accuses us and lies to us. He is the father of lies (John 10:10) and he spews his lies and confusion all over of us to thwart God’s beautiful plans for our lives. We cannot give into this voice that says God does not hear our prayers. God listens.

Another subtle lie from the enemy is that we are not worthy enough for God to hear our prayers. It’s just not true! When you receive Christ, you are instantly made worthy. He took our sins and we took his righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says it this way, “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Now that you are righteous in Christ, you can boldly come to the throne of grace in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

3. Know who you are in Christ

Too often, we approach God in prayer with a sinner mentality. “Lord, I’m a wretched sinner. Woe is me! I’m not worthy to come before you.” This way of thinking is wrong. Once you receive Christ, you are no longer a slave—you are a child of God!

“You are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you” (Galatians 4:7).

In Christ, you are a child of the Most High God. You are special! You are cherished, loved, protected and pursued by God. You are his child!

4. Words carry power

We must be very careful about the words we speak. Words carry incredible spiritual power. Death and life are in the power of our words (Proverbs 18:21). Salvation comes when we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts (Romans 10:9). Whether good or evil, people speak what’s in their hearts. Jesus said it this way, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say. A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart” (Matthew 12:34, 35).

If you want to experience peace, don’t speak evil, doubting words. If you feel an anxious thought coming on, don’t say, “I’m probably going to have another panic attack.” No! Don’t speak those words. Rather, pray something like this, “Father, my body feels anxious right now, but you said that you will give me perfect peace when my mind is focused upon you. Right now, Lord, I fix my thoughts upon you. I trust in you!”

5. Build your prayer muscle

Prayer is a lot like a muscle. You need to work on it, strengthen it and build it up. Don’t wait till you need it to start strengthening it.

A professional athlete doesn’t start working out the day before a big race. It takes months and months, even years, to develop the ability to race well. In the same way, we should pray daily, flexing and strengthening our prayer-time muscle.

“Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Prayer: Father, this week, teach me to pray effectively. Show me how to build and strengthen my prayer muscle so that when anxiety, panic or fear hits, I can rest in the confidence that you are with me.

Here are some encouraging books on Prayer:

The Love of God: It Makes us Whole

January 16, 2011 by Russ Pond

This week, as part of our church’s New Year devotional, we’ve been memorizing Ephesians 2:8,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

I’ve heard this scripture for years. So much so, that I’ve become quite familiar with it. But, that’s not a good thing. Too often, familiarity breeds complacency. The more we know something, the less importance we give it. It’s the “curse of knowledge”.

Each day this week as I said those words, something started to stir my soul. I began to realize that incredible freedom lies in the truth of these words. Freedom from fear, anxiety, torment and panic attacks is right there in these words.

Let me show you.

By grace
You have been saved
Through faith

By Grace

I’ve been sharing these past few weeks about how righteousness is a gift from God. It’s not something we can earn or work for. It’s a gift, just it says in Ephesians 2:8 and 9. In Romans 4, Paul contrasts the difference between a wage and gift, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (v4, 5).

When you work for your right standing with God, then it’s accounted to you as a wage. The problem is that God requires perfection, so the wage becomes a debt against you that you’ll never be able to pay. None of us will ever be able to meet his requirements for righteousness, but he knew that, and he sent his Son to take our sin and give us his righteousness as a gift.

So, what is this gift that we have received by grace?

You have been Saved

The gift is salvation, but again, we are so familiar with this word. Do we really know what it means to be saved? What are we saved from?

To fully understand what it means, let’s go to the original language of the New Testament. This word saved comes from the Greek word sozo (sode’-zo). This word literally means “to be made whole in our body, soul and spirit.”

Too often, we think of it as being saved from hell. Salvation is so much more than that. Jesus didn’t just die to keep you out of hell–he died to make you whole (Isaiah 53:4-5), give you freedom (John 8:32), and to give you an abundant life (John 10:10).

Fear, panic, depression, and anxiety are often the results of deep, emotional wounds and trauma. You need to know that Jesus died to set you free from those crippling things, so that you can live life abundantly. He died to make you whole!

Through Faith

Like the word saved, I believe we have also become too familiar with this word faith. We’ve given it a variety of meanings and variations. She’s of this faith and he’s of that faith. If I just had more faith, then God surely would respond to my prayers.

Again, let me go back to the original language. This word faith comes from the Greek word pistis. Throughout the New Testament, it is translated as “faith”. Interestingly, the verb variation of this word is pisteuo, which is translated as “believe”. The word “faith” in the New Testament simply means belief or believing. To have faith is simply to believe.

Now, combine these three phrases: By grace, you have been saved, through faith.

Here’s the Season of Peace paraphrase: When you can truly believe that righteousness in Christ is a gift from God, you will be made whole in your body, soul and spirit.

This is such truth to me. I have experienced deeper levels of freedom and peace knowing that God is pleased with me. I can now boldly come into the throne of grace in my time of need (Hebrews 4:16), and talk to God as my Father. I don’t have to strive and strain to please him. He’s happy with me just as I am, because he has given me a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26).

Prayer: Father, help me understand more and more how by grace I have been saved through faith.

The Love of God: It’s Rest

January 9, 2011 by Russ Pond

While in the midst of crippling fear and anxiety, I would often think God was not pleased with me. If he was pleased with me, then surely he would take this fear away. Surely he would pour out peace and give me a strong mind. But, the fear kept coming and so I assumed God was not happy with me. Maybe it was sin. Maybe it was my thought life. Maybe I didn’t spend enough quiet time with God. What could I do to please him?

The more I searched–what could I do to please God–the more I realized that there was nothing I could do to please God. He was perfect. He required perfection. He is a holy God, and cannot look upon sin. His standard of righteousness was beyond my reach. There was nothing I could do to be holy or worthy. This fact is even confirmed in Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” This was not good news.

All that was compounded by this gnawing sensation that something was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I do better? Why couldn’t I spend more time with God? Why couldn’t I overcome this bad habit? Why couldn’t I shake this feeling of fear? What was wrong with me?

I was really feeling hopeless.

That gnawing sensation, I learned later, was shame. And, it was relentless. It made me feel bad, and it never let up. It was a constant voice in my head that told me I wasn’t good enough, or that I would never be good enough. People who struggle with shame have one of two responses. Either they constantly beat themselves up trying harder to please God only to fail, or they just give up the notion of being good altogether and choose to rebel. Why bother with being good, they declare boldly.

Neither of those responses are good nor healthy. In fact, they are quite destructive.

So, is there hope? Yes!

The answer is twofold. First, you do please God and second, there is no more shame.

First of all, you please God in Christ. Those thoughts I had about displeasing God–my sins, my failures–were not from God. If you have truly surrendered your life to Christ and put your trust in him, then you please God. The Divine exchange happened when you believed. All of your sins were taken off you and put on to Christ at the Cross. And, all of Jesus’ righteousness was put on you. Now, your sins are remembered no more (Hebrews 8:12). You are declared a child of God (1 John 3:1). The Father has given you his Kingdom (Luke 12:32). In Christ, you please God!

Secondly, the shame of all your sins–past, present and future–is gone. Jesus took all your shame on the Cross. The reason we experience shame today is that we don’t believe we are free from sin. We strive to please God in our own strength and efforts, and fail because God’s standard is perfection. We don’t realize that our efforts to please God do nothing but hurt us and hinder us. They are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

When we try to please God in our own strength and our own efforts, we are saying that the Christ’s death on the cross is not enough. We need to do more.

Romans 4:4 declares that gifts are given freely and wages are earned, and that eternal life is a gift. We cannot earn it. Galatians 2:6 also confirms that no flesh shall be justified (made right with God) by our efforts and our works.

The key is that we believe what the Bible says about our righteousness, that it’s a gift, not earned.

Do you know what pleases God? The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that faith pleases God. In other words, when we believe (faith) that we are righteous through the works of Christ and not through our efforts and strength, then God is pleased with us.

I have found incredible peace and freedom in this truth. My striving, my work, my efforts to please God are gone. I please God! He’s happy with me!

Prayer: Father, show me this week that I am righteous and justified by what I believe not what I do. Show me that I am pleasing to you in Christ.