Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15
This describes our situation in America today. There is a real fear in our country. What is going to happen next? What if I get caught in a terrorist attack?
Christ came into the world precisely for this reason: That we should be delivered from living our whole lives in chronic fear of the latest danger to stalk our world.
This should be the area of our most distinctive testimony. There is a real fear in the country. People are afraid, and God says to us, “Do not fear what they fear” (Isa. 8:12).
To Christians living in the brutal world of the Roman empire, Peter says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15). The early Christians were people of hope living in a culture of fear. There is something powerfully attractive about that.
We live in a culture where many have rejected our message. But they too are concerned for their children, they too wonder what the future holds, and if around the country there are communities of believers who are marked more by hope than by fear, many may be drawn to think again about why that should be.
Do you have a distinctive testimony? Or do you feel that you’ve been giving in to fear?
