Sunday, April 6, 2014

Without Fear

There are many fears that people have that either move them or cause them to not move. Fear has been used to control people for as long as there have been people, I believe. Science has even developed a word for those fears we have that are extreme, calling them phobias. Today as I was reading Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, I came across a verse that I saw differently than I had seen it in the past.

Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

When we give place to fear, we offer ourselves up to being in bondage. It is like handing ourselves over to someone to put us in chains willingly. Paul was talking here about Jesus and how in death He destroyed the one that was holding on to it, the devil. It made me wonder how that worked. It reminded me of another letter that Paul wrote to the Romans.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

There was a time when I read what Paul wrote and thought that the references he made using the word “law” were all references to the Law, the Hebrew Torah. The problem with that thought is that then there would be contradictions in the bible, and we know that is not possible. However, if there are various laws that Paul was speaking about, including at times the Law, then it does make sense. When I realized this, many things unfolded in the scriptures. Let’s look at the law of sin and death.

It is likely the law of sin and death has always been. The earliest example that I can think of is in the garden at the fall, God killed an animal to cover Adam and Eve with skins instead of the leaf coverings they made for themselves. This happened because of the sin of Adam and Eve. This was physical death that happened as a result of sin. However, I believe Adam and Eve covered themselves because they knew they were separate from God – spiritual death. If the devil had the power over death until the death of Jesus, then he got it from God at some point. Perhaps man had it first, which is likely, but once deceived and giving place to deception, sin resulted in the surrender of the power of death to the one they trusted. They chose to trust the serpent rather than God. In essence, at that point they elevated the serpent higher than God, separating themselves from God. They chose their covering, the thing in a higher place than them, to be the devil and therefore were uncovered or naked to God. Once they realized their mistake (God threw the serpent to the ground and they saw that God truly was the highest being) they wanted to be with God. They tried to make their own covering, but apparently there was a law in place that says sin brings death. God always seems to use the physical to show us the spiritual. He killed an animal to cover them physically, but they still were thrown out of the garden. Something was still missing. That something was the power of the sin now inherent in them and over them. This was the law of sin and death at work.

When Jesus went to the cross, He was sinless. This sinless man was put to death. However, this disrupts the order which God set up. Death can only be exacted because of sin. That is the law of sin and death, set up from before the beginning.

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The princes of this world are the devil and his minions. It appears that they took credit for killing Jesus. We know they did not have the power to kill Him because Jesus said so.

John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Jesus had to lay His life down because of the law of sin and death. It could not be taken from Him. And because only in the case of sin can death be just, He would have the power to take it back. This commandment was part of the hidden wisdom of God before the world began, which Jesus knew and had as a commandment. And yes, that means there are commandments that existed before the world began. So when the devil claimed responsibility for the death of Jesus, he broke the law that gave him the power of death, he broke the law of sin and death, and apparently breaking that law which was from before the beginning has the penalty of destruction.

I have said all this to say that Jesus died for our sins – all of them. He works in us until His return to perfect us. It is a journey that takes a lifetime. But we can be on that journey without fear because the law of sin and death has no power over believers. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for us. thank You for wanting to spend time with each one of us. We do not know how You pull that off, but we are really thankful that You do. Please forgive us for not moving more quickly to always doing the right things. Please forgive us for our sins. We ask that You send us Your healing, deliverance, and provision today in a powerful way that all men might know that You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.