Faith Over Fear: Obedience to God or the Path of Least Resistance?

Описание: Faith over fear sounds inspiring—but is it biblical? Discover true faith, obedience to God, courage in the Bible, and what it really means to follow Jesus Christ—no matter the cost.

Some of the toughest obstacles Christians face in following Jesus Christ are in recognizing what is true—and then doing it. Watch next    • Who Changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday?  

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00:00 What Does Faith Over Fear Mean in the Bible?
00:41 Examples of Courage in the Bible: Faith Over Fear
01:42 True Faith Is Obedience to God (a Moral Decision)
02:30 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Faith Over Fear (Daniel 3)
05:56 Fear in the Bible: King Jeroboam’s False Justification (1 Kings 12)
08:33 Always Choose to Obey God, Not the Path of Least Resistance
09:35 Adam and Eve: Disobedience in the Bible
13:11 3 Common Justifications for Disobedience to God
13:28 The Sabbath Test: Obedience to God or Fear of Man
15:19 Ten Commandments Are Still God’s Law
16:22 True Christianity vs Pagan Traditions
17:24 Following Jesus Christ vs Fear of Family and Friends
18:39 Faith Over Fear—Who Will You Obey?

#faithoverfear #obediencetogod #followjesus

The Bible is filled with examples of people giving in to fear, but also of those who overcame fear. We think of David defeating the giant Goliath, of Daniel in the lion’s den, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego defying King Nebuchadnezzar. Then there was Queen Esther, who put her life on the line to save her people. All these stories give us a lift in courage, if only in mind, and if only temporarily.

Few, if any of us, will ever face a literal giant, but it’s a common metaphor to face Goliath-like trials. Most often these trials are presented in terms of a serious illness, the loss of a loved one, or being turned down for your dream job.

Yes, it is true that faith can help us carry on. It’s good to overcome our fears when faced with such trials, but this is where I have a problem with the faith over fear fad.

We’re subject to many trials in life whether we endure them with faith or fear. Somehow we come out on the other side in due time, but the greatest necessity for exercising faith over fear has less to do with sickness and death than with obedience to God. And I’ll make that abundantly clear by the end of this program.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

There is a difference between a trial of sickness, which we endure—whether in faith or in fear—and that which comes upon us requiring us to make a moral decision.

Examples requiring moral decisions: Three young men faced a life-and-death decision. Chaldean King Nebuchadnezzar set up a giant image and commanded all people to bow down to it whenever the band played. This violated God’s Ten Commandments. When the three young Jewish men refused to bow before his idol, the king gave them a second chance with an ultimatum.
Daniel 3:15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?
It would have been easy to reason that they could physically bow down to save their lives but not mentally worship it. Think about it! They did not know the end of the story as we do, yet they gave this bold response.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
In Daniel 6 we read of how Daniel's enemies set up a decree forbidding worship of the true God. Daniel could have reasoned to worship God silently on his bed at night, but he did not.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days (Daniel 6:10).