Revelation 21:8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Yes. I know this does seem like a strange verse to base an entire blog post on. Actually, it’s not as odd as it seems... this is one of the verses we have get to memorize for Bible Quizzing this year. One day, one of the words suddenly struck me: fearful. Woah. That can’t be right. I must have gotten the words mixed up. It’s probably supposed to say ‘but the prideful, and unbelieving...”
But no. The word is fearful. This seems odd, a fearful person lumped into the same category as murderers? As whoremongers and idolaters? I can see how fear might not be the best character trait, but this seems a little but harsh!
In truth, it’s more than harsh. This hits home. You see, I can be very fearful. The fear of what others think of me influences what I do and say more than I like to admit. Fear of my own inadequacies prevent me from stepping out and aspiring to bigger and greater things. Fear of the course our country and world are taking can overwhelm me. In short, according to Revelation 21:8, I–along with the unbelieving and murderers–will be excluded from heaven.
Right?
Well, yes and no.
Allow me to elaborate. Did you know that fear is a noun? It’s an idea or a feeling, just like inspiration or awe. That means that by itself, fear as wrong as a table or a tree (also nouns).
Fear must be acted on, however. For example: let’s pretend that you were really afraid of big yellow balloons. One day you are walking down the road, and someone offers you a free, big, yellow balloon. You have two options at this point: 1) Accept the ballon despite your fear and continue on your walk, or, 2) Shrink back in fear (the balloon is really scary after all), and run away screaming.
If you chose number one, you acted in spite of your fear. Good job!
If you chose number two, you were driven by your fear. :( I’m sorry, that was the wrong answer.
Another negative response to fear is demonstrated in a story found in Matthew 8: Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
When you act in spite of your fear and counteract your fear with faith, you get what is commonly known as courage. Joshua 1:7 says, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
When your driven by your fear, you are demonstrating a lack of faith. This is the destructive fear referred to in Revelations 21:8 and in Matthew 8. This is contrary to scripture. 2 Timothy 1:4 states, “ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
At times it seems like the deeper I look into my heart, the more doubt and fear I find hidden there. Just when it seems like I’m drawing close God and He is using me, I find yet another thing that needs to be removed. Perhaps this is why Paul, in his letter to Timothy towards the end of his life, stated that he was chief among sinners. You can never achieve perfection here in this life, for life is a journey of perfecting. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, we need to give up things that we want to cling to. Yes, we have to surrender ourselves over and over again. But, it’ll be worth it all one day.
Let’s not be fearful.
