Whom Do You Fear in These Last Days?

By Tucker Whitaker

Undoubtedly, the evidence is—for Christians, this world is becoming more dangerous on a daily basis. Persecution of those who have a true faith in Jesus Christ has increased by an estimated 400% worldwide in the last 24 months alone. Yet, the true church continues to grow, and is doing so in the places of greatest persecution.

North Korea, over the past decade, has consistently been documented as the most hostile toward Christianity, yet it is estimated that the church has grown from 200,000 to 400,000 faithful, during that same length of time.

These numbers are not anomalous, almost the same type of growth has been experienced in China, India, Iran, and much of the African continent. The church of Jesus Christ is alive, growing and in spite of the suffering and persecution—is living expectantly, longing and looking for His imminent return for His Bride.

However, not all who claim the Name of Jesus Christ are boldly taking a stand for Him in these Last Days. Many Christians (especially in the U.S.), for divergent reasons, are “playing it safe” hoping to “slip under the radar” and avoid suffering and persecution. Rather than trusting God, they have developed a fear of man which is by extension, a fear of Satan.

Jesus Christ promised that He would neither leave us nor forsake us, and that we should have no fear of what man might do to us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised that we would be blessed and rewarded for having suffered persecution in His Name (Matthew 5:10-12).

Jesus also told us that we can expect persecution because He was persecuted (John 15:20).

And, Paul told the Christians in the Philippian Church that it was granted to them not only to believe in Jesus but to suffer for Jesus (Philippians 1: 29).

If you are granted something, it means it has been given to you or gifted to you, in other words, it is a privilege that you have received. So, we should count it a privilege when persecution comes, but rather than trusting God for their lives, many are caught in the snare of fearing Man (Proverbs 29:25).

Fearing Man results in a failure to do what is right, what the Lord desires, in being obedient to His call on your life. It is yielding to your human nature rather than trusting in the Holy Spirit to protect and empower you in Jesus Name. Oftentimes a fear of Man is the result of sinful pride in our lives.

It manifests itself in thoughts like, “If I try to share my faith with them they will make fun of me,” or “I could lose my job if I don’t compromise,” or “Jesus understands that I’m not that type of a Christian.” These examples of prideful thoughts or actions show a concern for self, and fear of what Man might say, rather than a fear of God.

Del Fehsenfeld Jr., the founder of Life Action Ministries, said there were 12 warning signs for the believer that they fear Man rather than God.

• They are unwilling to pray aloud.

• They wear immodest or suggestive clothing.

• They become defensive when confronted about their actions.

• They are unwilling to be honest about their failures.

• They are critical of others; trying to find fault.

• They are greedy, seeking material wealth and reputation.

• They are unable to make clear decisions.

• They are harsh with their children and family in public.

• They are constantly fishing for compliments and commendation.

• They are always trying to “one-up” other people’s stories.

• They are unwilling to follow Christ in believer’s baptism or to verbally witness for Him.

• They display different behavior depending on whom they happened to be with.

Fear of Man is quite simply a denial of Christ, weather it is a result of pride or willful disobedience in giving Christ His rightful place in your life. The tent evangelist, Dr. Dolphus Price, said: “Many will go to hell because they are afraid of what their friends might say if they give their lives to Christ.” The English preacher William Gurnall wrote; “We fear Man so much, because we fear God so little.”

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