Fears and Promises

What frees us from fear of people is the fear of God. Fear of people paralyzes us, whereas fear of God energizes us. Here Jesus names four particular fears and counters each with a powerful promise of God:

1. Fear of exposure with the promise of public vindication

2. Fear of death with the promise of bodily resurrection

3. Fear of meaningless suffering with the promise of providential care

4. Fear of abandonment with the promise of permanent belonging in his family

Ultimately, Jesus pays infinitely more to associate with us than we ever pay to associate with him.