Living Fearlessly

What can we learn from Christ's original apostles about fearless living? It's no secret that when Jesus was arrested and put on trial, the men he'd trusted most either denied knowing him at all or went into hiding. They obviously loved the Lord, but they were paralyzed with terror. By contrast, following the resurrection, those same shaky, "uneducated" men gladly faced torture and death to proclaim the gospel in distant lands across the globe.

For most people, death is the monster underneath the bed we'd rather not talk about. It seems so final. It is shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. Of course, Jesus tore down the veil and revealed the truth, but too many postmodern saints have never taken it to heart. Here's a quick outline of the facts.

The first three gospels identify three separate occasions when Jesus told his inner circle that he would be arrested, crucified, and resurrected. (Matthew 16: 21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19.) In John 12:22-33, Christ promises he must lay down his life and pick it up again. He speaks to multitudes about the way he will fulfill the sign of Jonah, the prophet who came back from certain death after being swallowed by a great sea monster!

All these assurances sailed right over the heads of his followers. Perhaps they thought he was speaking figuratively. But most likely, they discounted this stuff as too outrageous to be true. Everybody knows dead people can't raise themselves up again. That's why most of his apostles fled for their lives when the soldiers showed up. It's also why nobody believed the women who showed up on Sunday morning, insisting the tomb was empty. (Luke 24:11) They assumed these silly women were telling idle tales! By no means was Thomas the only one who wouldn't believe until he saw Jesus and touched his wounds.

Luke 20:29 is instructive. Christ tells Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Simon Peter and the remaining apostles were never the same once they were confronted with the reality of the resurrection. That brings us to the promise the Lord made about you and me, the ones who haven't seen. What about us? We have the evidence.

The blessing Christ promised for people like us is that we don't have to wait in fear and apprehension, paralyzed by the threat of death. We have the promises of Christ that what was true for him is also true for us.

John 11:25 - 26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me, though he die, yet will he live. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

John 14: 2-3 "In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am, you may be also."

The key to fearless living is our confidence that when the world threatens us with its worst, Christ affords us his best. If we are buried with him by faith in his death, we will be raised with him in his resurrection. It's the essence of the gospel.

Let's make resurrection a vital part of our thinking. Fill your mind with the promises of Christ. Take them seriously. And claim the truth of eternal life every day. Life in Christ is forever. The only thing final for us is the undying love of God. Life in Christ is forever!

What a great thought for Easter. Better yet, what a powerful truth to reconsider first thing every morning for the rest of your life. There is a reason faith is fearless. Life in Christ is forever!

If you enjoy this fresh approach to ancient scriptures, you might enjoy Timothy's most recent book. The Epic Life: Revelation, Resistance & Revival is available at Amazon and wherever you find good books.