Delivered From Evil: Preparing For the Age to Come by Rick Joyner

Author:Rick Joyner [Joyner, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780768497311
Barnesnoble:
Published: 2005-08-26T10:52:53+00:00

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The Fear of Man

and Confusion

In this chapter we are going to study another main gateway of confusion into our life—living by the fear of man instead of by the fear of the Lord. The “fear of man” is referring to an inordinate fear of man, which is different from the proper respect that we should have for others. The proper respect to others is what we are exhorted to give in Romans 13:7, “Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”

Believe it or not, the Greek word that is translated “fear”

in this text actually means fear! It could have been translated

“alarm” or “fright.” There is a respect for authority, for the elderly, etc., that we should have. So when I am here speaking of

“the fear of man” I am speaking of an inordinate fear of man.

As we addressed in the last chapter, a great deal of the confusion in people’s lives can be broken quickly by the resolve to live in the simplicity of pleasing God rather than other people. When we live by the fear of man instead of by the fear of the Lord, we put ourselves into the cauldron of confusion that is constantly stirred by the whims of others or by the fears empowered by our own constantly changing perceptions of what we think others think of us.

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DELIVERED from EVIL

In general, people are not consistent enough, or stable enough, for us to put this kind of trust in them. In fact, the whole fallen world is in the grip of the very confusion that we resolved to get free from. Therefore we must begin by freeing ourselves from the world’s controls and expectations in every way that it wrongly influences our life and perceptions.

The Lord has made it very clear what He thinks of us and what He expects of us. We can add to this the assurance that He never changes. Therefore to live in the fear of the Lord rather than by the fear of man will dispel most of the confusion that afflicts almost every person.

THE CONFUSION OF HUMAN RELATIONS

No parents are perfect, and even the best ones can, at times, do things that confuse their children. There are times when the children may do something that irritates their parents so that they get a strong reaction from them.

The very next day they may do the same thing, but because their parents are in a different mood they may not get a reaction at all. This kind of thing can produce confusion in their life—like trying to play a game when someone is constantly changing the rules on you and not telling you about it.

If confusion or inconsistency is in you, it will come out in your relationship to your children, your spouse, your coworkers, and everyone else. However, we are all this way until we have been perfected in Christ, and I have yet to meet anyone who has fully attained that.

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