IS FEAR A SIN?

Remember the recent messages, “Worry is a Sin” and “Unforgiveness is a Sin” .. we;;, I’ve been dealing with FEAR lately and struggling with ... is FEAR a sin??

To answer that question, first I had to discover how fear comes:

Gen 3:4-10 (NIV)

4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.

5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID because I was naked; so I hid."

The very FIRST example of fear comes when people DISOBEY GOD ! ! Is FEAR a sin in this case???? NO, the DISOBEDIENCE to GOD is the sin.

NEXT CASE:

Gen 20:1-8 (NIV)

1 Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar,

2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman."

4 Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?

5 Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."

6 Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her.

7 Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."

8 Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, THEY WERE VERY MUCH AFRAID.

FEAR is NOT a sin in this second case, rather fear was HEALTHY .. to FEAR GOD’S WRATH towards DISOBEDIENCE is VERY WISE ! ! !

(See Ps 19:9 & Prov 1:7)

9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. (NIV)

Prov 1:7 (NIV)

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Case 3:

Gen 32:6-9 (NIV)

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

7 IN GREAT FEAR AND DISTRESS Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.

8 He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."

9 Then Jacob prayed . . .

NO SIN here ... Jacob was afraid BECAUSE of the sin of deceiving his family. I YOU sin (rob a bank, tell a lie, etc.) EXPECT to be afraid . . .

Case 4:

Deut 1:16-17 (NAS)

16 "Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear {the cases} between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him.

17 'You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. YOU SHALL NOT FEAR MAN, for the judgment is God's. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.'

Prov 29:25 (NIV)

25 FEAR OF MAN WILL prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Heb 13:5-6 (NIV)

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?"

The FEAR of MAN IS A SIN . . . God told us NOT to be influenced by the FEAR of other people that we sometimes feel. God says THAT FEAR will bring TROUBLE.

FINALLY, it IS a sin to fear when GOD has told us to FEAR NOT (if we fear when God tells us NOT to fear, we are DISOBEYING HIM) ... case 5:

Matt 1:20-21(KJV)

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, FEAR NOT to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.