FEAR OF MAN
Courage...is
the indispensable requisite of any true ministry...Courage is good everywhere,
but it is necessary here. If you are
afraid of men and a slave to their opinion, go and do something else. Go and make shoes to fit them...But do not
keep on all your life preaching sermons which shall say not what God sent you
to declare, but what they hire you to say.
Quoted in: Who Will Be Saved? Edited by: House, Paul and Thornbury,
Gregory. Crossway, 2000, p. 101.
It is not the
being seen of men that is wrong, but doing these things for the purpose of
being seen of men. The problem with the hypocrite is his motivation. He does
not want to be holy; he only wants to seem to be holy. He is more concerned
with his reputation for righteousness than about actually becoming righteous.
The approbation of men matters more to him than the approval of God.
Augustine
Fear is the
response of the human heart when its one thing is
threatened.
Augustine
Are we not
all immortal till our work is done?
Robert Murray McCheyne
Comfort in Sorrow, Christian Focus, 2002, p.
48, Used by Permission.
The worst
evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination. If we had no troubles but real troubles, we
should not have a tenth part of our present sorrows. We feel a thousand deaths in fearing one, but
the (the Christian) cured of the disease of fearing.
C.H. Spurgeon
Treasury of David, Psalm 23.
Of whom shall
I be afraid? One with God is a majority.
Martin Luther
If you stood
alone, it would be presumption to hope. Because you are not alone, it is
offence to tremble.
Henry Law
We fear men
so much, because we fear God so little.
One fear cures another. When
man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.
William Gurnall
A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, by permission of Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA. 2000, p. 108.
Only he who
can say, "The Lord is the strength of my life" can say, "Of whom
shall I be afraid?"
Alexander MacLaren
(We must
avoid) carnal fear; a man-fearing spirit; a shrinking from reproach and duty;
reasoning around your cross; a shrinking from doing your whole duty by those of
wealth or position; a fearfulness that someone will offend and drive some
prominent person away; a compromising spirit.
Author Unknown
Not I, but Christ.
God incarnate
is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that He is in the midst… will
be quiet in the middle of alarm.
F.B. Meyer
Faith, which
is trust, and fear are opposite poles. If a man has the one, he can scarcely
have the other in vigorous operation. He that has his trust set upon God does
not need to dread anything except the weakening or the paralyzing of that
trust.
Alexander Maclaren
The Heath in the Desert and the Tree by the River,
Jeremiah 17:6, 8.
Brethren, if
our trust is in God, it is unworthy of it and of us to fear, for all things are
His, and there is no evil in evil as men call it, so long as it does not draw
away our hearts from our Father and our Hope. Therefore, he that fears let him
trust; he that trusts let him not be afraid. He that sets his heart and anchors
his hopes of safety on any except God, let him be
afraid, for he is in a very stern world, and if he is not fearful he is a fool.
Alexander Maclaren
The Heath in the Desert and the Tree by the River,
Jeremiah 17:6, 8.
The presence
of hope in the invincible sovereignty of God drives out fear.
John Piper
This
Momentary Marriage – A Parable of Permanence, Desiring God Foundation, 2008, p.
97, www.DesiringGod.org.
We stand at
the crossroads between fear of others and fear of God. The road leading to the fear of man may be
expressed in terms of favoritism, wanting others to think well of you, fearing
exposure by them, or being overwhelmed by their perceived physical power. When these fears are not combated with the
fear of the Lord, the consequences can be devastating. But when God is given his rightful place in
our lives, old bonds can be shattered.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 71. Used by Permission.
“Fear” in the
biblical sense…includes being afraid of someone, but it extends to holding
someone in awe, being controlled or mastered by people, worshipping other
people, putting your trust in people, or needing people.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 14. Used by Permission.
However you
put it, the fear of man can be summarized this way: We replace God with people. Instead of a biblically guided fear of the
Lord, we fear others.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 14. Used by Permission.
The “fear of
man” goes by other names. When we are in
our teens, it is called “peer pressure.” When we are older, it is called
“people-pleasing.” Recently, it has been
called “codependency.” With these labels
in mind, we can spot the fear of man everywhere.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 14. Used by Permission.
(Self-esteem)
is the most popular way that the fear of other people is expressed. If self-esteem is a recurring theme for you,
chances are that your life revolves around what others think. You reverence or fear their opinions. You need them to buttress your sense of
well-being and identity. You need them
to fill you up.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 15. Used by Permission.
The most
radical treatment for the fear of man is the fear of the Lord. God must be bigger to you than people are.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 19. Used by Permission.
1. We fear people because they can expose and
humiliate us. 2. We fear people because they can reject,
ridicule, or despise us. 3. We fear people because they can attack,
oppress, or threaten us. These three
reasons have one thing in common: they
see people as “bigger” (that is, more powerful and significant) than God, and,
out of the fear that creates in us, we give other people the power and right to
tell us what to feel, think, and do.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 23. Used by Permission.
Fear of
people is often a more conscious version of being afraid of God. That is, we are more conscious of our fear of
others than our fear of God. Granted,
fear of others is a real phenomenon.
We really are afraid of the thoughts, opinions, and actions of other
people. But under that we hide as best
we can the more desperate fear of God.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R Publishing, 1997, p. 33. Used by Permission.
Fear of man
is fear run amok. It might start with
the very natural fear associated with being vulnerable and threatened. At times, however, this alarm is not
regulated by faith. It becomes fear that
is consumed with itself and for a time forgets God. It becomes a fear that, when activated, rules
your life. In such a state, we trust for
salvation in others… It is a slippery slope between normal fear and an
idolatrous fear of man.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 60. Used by Permission.
What is the
result of…people-idolatry? As in all
idolatry, the idol we choose to worship soon owns us. The object we fear overcomes us. Although insignificant in itself, the idol
becomes huge and rules us. It tells us
how to think, what to feel, and how to act.
It tells us what to wear, it tells us to laugh at the dirty joke, and it
tells us to be frightened to death that we might have to get up in front of a
group and say something. The whole
strategy backfires. We never expect that
using people to meet our desires leaves us enslaved to them.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 46. Used by Permission.
We are more
concerned about looking stupid (a fear of people) than we are about acting
sinfully (fear of the Lord).
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 40. Used by Permission.
If the gaze
of man awakens fear in us, how much more so the gaze of God. If we feel exposed by people, we will feel
devastated before God. To even think of
such things is too overwhelming. Our
hearts tremble at the thought, and we do everything we can to avoid it. One way to avoid God’s eyes is to live as if
fear of other people is our deepest problem – they are big, not God.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 33. Used by Permission.
ALL
experiences of the fear of man share at least one common feature: People are
big. They have grown to idolatrous
proportions in our lives. They control
us. Since there is no room in our hearts
to worship both God and people, whenever people are big, God is not. Therefore, the first task in escaping the
snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious,
not other people.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 95. Used by Permission.
The fear of
man is no respecter of persons. It might
be called codependency with adults, peer pressure with teens, and shyness with
children, but whatever it is called, it all betrays the same idolatrous heart.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 192. Used by Permission.
Isolation and
the fear of man are close companions.
Edward T. Welch
When People are Big and God is Small, P&R
Publishing, 1997, p. 198. Used by Permission.
Fears are
loud and demanding. Even when you know they are irrational, they can still
control you. It is hard to argue with feelings that are so intense, and easy to
be loyal to our inaccurate interpretations.
Ed Welch
Depression:
A Stubborn Darkness, Punch Press, 2004, p. 38.
Understanding
Bible prophecy encourages in two unique ways.
First, it serves as a reminder that God controls history. When, you read from the pages of Scripture how
He keeps His promises, your faith is strengthened…By reflecting on the
fulfilled promises of the past, you can find great comfort as you look toward
the future. Second, understanding God's
promises for the future provides a solid foundation to which you can anchor
your hope—a sturdy shield with which you can deflect your doubts and fears
about tomorrow…When you reflect on God's plans and promises for you and for the
world, you can face the future without fear.
John MacArthur
Facing the Future Without
Fear.
If
the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear.
His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear
open to our prayer – His grace sufficient, His promise unchangeable.
John Newton
Fear knocked
at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.
Author Unknown
Christian Reader, v. 32, n. 4.
Fear that
does not take you to God, will take you away from God.
Author
Unknown
When you live
to please yourself, circumstances that God designs to teach you to trust and
obey Him instead become temptations for you to fear and worry.
Biblical Counseling Foundation
Self-Confrontation Manuel, Lesson 19, Page 4, Used by Permission of the Biblical Counseling Foundation.