Beware! The Prophets of Peace!

Someone has said, though I have not checked it out personally, that there is a "fear not" (in one form or another) in the Bible for every day of the year to encourage the believer (and the unbeliever) that there is nothing really to fear in this world.  The 'fear not' fraternity can marshal many Scripture verses to validate this opinion. The problem is that very often the verse is misunderstood and/or applied erroneously.

The main error of this unintelligent approach is that 'there is nothing to fear,' and all we have to do to be delivered from it is to believe it. Tozer warns that to teach people that there is nothing to fear while living in a world like ours is the height of "gross irresponsibility."

This world is full of enemies to mankind, not the least of which is man's danger to himself.  Jesus taught, "fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell," (Mt.10:28).  What he is saying is that there is every reason in the world for sinful man to be afraid.  In his sinful rebellion, he has plenty to be afraid of.  Sins pays wages in full (Rom.6:23),and amongst these are death, judgement and hell; and they are all waiting for him and he cannot escape them by looking the other way.  It is therefore the height of irresponsibility for any teacher to tell his people to ignore these dangers; it is to fly in the face of the facts, and is a deadly enemy to his soul.  And here's the problem - the greatest danger to these poor sinful people is the false teaching of the peace prophets.  Instead of loving these men, sinners ought to stand in fear of even being in their presence.  They should flee from them like the plague.  Have nothing to do with such deceivers.  Consider them always a source of the greatest fear, for their teaching, or lack of it, has eternal consequences for you and for them.

Let me be very practical and personal for a moment.  Where there are mortal dangers and no place to hide, the only sane reaction is FEAR.  To dismiss fear while th danger still exists, is insanity of the highest level.  Only when the danger has been removed can fear disappear.  Indeed, the only man who has no right to be afraid is the man who has fled to Christ, the mighty Saviour, for refuge.  The danger is still there, but it not there for him. He knows that his mighty Saviour will bring him through all these troubles and dangers and present him faultless before the presence of the Lord.  He knows that! 

And he knows something else!  All the exhortations not to fear in the Scriptures are addressed to believers only.  At no time are they addressed to the children of this age.  Every single person who has not cast all his cares and fears on Christ alone will have to carry them himself.  Everyone who has done this is safe for time and for eternity; all others must face their enemies alone!