'Fear Of Reprisal.'
Genesis 32:11.
a) This a part of Jacob's Prayer,
b) It was prayed with a guilt and fear motivation
c) After the way in which he treated his brother Esau.
d) "Please deliver me from the hand of my brother,
e) "From the hand of Esau,
e) "For I fear him,
f) "That he may come and attack me,
g) "The mothers, with the children."
(Through this QT we can see Jacob's 'Fear Of Reprisal')
PRAYER: That we will never get ourselves into the situation where we have the Fear Of Reprisal.
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'Necessary For The Forgiveness Of Sin.'
Hebrews 9:22.
a) Indeed, under the Law
b) Almost everything
c) Is purified with blood,
d) And without the shedding of blood
e) There is no forgiveness of sins.
(This Second one teaches me that, under God's Law, the shedding of blood was Necessary For The Forgiveness Of Sin)
PRAYER: For the assurance that our sins are forgiven, atoned for by the shedding of Christ's Blood.
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Chris.
We can see that the World System is filled discreetly and silently with the Fear Of Reprisal. Some people do bad things to other people and then they are afraid that the people whom they have sinned against are going to take revenge in some way. This is reasonable fear, it is historically justified.
The wonderful news is that we can be free from the World System's sins and lifestyle if we are truly in Jesus Christ.
It is rational for us to be afraid of God's punishment because the Bible tells us that we have all sinned, and come short of God's Glory. Jesus Christ has, however, at the Cross of Calvary, taken the punishment for our sinful nature and our sins. He rose again to give us a New Life and a New Hope.
If we have confidence that our sins are forgiven because of what Jesus has done for us, and that we have this New Life and New Hope, we can then have Peace with God and experience the Peace of God.
The Bible tells us that God does not give us a 'spirit of fear', but instead, He gives us Power, Love and Self-Control. We can, by Faith, live in victory over the World System.
