WHO DO YOU FEAR?

*WISDOM FOR TODAY*

*WHO DO YOU FEAR?*

*Scripture Treasure.*

Acts 5:29 *Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Some people fear the children of men than God. It is worrisome!

*Scripture Commentaries.*

While God remains sovereign and All- powerful it is sad to accept that, some if not many, children of men fear people like them more than they fear God who created them.

Jesus warns us about the danger of the children of men.

In His words in Matt 10:28, He tells us that children of men are capable of killing each other. They are capable of creating fear in other human beings.

He says in Matt 10:28 *And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.*

Man is capable of intimidating fellow human beings, ref Acts 9:1-2.

Acts 5:27-28 tells us about the encounter of Peter and other apostles.

*And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,*

*Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.*

The psalmist asked in Psalm 8:4 *'What is man..?* rather than 'Who is man?' to illustrate man's relative insignificance in comparison to God yet He has chosen to show us favour, giving us dominion over the earth and crowning us with glory and honour.

Man became gods, ref Gen 3:22.

In eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve became the sinful original of man who now

saw themselves as having gained an understanding of good and evil, which was previously exclusive to God.

In Gen 3:22, God said they have *".......become one of us...."* but man had only become so in human knowledge, living and as creation in the image of God but not in the character of God

Jesus and the Psalmist reduced them to gods.

Psalm 82:6, the Psalmist says *I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High.*

Jesus says children of men hold position of authority and responsibility, just as God's. They often rule representing God's judgment on earth. 

By all these, the children of men have assumed a position to bring fear into each other's lives.

Everything competes with God and notable children of men in this world either present or past, have openly declared they are God or the Messiah people were waiting for, or there is no God or that the Bible is mere fiction.

One of the reasons why the bible tells us that fear has torment, 1 John 4:18, may be attributable to the oppression and intimidation that children of men lay on one another.

People have created their religions and made people believe they are their own God.

The most fearful thing people do to each other is that they lay hold on people's lives, their livelihood, and their mindset.

While it remains that we honour and respect people, nobody should live in a way to intimidate or make other people's lives miserable.

Jesus warns telling us people lord over others. In Matt 20:25 *But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.*

God balances relationship is such ways that would not allow people to lord over others. Paul warns husbands to love their wives, Eph 5:25. Master-servant relationship, Col 3:22-25, Eph 6:5-9.

Parent-children relationship, Eph 6:4, Col 3:21.

Do not lord over people. Oppression does not profit. It has fatal consequences. Exd 14, Isaiah 49:26.

Pray and resist anyone who lords over you ref Isaiah 49:25-26.

*Remorse corner.*

Who do you fear, God or man?

While we must give honour to whom honour is due, we must set boundaries to avoid esteeming man more than God.

*Call to Word action.*

If you treat or lord over people anyhow, you will get anyhow treatment from them.

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Understand when people are taking your humility to lord over you, avoid them.

*Prayer.*

Let me fear You more than l fear man, in Jesus name.

Good morning all, and have a blessed day.

God bless you.

Shalom.